Basket Info and Care

The basket is one of humankind's oldest art forms. Ancient Mesopotamians believed that baskets are the children of the gods and the basis of our earth. In fact, all ancient civilizations produced baskets, which they used to gather, store, and dry food. Jeanne Beatrice Baskets are hand woven in small villages of the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, a tradition passed down in private homes from generation to generation. Each basket takes 3 to 8 hours to weave, depending on size and style. They are woven out of renewable resources, including water reeds and date palm leaves, which grow abundantly in the region. The leather is treated using an all-natural process (either dyed and oiled or painted) in larger cities, such as Marrakech. After the baskets are woven, they are collected and brought to a more central location where the leather is sewn on by hand. Because each basket it hand woven, each is 100% unique! Variations are to be expected and treasured. For this reason, all measurements are approximate and are intended to be used only as a guide in choosing your basket.

Baskets are sturdy, strong, and flexible. If properly cared for, your basket will live a long life. It's easy to care for your basket. If it needs to be reshaped, which is sometime necessary after shipping, get the basket wet, put something heavy in it to hold the shape you want, and let it dry. It is okay to get your basket wet (baskets LOVE water)! If your basket gets dirty, use a little gentle soap and water and scrub gently. If the leather gets dirty, clean with a little gentle leather soap. Be sure to let your basket dry thoroughly after it gets wet to prevent mold - in the sun is ideal.

You will find lots of uses for your French style market baskets and will probably wonder what you used to do without them! We use ours for trips to the farmers market, weekends away, trips to the grocery store, the gym, the beach, the cabin, boating, the pool, picnics, to hold magazines, to store my daughter's books and toys, as a laundry basket, and to carry files and a laptop (I'm sure I'm forgetting something!). My friends who have bought baskets use them to hold hockey gear, to carry granite samples (my builder friend), to store knitting stuff, and to carry fabric samples (an interior designer). The possibilities are endless!

Occasionally Asked Questions

1. Why does my basket smell like wet straw? Baskets are woven when the materials (water reeds/palm leaves) are still green and somewhat wet because this makes the material pliable. It is normal for them to smell like "wet straw" as they dry out - this will become less noticeable over time.

2. It seems like the leather is a little oily - is this normal? Yes. The leather is treated using a natural process that involves oiling the leather, which protects it from dirt and water. I have been carrying baskets for years and have never had a problem with the oils rubbing off on my skin, clothing, or anything else.

3. Why isn't the bottom of my basket flat? Sometimes the basket needs to be reshaped a little after shipping, which is extremely easy to do. If you want to flatten the bottom of the basket, get the bottom of the basket wet, put something flat and heavy in it, and let it dry thoroughly.

4. Why don't you include more packaging in the box? We are an environmentally-friendly company and, therefore, use as little packaging as possible. In general, baskets do not need packaging to protect them in shipping because they are pliable and strong.

5. Could you please explain more about basket sizing? I try to call baskets small, medium, large, or extra large to keep things simple. However, La Vie style baskets can also be measured in "rounds". The baskets are woven in a circular manner, and a "round" is the number of circles made to create the basket. So, I would call both 6 and 7 round baskets small, but 6 rounds is smaller than 7. A medium basket is either 9 or 10 rounds, and so on. Please keep in mind that sizes always vary because they are handwoven.

6. Do any of your baskets have sewn in lining? Nope, I try to avoid sewn in linings. I believe one of the great things about a basket is that if it gets dirty, you can hose it off, inside and out. Good as new! If it had a liner, this would not be possible, decreasing the potential life of the basket.

7. How strong are the handles and will the steel rivets that attach the handles to the basket ever rust? I've been selling Moroccan baskets to customers around the country since 2007, and I've never had one come back with broken handles or rusted rivets. The rivets add to the strength of the handles and are a reflection of high-quality construction, so don't be afraid to fill your basket up!