Learn traditional chair seating using six-strand caning or rush weaving with marsh grass, straw, and alternative materials. These two crafts share the same skills and can be used for creating new seats or restoring old, so it is no longer necessary to ditch that old kitchen chair with the fraying seat. Instead, simply repair the seat or give it a new one. Clearly explained with 197 color images and diagrams, this essential guide will help you create beautiful seats on stools, chairs, armchairs, and more. For caning, instructions include preparing the seat, laying the cane strands, joining two cane strands, padding, and the materials and tools needed. Rush weaving techniques include making a strand by twisting straw threads, making the seat, tightening, and padding. Once you have mastered the basics of caning or rush work, they can easily be adapted for different seat shapes. This book is perfect for furniture makers, the home fix-it-upper, and the weekend crafter.
Table of Contents: Introduction -- Caning -- Straw weaving -- Vocabulary of a seat -- Caning -- Materials -- Tools -- Preparing the seat -- Vertical weaving -- Right side -- Joining two cane strands -- Left side -- Breaking a strand in the middle of your work -- Horizontal weaving -- First row -- Second row -- Following rows -- Last rows -- Diagonal weaving -- To Begin -- Laying the first SW/NE diagonal row -- Laying the other SW/NE diagonal rows -- Laying the SE/NW diagonal cane rows -- Binding -- Finishing -- Reseating -- Material -- Handling -- Soaking -- Maintenance -- Tools -- Preparing the seat -- Old rush -- Repairing -- Solidary seat or embedded frame? -- Square stool -- Making a strand -- Rules to respect -- First round -- Following rounds -- Tightening -- Last rounds -- Padding -- Finishing -- Rectangular stool -- Padding the short sides -- Eight cane weaving -- Padding the long sides -- Chair -- Loop method -- Two-strand method -- Appendices -- Glossary -- Metric conversion chart.