Today is my FIVE year Blogoversary!

Wow, today is my FIVE year blogoversary! Who would ever have thought way back in July of 2004, that I'd still be blogging about the things I love; chair caning, basket weaving and wicker repair????

Although I sometimes have a hard time coming up with topics and there have been long lapses between posts, it's been a blast and I hope the things I've posted about have helped and entertained my readers.

Best wishes to you all, because without my devoted readers there wouldn't be such an important reason to write... other than to hear myself think!

Cathryn

WEDNESDAY WICKER WISDOM -- SeatWeavers' Guild Gathering!

For any of you chair caners that might be sitting on the fence trying to decide whether or not to attend the 2nd Annual SeatWeavers' Guild Gathering in Nelsonville, Ohio on July 31-August 2, 2009, let me tell you it's nothing to miss!

We have a great line-up of chair caning demonstrators that will be showcasing the intricate weaves of the Star of David, Blind Caning, English Patterns, Daisy Chain, Spiderweb, Mexican Rush, Wicker Daisy and more.

If you've ever had questions about these weaves, or wondered how to do them, now is your chance to see how the pros do it. Have fun--Watch, learn and participate!

There will be tents and canopies set up on the grounds of Hocking College at Robbins Crossing so you can watch the demonstrations and pass from one to another easily. As well as the annual members meeting and dinner. Be sure to bring any tools, tips and hints that you'd like to share with others. Dress appropriately for an outdoors summer event. Bring the sunscreen and the umbrellas, be prepared for whatever!

This event is open to guild members only, so be sure to send in your membership application and registration for the Gathering ASAP! You don't want to miss another historic event of the first official chair caning guild in America -- The SeatWeavers' Guild.

PDF member application and Gathering registration forms are available at http://www.SeatWeaversGuild.org

New Computer Wiz

My daughter Maggie just sent me these two pictures of my darling 13 month old granddaughter, Lily. Maggie said, "Mother you have created a monster... We cannot get her off! She is climbing on the chairs by herself."


I guess while I stayed with them last year and was the Granny Nanny, I spent waaay too much time on the computer! Darling Lily is following in grandma's footsteps regarding the computer, that's for sure! Monkey see as monkey do!

MONDAY MENTION--Musgrove Willows

I am so delighted and excited to have found the blog for Musgrove Willows and I know you will love reading it too!

When I was over in England in 2006 on a Fellowship Grant to study willow basketmaking and rush chair seat weaving, Olivia Elton Barratt took me all over to visit the willow growers and basketmakers.

One of the highlights of our trip was to visit with Ellen Musgrove and her husband Michael on their farm located in the area of the Somerset levels in Westonzoyland, a southern willow growing area of the United Kingdom. It certainly was a fascinating experience, and I'm so happy to have met them both.

I was fortunate to buy some weaving tools and books about cultured basket willow growing also and had hoped to do some here in northern Minnesota, but I think the weather is too harsh for the basketmaking willows.

Michael and Ellen took time out of their busy schedule to show me around, explaining how the willows are grown, harvested, sorted and bundled for sale. And also how the willows are left out in the sun to bleach for the "white" willow market.

I took many pictures, including several depicting the process of making "buff" willow; boiling the willow with the skin or bark on, which darkens the color of the willow, and then showed me how the bark is removed. Hopefully, I will be able to post them here, maybe in a series of some sort.

Back in 2006, I don't believe Ellen was holding willow coffin weaving classes on the farm, but according to the recent blog posts, it's a very popular class there at Musgrove's now! What a wonderful place, hope to go back sometime soon. Until then... Happy Weaving, Musgrove's!

90 year old chair caner going strong!

Last month, I traveled to Oklahoma City, OK and visited with one of the chair caning experts listed on my Furniture Repair Directory/Seatweaving section. Imogene Reddick is 90 years old and will be turning 91 on her birthday in August, can you believe it?

She's still going strong and is as bright and chipper as can be. Imogene does all her work in her kitchen (as many of us do), and is versatile in every aspect of chair caning there is. Spline cane, hand cane, blind cane, medallions; she does it all. She's also taught several family members how to cane and they are all now in the business with her.

What a pleasure it was to finally meet such a gracious, vibrant craftswoman that has been a long-time advertiser on my Furniture Repair Directory for many years. Check out the Reddick Family Chair Caning ad in the Oklahoma section of the Furniture Repair Directory/Chair Caning-Seatweaving section.

