May Series Baskets Honored Bonnie Longaberger

     Having honored JW Longaberger with a special basket collection (1983-1993), the Longaberger Company next focused on his wife (and mother of his 12 children) Bonnie Longaberger with the May Series, a special collection of favorite flowers that she selected. Many unique flower-named basket sets were created in the May Series, and the Collectors Club later offered miniature May Series Baskets that were even more fun.  

The 1990 May Series Violet Basket began this collection. Longaberger did not have the colorful monthly feature flyers at that time that became anticipated and expected in later years, and the Violet Basket was only offered on a large postcard pictured to the left. Print fabric Basket Liners were also rare at that time, but the May Series Baskets had special print Liners from the beginning. Many May Series Baskets have purple accent weaves, popular with fans of that color.

Longaberger's May Series Baskets include:

1990    Violet

1991    Rose

1992    Pansy

1993    Lily of the Valley

1994    Lilac

1995    Tulip

1996    Sweet Pea

1997    Petunia

1998    Snapdragon

1999    Daisy

2000    Morning Glory 

2001    Peony

2002    Geranium

2008    Daffodil

When the innovative and striking Snapdragon Basket Set was introduced in 1998, a special print of the May Series Baskets through that point was created by Richard Cowdrey, who created lots of Longaberger art through the years. It was only available to Longaberger hostesses for one month. It does not show all of the collection but illustrates part of them beautifully.

The Daffodil Basket was the fourteenth and last of the May Basket Series and was much-anticipated following a six-year gap. It honored Grandma Bonnie's 100th birthday and had her signature woodburned on the bottom of each of the Daffodil Baskets. 

The May Series Baskets have beautiful fabric Liners, but don't let those limit use of the baskets. The long oval Tulip Basket has red accents and is wonderful for serving at Christmas, Valentines, and patriotic holidays using the Basket and plastic Protector, without the tulip print Liner. I like to fill it with two kinds of snack crackers. The Protector is not divided in the center, but it is easy to fill one end and hold it with your hand as you fill the other end with another kind of cracker. It is also great serving two kinds of  cookies or candy or long items such as breadsticks.

Visit Treasured Basket Traders, my eBay store, to find May Series Baskets and accessories in beautiful condition. You will find many on the secondary market to add to or begin your collection.

Ukraine On Our Minds

 

Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine is a tragedy every day, as the courageous Ukrainians stand up to the world's bully. It is hard to see such destruction and death on the news daily and hard to know how to help. Prayer is one way to help that is free. Donating to an aid organization is good if you trust it to use your money well.

Ukraine has a beautiful flag that always makes me think of a field of golden wheat with a smoky blue sky above. Have you noticed those two colors popping up in many places in recent weeks in a show of support? The Longaberger Woven Traditions Bowls pictured are in Cornflower blue and Butternut yellow, not perfectly Ukraine's colors, but they still bring it to mind.

Living on a farm, it breaks my heart that Ukrainian farmers can't plant their crops and go on farming. This is another way the world will long suffer from Putin's selfish aggression--those fields will be affected for years, causing shortages everywhere. Farming is a full-season process. You can't just stop and start whenever in the year suits you.

As a retired teacher, it breaks my heart that Ukrainian children are away from their homes, schools, family, friends, regular routines . . . their lives. Teachers love their classroom families developed throughout the school year, and they must be so worried, in addition to fearing for their own lives and families. Children are resilient, but this will be so hard for even the strongest of them.

Whether we can help financially or in other ways, we can all find a way to remember and be inspired by the strength of Ukraine. The Ukrainians only seek freedom, which should be the most basic of rights everywhere, for all. It is sad that misinformation is so prevalent everywhere, and that good people in Russia have been misled.   

Longaberger Christmas Collection Basket List

 Longaberger's Christmas Collection included many of the company's most popular baskets, beginning with the 1981 Christmas Candle Basket. Fabric liners and plastic protectors were added in 1990, with wooden lids available beginning with the 1994 Jingle Bell Basket.

