Crafting friendships

Lenora Evans, right, gets some help completing her basket from Sarah Kelsay, left, during the “Sarah’s Fun Basket Weavers (Crazy Basket Cases) basket weaving class at the First United Methodist Church in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.

Sarah’s Fun Basket Weavers gather weekly at First United Methodist Church in Ocala to hone their craft of basket making. Under the expert tutelage of Sarah Kelsay, they learn to create egg, market, bread and napkin baskets, totes and other designs and styles.

Some of the crafters have been in the class for many years and others have just started and are learning the basics. Kelsay spends her time showing, helping and training her students how to successfully complete their projects. Each student gets individualized instruction, as needed.

“When a person first comes to the class, they are shown how to make a basic round muffin basket and a square napkin basket to get the basic basket-making information and knowledge. That usually takes a couple of classes,” Kelsay said.

At that early stage in the process, the members do not take their creations home to work on them but come to the classes to complete them. After that, the students can choose from a myriad of styles and designs from books and patterns available at the classes or from other sources. Some members may work on their baskets at home between classes if they choose, but when they need instruction with a particular method or level of dexterity, Kelsay will show them at the next class.

Many embellishments can be added to baskets during and after the weaving process, including curls, beads, colors and flowers.

Basket weaving came to Kelsay’s attention when she saw a local newspaper article many years ago in regard to a class. She went to the class and “got hooked,” she said. She said she has been making baskets since 1980 or before and decided later on to teach a class herself.

Kelsay has perfected her craft to the point that she displays and sells her wares at the First Friday Art Walks in downtown Ocala and the annual Ocali Country Days event. In the past her works have been featured at the Fine Arts For Ocala’s Ocala Arts Festival. She has also shown her baskets in Gainesville, Lakeland and Micanopy.

Kelsay was born in Tennessee and graduated from the University of Kentucky in Bowling Green, with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She obtained her master’s degree at Morehead State University in Kentucky, where she met her husband, Terence, who also was a graduate of the school. He became an English instructor at Morehead and later at the College of Central Florida. She taught at South Ocala Elementary School for about five years and then became the librarian at Eighth Street Elementary School from 1968 to 2001. Terence is deceased. The couple’s son, John, lives in Ocala and their daughter, Margaret, lives in Kentucky. Between the siblings, Kelsay has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Kelsay said the basket weaving group, which has almost a dozen members, is a very congenial group and that they meet together occasionally for social events. She said they sometimes call themselves the “Crazy Basket Cases.”

Eileen Siegel is a newer member of the group and has been attending for about a month. Jorja Greig said she came to the class years ago after a friend invited her.

“At first, I didn’t like it, there is so much different terminology. But after completing the basic baskets, I began to enjoy the process and the camaraderie of the group,” Greig said.

Susan Mahan said she started basket weaving with her sister-in-law about 30 years ago and had made egg baskets for family members. Greig introduced her to the local class.

“I am drawn to color,” Mahan said as she displayed several baskets she brought to a recent class.

To learn more about the weekly class, including how to join in, call Sarah Kelsay at (352) 817-2967.

Basket Weaving at the First United Methodist Church

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