Anita Barry is a long time member of the Online Tatting Class, The Palmettos Tatters Guild, Piedmont Lace Guild of Virginia and the International Organization of Lace, Inc. (IOLI.) She participated in the 62^nd IOLI Convention, July 27 - August 1, 2015 which was held in Coralville, Iowa. The theme of the convention was "Lace on the Prairie."

Each year IOLI lace makers are encouraged to create and submit for exhibition a lace piece which reflects the theme of the convention. In 2015 IOLI offered ideas to inspire the lace makers; among these were, prairie grasses, flowers and animals; Devonian Gorge fossils; agriculture and industry to be found in Iowa. Anita found her idea in the natural world of plants. Her tatted lace basket was featured on the cover of the IOLI Bulletin, vol. 36 no. 4, Summer 2016. Congratulations!!

Having previously studied needlework she knew well the book, "Mrs. Beeton's Book of Needlework, 1870." In that book she noticed a pattern for a crocheted basket. Combining that with the idea of corn crops, she devised and tatted "The Corn Harvest Basket." It is 9" x 5.5" (22.5 x 14 mm) and includes a handle of twisted spiral chains.

The bottom of the basket features a classic rosette in earthy toned thread surrounded by a spring green round which draws the eye upward into fully ripened ears of corn. These ears were tatted using the split ring technique to make the cone shape of a corn ear. The side of the basket was stabilized by attaching gently curving green leaves between each upright ear of corn. Stiffening allows the basket to stand tall but allows the ears and leaves to gentle bend as if swaying in the breeze of an Iowa summer.