Our Story

From Jill Choate
Living off the grid in Alaska, we began our journey with a cabin, a dog team, and a dream of building a thriving remote business in the shadow of Denali. Each spring, we packed up the dogs, the kids, and our supplies, embarking on a 2,000- to 4,000-mile journey down the ALCAN Highway to the Lower 48. Traveling coast to coast, we taught basketry at conventions, workshops, and retreats, sharing our passion and skills with communities across the country.

After countless miles and years on the road, we decided to slow down and trade our nomadic lifestyle for a more rooted one, where we could enjoy the comforts of electricity and running water. We eventually settled in the picturesque panhandle of North Idaho, a place that combines natural beauty with the conveniences of modern living.

Since shifting away from full-time travel, we’ve focused on creating basket kits and designs for our online store, constantly developing new techniques and breathing fresh life into traditional basketry. To make learning accessible, we’ve paired these designs with online instructional videos, bringing the art of basketry to homes far and wide.

Over the years, we’ve also hosted basket retreats in Alaska, New Mexico, and Idaho. Among these, the Western Pleasure Basket Retreat has become a highlight.

The story continues with Jill’s Daughter Jennah, AKA (Gert). 
After vowing emphatically never to live off the grid or mush dogs or god forbid MAKE BASKETS! Jennah now lives in an off-grid cabin that she is currently remodeling with her husband and three sons. While simultaneously taking over the basket business her mom built for 30 years.

The adventures continue, maybe not in the form of Dog mushing but definitely in the variety of potentially Red Bull or REI-sponsored sports. Alpine skiing, ski touring, hiking, biking, rock climbing, and kayaking are all sports we enjoy when we are not on the bench cranking out basket designs.

Jennah is looking very forward to bringing baskets to the age of craft-enthusiastic millennials and beyond! By digitizing our pattern library and foraying into more styles of basketry. The future for J. Choate Basketry looks very bright and we are looking forward to you all joining us!