<![CDATA[Emza's Chair Caning

<![CDATA[Emza's Chair Caning - Blog]]>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 20:12:09 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Mid Century Chair Special Project]]>Sat, 29 Oct 2016 21:30:25 GMThttps://www.emzaschaircaning.com/blog/mid-century-chair-special-project

What a beauty! The first in my lifetime that I have seen this chair and doubt that I will see another.

This chair came in with the original weaving, which became brittle with age and use- easily 60+ years old. Most of the damage and loss was around the arms and a little in the back.

These barrel backed chairs are immensely comfortable- they feel like sitting in a hug. And they happen to be stunning in the home. People hold onto them and pass them down, which is the case with this chair. This is one of 3 that has been kept in the owner's family- the other two are in New York City.

The designer for this chair is unknown to me. So if you know I'd love to hear from you!

The only markings on the chair are a few "Made in Germany"s imprinted into the wood. What this does tell us is that most likely this particular chair was made for sale to an English speaking market.

The weaving style is very reminiscent of Hans Wegner's "The Chair" designed in 1949. Which came first? Since the designer and date of this chair is unknown I would guess Wegner's powerhouse design and others, like this black chair, followed.

Hans Wegner "The Chair"

Hans Wegner "The Chair" seat detail

Cane is strong because it is woven together so that all of the individual strands work as one. The field of the this weave is a simplistic and angular over and under and the weaving stops well before it reaches the structure of the chair... or does it? The strands pair up around the perimeter of the panel and cross each other on their way to attaching to the structure of the chair. This locks in the field of weaving and continues the strength of the strands working together. Without this crossing the weave would shift over time and fail.

The Wegner example employed binder cane, a thick 5-6mm peel off the rattan vine / cane, which attached to the structure of the chair by orchestrated wrapping around rungs, through slots, and tacking. In the case of the black chair the weaving was the same, but required 2.75mm cane and a traditional blind attachment.

The original caning was sprayed black with the rest of the chair and you can see greater wear areas where the paint has worn off of the cane. The cane has had the lifespan it has greatly due to the fact that it is a back and arms that do not hold the sitter's main bulk of weight like a seat.

This chair has 316 blind holes (sometimes also called "French" or "Continental"). This means that each hole only goes part of the way through the wood and must be drilled out and cleaned out without making the holes any larger than they already are. In this case a pair of surgical pickups came in handy. This is Tedious Process Part One. Thank you to my husband for a helping hand during this process!

That is one naked chair!

Here you will notice a halo effect showing where the original caning had been woven and then the completed chair was spray lacquered piano black. Where the cane pressed against the wood the lacquer could not penetrate and remained bare. You can even tell which strand was on top and which was on the bottom. This halo effect came in handy when replicating the weaving and trying to recreate portions that were totally missing.

Tedious Process Part Two was the weaving process. Since the holes are blind and only go part of the way through the wood, each strand is woven and then trimmed to fit. Then glued and pegged into place to dry. This was done approximately 704 times!

I like to use plastic cribbage pegs while working- they are just the right size for the holes, do not stick up too far, and do not stick to the glue. I own about 90 of them so with this job they were all employed!

I'm going to pause here for a moment... Weaving this chair gave me a very specific manicure. We weavers know that often our best tools are our hands and how we can use them. In this case I was constantly pushing rows down, close to the previous row and my nails were the best tools for the job and soon shaped to the task at hand! (I honestly can't remember the last time I had a real manicure...)

Back is in place, on to the arms!

The arms on this chair shape the cane into this really dramatic swoop. Areas like these really drive home the fact that the weaver and the designer had a very good relationship in producing this chair. The swoop of the arm is dramaticized by the swooping and pinching of the cane at the curve. The weaving was not an afterthought.

The seam of holes where the back and the arms meet was covered with more cane so as the eye surveys the weaving it appears continuous from arm to back to arm. The pegged holes are hidden.

Each of the 316 holes were pegged to complete the weaving process and hold the cane in place until its next re-weaving.

So the color of the cane is light since it is fresh and new. If left bare it will darken with age and the natural variations in the cane will show off the beautiful, natural material. If the owner's choose they can have the cane spray lacquered back to black, however this is a process I would only trust to a finish specialist. The seat drops back in and is a base with an upholstered cushion.

