Old baskets, like old friends, get grayer and more valuable with time.

Libby Harrill of Shelby, North Carolina has been perfecting her skills as a basketmaker for the past 20 years, and weaves traditional, utilitarian Appalachian-style baskets.

When she and a friend first became interested in learning basket making techniques, they bought the supplies and a book and began.

Libby is basically self-taught, but has studied under Mark Kolinski, George McCollum, Marianne Paul, Aaron Yakim, Cynthia Taylor, and Patti Bagley at John C. Campbell Folk School and Cedar lakes in West Virginia.

Libby's baskets are constructed to stand up to years of hard use and are reasonably priced, making them a sound investment.