Thank you Imogene, it's been a pleasure knowing you all these years and to have finally met you in person. May you have many more years to come doing this craft of chair caning that you love so much.

Our 36th Wedding Anniversary!

Today is our 36th wedding anniversary! And in many ways it seems like just yesterday and in others it seems like forever that we've been together.

John (I call him "Pete," and he calls me "Tootsie") has put up with all my basketweaving and chair caning "stuff" underfoot for at least 34 of those years, and I've endured his hunting and fishing seasons and working on mechanical things.

We are total opposites in just about everything except for our love of life, moral values and love and appreciation of our families, now including two very special grandchildren!

Take a look at what the nice write-up about our special occasion Don Simonson did for us on his website. http://cookmn.com/MN-06.23.1973,John&CathrynPeters.htm

Don does this for all the residents of and around Cook, Minnesota. He covers birthdays, anniversaries, deaths, births and everything going on in and around this little northern Minnesota city on the Iron Range. Thank you, Don.

Isn't our wedding picture great? Look at those two babes in the woods, me 100 lbs. lighter and him with dark hair and no beard! We got married on a very hot June day at the grand Victorian house that all the Peters kids grew up in, located on a big corner lot Lake City, Minnesota.

Our wedding was a laid-back affair, with only my sister-in-law Amy as my bridesmaid, John's best friend David Boss as his best man. I even made my own dress and little scarf! Family and close friends attended with maybe 100 or so total.

My mother-in-law pulled no punches decorating the house with lovely bouquets of flowers from her rose garden and from some of the neighbor's gardens, too. Chairs were assembled in the living room and dining room for the guests.

I entered from upstairs, down the grand staircase to stand with the rest of the wedding party in front of the big picture window. As I said, it was a very hot day and we could hardly wait to be pronounced man and wife so we could go outside where it was cooler! Standing there in the living room in front of the window with the sun beating down on us, I thought we would all pass out.

After the ceremony, we all filed out to the huge wrap around porch for the reception line and the cutting of the cake. Then a bit later hubby and all the guys roasted a pig and we all had lunch and took pictures on the front lawn! What a great day that was for us and all the days since then have been just as wonderful. We are so blessed to have found each other.

MONDAY MENTION -- Chair Caning in the News!

This morning I ran across another interesting blog, John Gladden, a Freelance Writer and his post about a part-time chair caning business in Sullivan Township, Ohio called "Her, A Caner."

Becky Tomko is the owner and chair caning maven that John had written an article about in The Medina Gazzette a week or so ago. The post on his blog was a reprint of that article, and had a few more pictures than appeared in the newspaper article.

Congratulations Becky for making the news about your chair caning business! So nice to hear that there are more people taking up this nearly lost art of chair caning, so the craft will continue for generations to come!

And thanks to freelance writer John Gladden and The Medina Gazzette for writing about chair caning and promoting it to the nation and the world! http://johngladden.blogspot.com/2009/06/her-caner.html

Becky, John and everyone! Here's an invitation to join our chair caning guild, The SeatWeavers' Guild and attend the 2nd Annual Gathering in Nelsonville, Ohio on the grounds of Hocking College at Robbins Crossing on July 31 - August 2, 2009.

All membership forms, Gathering registration forms and more can be found at our website, http://www.SeatWeaversGuild.org and visit the Seatweaving, Chair Caning & Wicker Repair Forum, too for great conversation, help and tips on chair caning at http://yourwebapps.com/Indices/220033.html

MONDAY MENTION -- Rustic Furnituremakers

Have you ever wondered how they make rustic furniture? Well, now you can try your hand at a Nature Camp for Adults at Shake Rag Alley!

Experience the Art of Rustic Furniture & Creating with Natural Materials for either one day or four! Join Daniel Mack and the crew at the 8th Annual Woodlanders Gathering in Shake Rag Alley in Mineral Point, WI on July 10-13 and take one of the 60 workshops!

They offer workshops on building a trellis, lamps, chairs, tables, birdhouses and you can even try your hand at carving a bird, stools or toys. And discussions and slideshows on the business of rustic furniture making and good old camaraderie with novices and seasoned rustic furniture making professionals.