Bast shoes are low shoes that were widely used in Russia by peasants until the 30s of the last century. “Lychaki” once earned great popularity primarily for its low cost. Weaved such shoes in the villages usually with their own hands. At the same time, a free bast was used as material.
Of everyday use, such shoes, of course, have long gone. However, the technique of weaving bast shoes is not forgotten by current masters. Nowadays, “little little girls” can be made as souvenirs, as an addition to Russian folk costumes, or even as original home shoes.
There are several techniques for weaving bast shoes. At the same time, modern craftsmen can use different materials to make such shoes.
What can you weave
Today, as in the past, masters for weaving bast shoes can use traditional birch bark or bast. Also, more modern materials can be used for such shoes. For example, bast shoes made of: are very beautiful and original.
newspaper tubes;
strips of linoleum;
straw, etc.
Newspaper weaving
Such material is very often used today for the manufacture of various kinds of souvenirs, interior items, baskets, boxes, etc. Bast shoes from newspaper tubes look very attractive and at the same time naturalistic. In any case, they look no worse than those made of bast. In some cases, using this technology, not only souvenir bast shoes are made. Weaving newspaper tubes of various kinds of products is quite simple and quick. Even from this, it would seem, not too strong material, if desired, you can make including bast shoes designed for socks. Replacing home slippers with such a product will be relatively simple.
How to make tubules: tools and materials
For weaving bast shoes using this technology, you will first of all need, of course, a stack of newspapers. You will also need to prepare sharp scissors, PVA glue and 2-3 mm long knitting needles. In addition, for the manufacture of newspaper "love", you need a little water. Knitting needles for twisting tubes are allowed to use both metal and plastic.
How to make paper "bast"
Even for beginners, weaving bast shoes from newspaper tubes, for sure, will not be too difficult. However, the paper “bast” for such shoes at the first stage, of course, will need to be done correctly. Newspaper tubes are made as follows:
Thus, from one newspaper 4 long narrow rectangles are obtained. To make immediately more paper “tags”, you can cut at the same time not too thick stack of sheets.
The following acts as follows:
dilute the adhesive with water in a ratio of 1 to 3;
put a knitting needle on the corner of a newspaper strip;
start rolling up the paper onto the needle evenly in a spiral;
fix the remaining corner on diluted glue;
pull the needle from the tube.
Next, ready-made paper "tags" need to be painted using, for example, acrylic paint or a special color scheme. For weaving bast shoes from tubules, it is worth choosing, most likely, a wheat-colored or beige product. If such shoes are made as a souvenir, you can, of course, use dyes of any other shade you like. If desired, such bast shoes can even be decorated with ornaments, flowers, etc.
Step weaving
Before starting to make bast shoes, newspaper tubes should be slightly moistened. Flatten them is not necessary. Actually, there are several techniques for assembling shoes from such material. For example, for weaving bast shoes from newspaper tubes, you can use this simple technique:
the first tube is placed horizontally;
they attach a second tube to the resulting base-side, bending it in the shape of the letter "L";
in exactly the same way, a third one is planted parallel to the second "L" in the form of "L";
bind one leg of each tube with a cross;
in the same way, 5 more "basting" are planted on the base.
The leg of each subsequent tube is passed with a simple pigtail into all the previous ones. Then, in the same way, the extreme legs are woven into the resulting fabric to the center, capturing the rim. Do the same with the following free ends. The result should be a backdrop of bast shoes.
After every fourth in the center of the intersection, additional tubes are inserted into the sole of the bast shoe (also with the letter “L”). Thus weave the lower part of the product to the end. Due to the presence of additional tubes, closer to the toe of the bast will get the necessary expansion. Having tried on the sole to the foot, they begin to weave the top of the shoe. Do this part as follows:
leave two tubes bent by the letter “L” in the center;
the first on the edges of them are “stitches” also intertwined with chintz weaving;
do the same with the following tubes, leading them to the middle.
With this weaving, the web begins to bend upward, thus forming a toe. Raise up by the method described above, you need all the tubes. Next, it remains to mask the edges of the bast shoes and at the same time make the sides. To do this, the two middle tubes over the toe should be twisted together and bent in the opposite direction, reaching each to the edge. Next, you need to skip the material into the nearest hole from the side of the bast shoe and gently stick it to the sole.
The remaining tubes of each side must be twisted in their own direction. Then they should be hidden and glued from the side of the sole. More information on this technology of weaving bast shoes from tubes, which is very good for beginners, can be found in the video below.
Bast weaving
This material has been used to make shoes since ancient times. The bast for bast shoes, both in antiquity, and now willow, elm, lime, etc. can be used. If desired, of such material, of course, it will not be too difficult to weave shoes in our days. The only thing in this case is to first learn the proper technique of cutting and preparing the bast.
What tools will be required
Weaving bast shoes from a bast is usually just on a knee or block. That is, no special tools for making such shoes are most often used. Sometimes, to facilitate the interweaving of strips, only the so-called kochedyk is used. Such a tool for weaving bast shoes consists of a wooden handle and a working curved part.
To cut the material intended for the manufacture of shoes, you will need to prepare, of course, a sharp knife. Also, the master, most likely, will need a hatchet. Such a tool, like a knife, should first be sharpened thoroughly.
