This is an adaptation of The Navajo Ceremonial Basket. The piece is a small platter eight inches diameter by one inch in depth. I used a very high stitch count on this one to get high resolution on the design. The wood is red maple, and I chose this blank specifically for the staining it has. I feel imperfections in the wood add a degree of authenticity to the illusion. To my eye, using a perfect piece of white wood often looks like a canvas that was painted rather than a basket that was woven from natural materials.
