Ran across this wonderful Youtube video today by the folks on the KeewaydinExpedition Channel on how to weave a hole-to-hole cane seat on a canoe seat. Nothing really special about the process, EXCEPT it’s been photographed in fast motion and is so fun to watch! Captivating!
I’m a fast weaver, but this sure puts me to shame. Happy Weavin’ Ya’ll …
MONDAY MENTION– New Additions to the National Furniture Repair Directory™ Seatweaving section on WickerWoman.com!
With the addition of these three new listings there are a total of 97 Seatweaving/Chair Caning businesses listed in this section alone, 13 are in the Wicker Repair section, 8 in the Furniture Refinishing and 5 in the Upholstery Repair section.
We are so blessed to have these businesses that care about preserving, restoring and refurbishing all these fine furniture pieces, saving them from the garbage dump and maintaining them as a record of our history.
And I am especially blessed to have the majority of the business listings with me since 2004, when I began the National Furniture Repair Directory™.
Be sure to read some of the Testimonials and then if you want to get listed also, visit the Furniture Repair Directory-Advertise page to sign up. Happy Weaving!
Although this is not the first day in the new year, it is my first post for the year.
One of the things I’m going to try to impliment again this year is to be more productive here on the blog and make posts more often and consistently. If you blog, have you made a similar goal for your blog?
Hubby and I spent the holidays with our children, grandchildren and other relatives and had a very nice end for 2011 and beginning of the New Year 2012.
Now today, we are both spending time in our shops. He’s doing “car stuff” in the garage and I’m straightening up my “art studio.” Both in the same building, but each in our own little “hobbit” hole. Will be posting pictures of both here soon.
And now, maybe you’d like to read my very first blog post written EIGHT years ago on July 16, 2004. Enjoy!
I meant to make this post yesterday under the WEDNESDAY WICKER WISDOM column, but the day got away from me!
Completed stool with diamond design in dyed wide binding cane
Well, let me rephrase that, the entire day, week and month have sped by at an alarming speed! How about you? Did you get everything done that you wanted to before Christmas?
Materials and tools for weaving wide binding cane
Anyway, on to the post about Weaving with Wide Binding Cane… There have been many questions lately on the Seatweaving & Chair Caning Forum, regarding aspects of weaving a chair or stool using wide binding cane, specifically how to join strands.
Overlap and staple warp strands of wide binding cane
Just overlap the two strands while doing the warp or setting the foundation strands for about 6-8″ and then using an office stapler, staple three times down the length of the overlaped strands. Be sure that the points of the staples go into the center pocket weaving and curve them over so you don’t get poked or stuck by the ends.
Staple the overlap in three places along the strand
Using a pair of needle nose pliers, remove any staples that show through on the bottom.
Pull any staples that show on the bottom of stool
And there you go! Now you too, know how to join the warp strands when setting up and weaving a wide binding stool or chair seat.
Completed bottom of wide binding cane stool in a twill pattern
Keep in mind that with the weavers, all that’s needed is the long overlap, no need to staple as the tension and friction alone will keep the weavers in place.
Completed stool with diamond design in dyed wide binding cane
Congrats and Happy Weaving!
Joyce Curtis and granddaughter-passing down the chair caning craft
“If you work with your hands,
you’re a laborer.
If you work with your hands and your mind,
you’re a craftsman.
If you work with your hands and your mind and your heart,
you’re an artist.”
—Saint Francis of Assisi
WEDNESDAY WICKER WISDOM–How to choose the chair caning hole.
What in the world is she talking about, you might ask? But if you’re a chair caner, I bet you already know what I’m talking about, right?
Do I choose this hole?
Whenever you are weaving a traditional hole-to-hole cane chair seat, there will be times when it’s up to the weaver to decide what holes to skip and what holes to double up and put the “fish heads” in. Whaaaat???
Or would it look better here?
“Fish heads” are created any time two strands of the same diagonal weaving step go into the same hole. When the two strands are in the hole, it looks like the profile of a fish’s head, so that’s why the name.
I think this hole looks best for the fish head, don't you?
And in order to maintain the “X” pattern created by the next diagonal, the weaver has to determine what hole to put the strand in to make that happen all down the side, front or back rails.
Final fish head decision!
Then as you finish weaving this diagonal and apply the second, going in the opposite direction, the “X” will take form. More to follow in coming blog posts and videos!
Stay tuned for more… Happy Weaving!
Push the cane webbing into groove using wooden wedge
Please join me and extend a welcome greeting to the new chair caning business listed on the National Furniture Repair Directory™–Seatweaving here on WickerWoman.com!
We have our first business listing for the state of Kansas! Located in Independence, owner Lisa Lyons at Lost Art Restoring, repairs seats in all types of designs and materials, plus she does structural repair and re-gluing. So, if you are in the neighborhood, or have chair seats you can ship, give Lisa a call or send her an email to book your appointment now.
Click on this link to go directly to Lisa’s listing on the National Furniture Repair Directory™–Kansas. Or you can use the state abbreviations at the top of the Directory pages to find her or any other business you are looking for in a particular state.
Happy Weaving!
TUESDAY TIP OF THE DAY–Today’s blog post is about a situation that new chair caners encounter frequently and it’s a question I’m asked many times during the chair caning classes I teach.
“How tight is too tight when you are caning a traditional, hole-to-hole, strand cane chair seat?”
I have always set up the first four rows or steps a little on the loose side, because as you weave the diagonal steps, #5 and #6, the tension on the previous steps gets tighter. And keep in mind that the entire woven cane chair seat tightens as it dries, too.
So a good rule is to put the at least the first foundation steps in looser than tighter to allow for the change in tension when the actual weaving steps of #4, #5 and #6 are added.
Proper chair caning strand tension
Because if you put the strands in too tight, you run the risk of the cane as it dries, actually breaking the framework of the seat.
The wood will split right down the center of the drilled holes in the seat frame, causing the seat and the chair to fail. Then not only does the cane seat need to be rewoven, but the chair frame has to be screwed and glued back together.
But on the other hand, you don’t want to put weave the steps in so loose that there are loops hanging down underneath the bottom of the seat, either. So there’s a fine line there that just comes with experience and by following your teacher’s expert advice.
Good luck and let me know what experiences you’ve had with weaving hole-to-hole chair caning, either too tight or too loose. Happy Weaving!
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