Basting bast
It is believed that collecting material in the forest for weaving bast shoes is best in the spring. In this case, the most suitable type of bast for such products is linden. In the forest, for harvesting material, one should find trees 3-4 m high with a trunk diameter of 5 cm near the ground. Such sticky trees usually grow very thickly in the thicket like reeds.
Such trees are cut with an hatchet. Then they remove the bast itself:
a narrow strip of bark is separated with a knife from the butt itself;
with a sharp movement they tear it from the trunk;
Separate the bast tube (fibrous portion) from the flute.
Before the weaving of bast shoes, the material thus prepared in the spring during sap flow in the trees is soaked for 24 hours in water and then steamed. Then they bore price, that is, cut into narrow strips, while cleaning them from the remnants of the bark.
How to make
There are many techniques for weaving bast shoes. Most often, such shoes when using this material, as well as when using newspaper tubes, begin to weave from the heel. In this case, take 6 bands as a basis. From them form a blank for bast shoes - binders. After formation, the base is pulled onto the block and the sides are made, also called ears.
Next weave fasteners for frills - zapyatniki. The sole for strength pass the second layer of bast. At the final stage, the bast shoes are decorated with patterns of golden or dark brown bark. In most cases, the oblique weaving technique is used to make shoes when using a bast.
Weaving bast bast bast: preparation
In the past, this material was less commonly used for shoes than bast. However, such bast shoes were once quite popular in villages. When weaving bast shoes from a bast, the material is harvested, as we found out, in the spring. Birch bark is collected for this purpose only after the end of sap flow in the trees. On a birch, by the time the bark is separated, leaves about the size of a 5-kopek coin should already have blossomed. That is, to harvest bark, for example, in Central Russia is best in late May, early June.
Such material can be collected today, as in the past, using two main methods: a spiral or a layer. The first technology is used for harvesting birch bark from thin young birches with a diameter of 13-15 cm. In this case, tapes are cut from a tree with a knife in a spiral and twisted them into tangles with the white side out.
The method of removing the formation is used for birches with a diameter of 15 to 30 cm. In this case, the tree is first cleaned of moss and cobwebs. Further:
make short horizontal cuts on the trunk with a knife at the height of an outstretched arm and at the very bottom;
vertical strips are made from each upper notch to the lower;
strips of bark are separated from the trunk;
stack them in rolls.
Narrow ribbons are further cut from birch bark thus prepared. Then separate the inner layer of the bast from the outer. At the final stage, the ribbons are wound into balls. For weaving bast shoes use only the bast of the inner layer.
Technology
The technique of weaving shoes in this case is used a little different than when applying willow or any other bast. This is due primarily to the fact that birch bark is a two-sided and two-color material. They begin to weave bast shoes from such tapes most often not from the heel, but from the toe. Next, make the edge, and then make the heel. When using birch bark, the mat is made up of 6, 10 or more ribbons. However, in most cases, material with proportions of length to width of about 50: 1 is used. The simplest technology of weaving from birch bark is considered to be one in which pointed noses are obtained in bast shoes.
Making from linoleum: how to prepare the material
Weaving bast shoes for beginners can be a bit confusing. Therefore, before using a bast or birch bark, beginners should still practice on some more accessible material. To use for training weaving in this case, you can, for example, a piece of old linoleum. From this material pretty attractive bast shoes are also obtained.
In this case, not too thick elastic linoleum without a backing is used for weaving shoes. In this case, 8 narrow stubs are simply cut off from a 1.5 m long strip.
Weaving bast shoes step by step from linoleum
Shoes are made in this case, usually on a block. From the cut strips, the quadrangle base is pre-assembled with chintz weaving. On each side of such a blank, there must ultimately remain four ends of synthetic “bast”.
In the corner of the resulting quadrangle, at the next stage, distant third stripes are braided to the center. The result is a sock of bast shoes. Next, the fourth hooks are weaved in the same way.
In the next step, the workpiece is put on the block. As the last one at home, you can use, for example, an old sneaker. On the block:
the bast is turned upside down towards itself;
fifth leash twist towards the heel;
turn the block on its side and braid the remaining four strips into the toe (on both sides);
weave the sole of the bast to the heel.
After such weaving, 8 strips should remain on each side of the bast. The manufacture of bast shoes continues as follows:
again turn the bast over soles upside down;
pull up all braided stripes;
2, the outermost stitches are bent and braided towards the heel.
As a result, 6 strips will remain on each side of the bast shoe near the heel. Then they begin to weave the heel itself:
At the final stage, the sidemost extremes are braided into their “string” by the second layer. The entire rim passes in this way, finally forming the heel and sides of the bast shoes.
Instead of a conclusion
Thus, it is possible to use a variety of materials in our time for weaving bast shoes. If such products are made as souvenirs, it is best to take birch bark or bast for them, of course. The same materials can also be used for weaving slippers. It is believed that birch bark is especially good for such bast shoes. This material, among other things, is also considered therapeutic.
Newspaper strips are well suited for weaving as bast shoes, designed to decorate the interior, and souvenir. Linoleum is worth using for beginners to make shoes. Such artificial “bast”, of course, will not be useful for the legs. But training in weaving on such strips can very well help fill your hand. Souvenir bast shoes made of such material look quite attractive.