Stuffing Rush Chairs

Over the years we have discovered very interesting things people use to stuff rush chairs. Rags, newspaper, raffia, folded up paper and even cotton. Ed even found a silver dime wrapped up inside some paper. We have seen seats stuffed on top, bottom or sometimes nothing at all. We recommend stuffing because it helps maintain the form of the seat for a longer period of time. In our workshop we keep a huge supply of heavy cardboard cut into various triangular shapes so it would be easier to stuff the seat with them on hand. We also recommend stuffing both the top and bottom. Some of the newspapers have interesting articles dating back to the '60's. The prices of things have sure gone up! Sometimes we will find someones name and address on cardboard. Hum...that would be good to do. Good luck with stuffing your chairs - if you need more help or suggestions with your rush chair click here

Meet Jan Noall - a Special Caner!

Jan Noall is a special caner. Well I should say she is just a special person. She volunteers her time helping Seniors (and really anyone) that wants to learn how to cane. The group meets weekly in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio at the Park and Recreation Center. They meet Mondays from 9am to 2pm. These classes are FREE! What starts out as a teaching session turns out to be a group of good friends.
Jan has a home based business, with over 30 years experience in all types of chair seat weaving, wicker furniture repair and basket repair. She also makes structural chair repairs and for a small fee will pick-up and deliver. You can call Jan 1-330-929-0715 or email her janol@att.net To check out more about Jan and her group, click here

SAGE Eldercare - New Jersey - great volunteers

The mission of SAGE Eldercare is to support the independence, well-being and quality of life of older adults, their families and caregivers, through the provision of client-centered health, social and support services.

As one of the oldest and most respected senior service agencies in New Jersey, SAGE Eldercare helps thousands of frail, older adults, their families and caregivers each year. We are proud to offer a wide range of programs and services that support seniors in the challenges they face during the later stages of life

Check out more about their caning and furniture restoration shop - http://www.sagenj.org/workshop-resale-shop/index.html

Special People!

One of our recent customers came to our shop with this rocking chair and wanted us to repair the seat. It had been put together with string and a cushion sat on top. They thought it might be a good idea to have a new seat put in. The chair came from their barn. Mr. Watson said that his dad told him that he was rocked in that chair when he was a baby, and he was born in 1890. Mr Watson and his lovely wife still live in the same house the family built in 1850. Both are now in their 90's. What a great story - I'm sure that chair has many more years of rocking to come.

Helen Cribbs of Chairs Caned

Four years ago we purchased Peerless Rattan from Helen Cribbs. Even though Helen retired from the business, she didn't retire from caning. She is an expert on intricate weaves using wide binding cane and splints. Visit her website www.chairscaned.com for more examples and instructions. Below is just one example of her awesome work.

Family History

When I was 26 with two children, I began an interest in antiques, my family history and just history in general. My mother came from a poor family that worked farms around Michigan, while my dad's family had a hardware store in Northville Michigan. They are both gone now, but not without leaving me with a great appreciation for what has gone before. This same sense of hard work and history is what I would like my kids to have and remember what it took to get them where they are.
I started caning after finding nobody in the area that could. Little did I know that it would become a passion and end up with us in business as not only doing the cane work but providing cane materials to people all over the country and world.
My daughter started helping me with the work. She took to it so naturally and has developed her own shortcuts and individual method. Adrian has caned so many chairs now, I can't even begin to count.

Caning helped me provide monies for education, weddings, vacations and extra fun things too. My hope is that both my kids will someday become interested in the value of the old, the great craftsmanship and time it took to make furniture and put the seats in them. I hope to find someday, tape marked with their names in back of furniture that they want because they appreciate their family history.

Memories of a Cane Rocker

Congratulations are in store for this grandmother on the birth of her first grandchild. She found this chair in her basement and tons of memories came to her as this was the chair she used to rock her child in...now she can rock her grandchild in this same rocker. We have so many cane and rush chairs in our home and each tells a story of children, grandchildren, cats, where we purchased them, who gave them to us - even how a foot went through the bottom. I dare say you have some cane and rush chairs in your homes that tell a story...we'd love to hear about them.