1981    Candle        2000 sold

1982    Grandad's Sleigh        3200 sold

1983    Bell        3700 sold

1984    Holly        over 16,000 sold!

1985    Cookie (liner available)

1986    Candy Cane

1987    Mistletoe

1988    Poinsettia

1989    Memory

1990    Gingerbread (plaid liner, protector available)

1991    Yuletide Traditions

1992    Season's Greetings

1993    Bayberry

1994    Jingle Bell    

1995    Cranberry

1996    Holiday Cheer

1997    Snowflake

1998    Glad Tidings

1999    Popcorn

2000    Deck the Halls

2001    Shining Star

2002    Traditions

2003    Caroling

2004    Get Together

2005    Silver Bells

2006    Nature's Garland

2007    Sweets & Treats

2008    Wrap It Up

2009    Snowflake Cookie

2010    Falling Snow

2011    Holly Berry

2012    Drum

2013    Plaid Tidings

2014    Stocking

2015    Yuletide Greetings

2016    8" Generations

2017    Snow Swirl 

Christmas Collection Baskets usually had red or green accent splints, and the stains used were much darker and more colorful in the 1990s and beyond. There were also years with baskets with no red or green accents, both red and green accents, and other stains such as whitewashed. Christmas Baskets always had an engraved gold tag on the top band with the basket's name and year.

Are you interested in the oldies? Grandad's Sleigh is available in my eBay store Treasured Basket Traders, as well as many other Christmas Collection Basket Sets. They are fun to fill with little items particular to the recipient and give for a lasting gift. 

Longaberger offered their first Holiday Hostess Basket in 1987, and in later years these were a larger version of the Christmas Basket. The Tree Trimming Collection was introduced in 1999, with small baskets intended to fit on a Christmas tree. Often these were smaller versions of the Christmas Basket for that year.

As a Longaberger Consultant, I had many customers who faithfully purchased the Christmas Collection Basket each year. There are many Christmas Baskets out there! These are great baskets to use throughout the year--you don't need to put them away with your Christmas decorations. You might remove that holly fabric liner, but the baskets are great for many holidays.

Historical information about Longaberger products, as well as values, can be found in The Bentley Guide for Longaberger. It was once a printed, spiral-bound guide but in 2009 became available only online with a subscription. The older paper guides can sometimes be found on the secondary market and include photos of the different collections on the divider pages. The Guide is fun just to browse through. The staff at Collectibles Database seem to still adjust the values of items, or at least they have since values peaked years ago.

A True Christmas Stocking Basket

The shapely 2021 Stocking Basket is a true work of art and representation of a stocking, difficult to create with maple wood splints. Everyone who has seen my Stocking Basket has been amazed with its craftsmanship, and you will be too. Woven by Dresden & Company in Dresden, Ohio, you can see the craft in process right here. Do you need one Stocking Basket or an entire row of them hanging on your mantle? Think ahead to future family members too! Don't wait too long--these won't be available forever.

Dresden & Company jumped into action when The Longaberger Company closed and declared bankruptcy in 2018, allowing talented Ohio weavers to keep working and creating beautiful formed baskets. While they cannot use the original Longaberger basket forms and names, D & Co has been creative in basket design and other purchases to complement them. The Out & About Basket is a favorite of mine, and it's available in Buffalo Check right now!

Longaberger's 2014 Christmas Stocking Basket had a base shaped like a stocking, with straight sides coming up from it. It was introduced at the 2014 Longaberger Bee (company convention) with a heart-tugging story about Dave Longaberger sending/bringing home a sweet little stocking to his baby daughter, Tami, possibly while he was serving in the military. Unlike that flat stocking, the Dresden & Company Stocking Basket is 3-dimensional, open all the way to the toe unless you use the plastic protector. It truly hangs with a leather loop hanger and will look great hanging all sorts of places.

When you contact a D & Co "Proprietor", you will receive interesting information and help with your orders as well as a discount on your purchase. That will help with your stocking purchase! Visit the website of my helpful friend Linda Sargent to see lots of fun new products and maybe even find a new career for the new year. She has an informative newsletter with great recipes too!   The Stocking Basket comes in a nice mailing box with a color label that shows what is inside. It is a perfect size for storage and a nice addition to the basket.

