Now this coaster still sits in the back of the shelf with other items I can't bring myself to throw away. Next, I signed up for a class on how to make a basket.  This time, I would have more than an 8/5 by 11 directions sheet. 

I was so excited.  The class would meet once every two weeks for a total of 4 classes.  This would give me time to practice.  To my delight, the class was offered at our clubhouse by a resident of our subdivision who had been making pine straw baskets for several years.

At the tables, each seat was set like a "pine straw " table setting.  We had pine needles, needles, thread, cutters, a bag, and even a thimble.  Boy was I impressed.

I went to my class.  After two hours, I had taken it apart and put it back together three times.  I left with one row around my wooden center.

I always told my students, "I WOULD RATHER HEAR IT WRONG THAN NOT HEAR IT AT ALL.  I CAN'T FIX WHAT I CAN'T HEAR".

With that in mind, I kept going.  I stopped tearing it apart when the stitches weren't right, I quit worrying if the pine needles were perfectly threaded in the device I was given to keep things neat and even.  By the end of my second class, it wasn't perfect, but it was my best at this time.

It was 3 days before Easter and my basket didn't even have sides, but I was still proud that I had not quit.  I did notice at my second class, that a few of my new classmates had disappeared from the first class.  I hope they were just busy and didn't quit.

Since I wasn't going to be finished with my basket for Easter, I did the next best thing....