Longaberger Travel 5: Go Big with Laundry Baskets

Nothing beats the access of a Small Laundry Basket, perfect for some types of travel. Not something you would carry through an airport, Longaberger's Laundry Baskets are built to carry heavy loads and do it beautifully. With their wide-open tops, carefully-packed items are easily located, removed, and replaced, perfect for vehicle-to-hotel or camper travel.

Our family used to take our bass boat over and stay at Lilley's Landing in Branson, Missouri, about an hour from our home. Located on Lake Taneycomo, near Table Rock Lake, Lilley's offered small cabins that were close to all the fun and excitement of Branson but were still secluded. In the morning, my son and I would go have breakfast and shop while my husband and his friend fished for lake trout on Taneycomo. We would meet for a tasty lunch, and then my son and husband would go fishing on Table Rock while I shopped at more outlet malls. A wonderful dinner topped off the day. We had the perfect routine, and Laundry Baskets were very useable in the cabin. They also corral all of your Branson purchases well in your SUV.

One afternoon we headed to Branson without a reservation at Lilley's, having always had success getting a cabin. Surprise! Lilley's had no vacancy. We ended up staying at Chateau on the Lake. What a gorgeous place, right on Table Rock! Not somewhere you want to pass through the grand lobby carrying Longaberger Laundry Baskets, contents open to the world (and we didn't, having found elevators close to a side door). 

Three of my favorite Longaberger Laundry Basket styles, shown to the left and from the left, are the Small Laundry, the Lattice Laundry, and a Blanket Basket. 

The sturdy Small Laundry Basket (left) was available for many years (off and on from 1979 through at least 2017) and is loved by many. With handles cut under the heavy top band, the Small Laundry Basket carries a load. I had spaces built for two to slide out like drawers in my laundry room cabinets, and I have Classic stained Small Laundry Baskets there. A family cat obediently had and raised her kittens on folded towels in one, years ago. This Signature Weave Small Laundry was available for a short time in 2010-2011. My other favorite Small Laundry Baskets are a Bold Red stain and a Santa Belly Small Laundry.

The hostess-only Lattice Weave Laundry Basket (center) was available in 2006-2007 as Longaberger tried some diagonal weaves for something different. It has pretty, braided leather loop ears on each end and an inverted openweave bottom. There was a booking basket miniature of this basket at the time that is very cute.

The Blanket Basket (right) was introduced in 2007. It has a "cat's head" bottom, with pointy corners and a slightly inverted open-weave middle, as well as leather loop ears. This design was supposed to save the basket from daily wear and tear and add strength and airflow. This special American Craft Traditions weave combined olive, merlot, rich brown, and deep brown stain colors, reminiscent of the Maine landscape. Blanket Baskets have leather loop ears on each end.

We use Small Laundry Baskets to carry items out to the camper from the kitchen, leave them at home, and take them back out when we get home to carry laundry, food, and anything else. They also create good traditions, A favorite photo has my son and his little cousin, both toddlers, sitting together in a Small Laundry in their little first Halloween costumes one year. Some of my favorite Laundry Basket memories are carrying food and wrapped gifts to family Christmas gatherings and bringing home leftovers and gifts.

Longaberger Travel 4: Boardwalk and other Tote Baskets

 As if the Good Ol' Summertime name in itself wasn't exciting enough for a Longaberger Basket series, its fifth year introduced Boardwalk Baskets in three sizes. Rich padded and stitched leather handles were so much more comfy than wooden ones, and the oval top tapering to a rectangular base was very user-friendly. The Boardwalk Baskets showcased Longaberger quality.

A boardwalk is a raised wooden path, often built where it is hard to walk, such as on sand or wet ground. In America, sand and water are important ingredients for summer fun, especially in those lucky states along the coasts. Boardwalks became traditional summer destinations with hotels, restaurants, stores, activities, and more built alongside. Longaberger's beautiful Boardwalk Baskets hearkened back to fun summer trips in style. 

Longaberger's WishList offered Large, Medium, and Small Boardwalk Baskets in different stain colors. Sometimes Longaberger included Boardwalk or other Tote Baskets with exclusive stain colors as a gift with trips earned  by Consultants. Longaberger Consultants earned generous incentive trips through the years and were treated royally . . . and then gifted with a very exclusive basket too! Wow!  

Useful as the Boardwalk Baskets are, they aren't Longaberger's only comfortable carrying baskets. Other Tote Baskets have similar shapes and long leather straps and are just as useful for carrying all sorts of items. As a school teacher, I appreciated these Tote Baskets (and several more!)  through the years and put lots of miles on them back and forth to school. They carried heavy loads with ease and rode well sitting on the floorboard of my Explorer behind my seat.

Pictured from the top are a Large Boardwalk, a Sales Leader Career Tote, a Mother's Day Weekend Tote, a Chestnut Carry All, and a Spectator Tote  Basket. I also enjoy using the Village Basket, a shorter and wider Tote that Longaberger created in some wonderful stain color combinations over the years such as Summer Lovin'.

My Large Boardwalk Basket is a prototype that was never offered. The American Celebrations Medium Boardwalk was chosen for the 2007 campaign over this Large one. The notations on the basket's bottom give much more information than usual--hopefully you can zoom in on them. Longaberger sold special, one-of-a-kind prototype baskets at Longaberger Homestead in Ohio in later years before they closed in 2018.

Longaberger Travel 3: Magazine Basket

Although it carries magazines, books, folders, and laptops handily with its tall thin shape, the versatile Magazine Basket can carry so much more. The Magazine is one of JW Longaberger's original designs, called the Bread and Milk Basket in the JW Longaberger Collection. He created it by cutting the wooden form for his popular market basket in half!

According to the JW Longaberger Collection book, the Bread and Milk (aka Magazine) Basket was called the automobile basket in its day, designed to fit between the two front bucket seats. Do you have a beautiful old restored car and need this basket for your travels? If you drive a vehicle, new or vintage, with separate back seats, a Magazine Basket can sit between them with snacks and games to entertain children on long drives. If you have one long seat, it can separate the children! :) It is also nicely sized to carry pet supplies if your furry friend travels with you.

The Bread and Milk/ Magazine Basket later became popular for quick trips to the store. One Longaberger family story told that it could hold three loaves of bread, three bottles of milk, or some combination of those for the big Longaberger family with its twelve children. It is handy traveling to the store today.

The Magazine is another perfect pool or beachgoing basket and can safely carry items both dry or wet if you have a plastic protector inside. Towels, swimsuits, and toys will reach their destination and home again in this handy basket. Other treasures from the sea can travel here as well.

Longaberger's Collectors Club offered a flag 25th Anniversary Basket in 1998 that is probably the ultimate Magazine Basket. Perfect for carrying picnic supplies, mine is loaded with paper platters, bowls, cups, and some fun decorations for this Fourth of July weekend. It would be great carrying three big 2-liter bottles of pop and other beverages. The protector could even hold ice. If you put ice in a protector, try to put something absorbent like a thin towel between basket and protector to absorb the condensation that will occur. 

Magazine Baskets are used and loved by crafters of all sorts. Parts and components of all sizes can fit neatly inside, as well as books and papers. Some users placed a Bread Basket inside the top of their Magazine Basket to hold another layer with tools or pieces. 

I don't have a regular Bread Basket any more, but I tried the Heartland Bakery Basket, which is woven on the same form. It sat nicely with its top band on the Magazine Basket's top band, and the handles could come up, but then I was able to push it down on one end into the basket. If the lower basket is holding some pieces or supplies, that might  help keep it from falling in. Baskets varied in size a little depending on the weaver, so your Bread and Magazine Baskets might work together well. You can imagine the many uses for them together, especially with a protector in the Bread Basket. 

Thinking ahead to fall, imagine carrying a Magazine Basket to football games with cushions or a stadium blanket, a thermos of something warm to drink, some cups, and other items to add to the fun. The Magazine has also been used as a baby basket, carrying the many baby supplies needed to travel. 

The Magazine Basket is great for all sorts of travel! Two more especially handy travel baskets to come.