Before and Afters

A note on my "Danish Peel" label of caning technique: As a professional weaver I strongly believe that the cane woven furniture that came out of the Danish Modern movement greatly deserves a tittle all their own. There was immense ingenuity and creativity to develop unique caning weaves in conjunction with groundbreaking furniture design. The designers, like Wegner, did not just slap on traditional cane weaving, but developed new weaving styles and techniques to make the weaving design just as important as the overall structure.

I ran across someone using the term "Danish Peel" and said to myself - that is it! Danish, from Denmark and the epicenter of the MidCentury/Danish Modern movement (thank you Hans Wegner), and "Peel" from the term for strand or binder cane, which is the peeled off bark of the rattan vine. So I make the distinction "Danish Peel" for the cane weaving of this era along side "Danish Cord" for the cord weaving.

More info on Danish Peel click HERE
More info on Danish Cord click HERE

And back home it went.
And another chair added to my list of chair crushes!
Enjoy!

]]><![CDATA[The SeatWeavers' Guild Annual Gathering 2016]]>Tue, 02 Aug 2016 00:08:13 GMThttps://www.emzaschaircaning.com/blog/the-seatweavers-guild-annual-gathering-2016This years SeatWeavers' Guild, Inc Annual Gathering took place in Asheville, NC at the Folk Art Center along the Blue Ridge Parkway from July 30-31st. This was my second year attending and first time away from my daughter! My dad came along with me this year and we represented 2 generations of caners.

Friday

My dad and I took off early from Columbus, OH to make it to Asheville, NC in time to unload our chairs and supplies at the Folk Art Center and to make it to Brandy and Dave's shop before it closed for the weekend.

We knew we were in the south when the *KUDZU* started appearing along the roadway. The plant that carpets and drapes everything in it's path. I had never seen the lumpy oddity before in the flesh. Exciting in a invasive species way...

After we dropped off our things at the Folk Art Center and checked in for our badges and goody bags, we headed over to Silver River Center for Chair Caning in the River Arts district of Asheville, NC.

I can't help but be jealous of their S P A C E to work, their museum, and room for education with examples. So much hard work has gone into everything. Super high fives Brandy and Dave!

Progression of Rushing

Hand harvested Hickory Bark in a herringbone pattern with a photo of the gleaning of the materials. Luscious!

French Caned in the round waste basket

Space dyed splint

Area of the shop dedicated to client's chairs to-do and ready to pick-up:

Super sweet curved cane stool ready to go home! (wish it was with me!)

Caner's still life

My dad's one big request for the trip was BBQ. So we headed over to Luella's and it did not disappoint! Fried okra. That's all I need to say. I had my first Wicked Weed beer- a Tropicmost Passionfruit Gose - more on that later.

Saturday

Officially day 1 of the Gathering in the Folk Art Center along the Blue Ridge Parkway, tucked away in the woods and hills. Upon walking in the front door, we were greeted by chairs and soaring ceilings.

Our Gathering/conference took place in the auditorium.

Our President Richard Hall kicked things off. In attendance were 90+ members- some new, some returning, but the largest group we have had to-date!

Apparently my name got mentioned at the board meeting the night before, a text was sent to me about it, and I agreed to volunteer to replace David Dick as Vice President of The SeatWeavers' Guild, Inc. My reign (haha!) will be for 2 years beginning... NOW! Voted on an approved for 2016-2018.

Chair nerding was in full swing!

During the morning we had a Musical Chairs Workshop from 10:15-noon where attendees could rotate through 6 different classes including my Danish Cord station where I had a set of six Møller #71s to demonstrate on. The time went fast!

Another offering was cornshuck weaving

Lunch and dinner were both provided and very delicious and fresh! I think if it wasn't brought to us I would have forgotten to eat!

Keynote Speaker Walter Turpening "Pulling it Together"
Walter gave a lecture and demonstration on his custom made benches and chairs and on developing, specialty dying, and weaving with cotton cord.

Sue Muldoon set up live streaming so that all attendees could watch the weaving process up close and at the same time- genius!

Next up: chair yoga!

And then my short seminar on internet marketing business tips. Afterwards I had a member come up to me and had me help him implement some of my suggestions - for his business right there and then on his smart phone!

Getting ready!

Between sessions we could check out chairs and related items that members had brought with them from around the country- including a chair in a bottle!

And a rocker by chairmaker Brian Boggs with super luscious hand sanded Hickory and tung oiled seat.

Parked out back was "Bessie"- Sue Muldoon's caning/camping/transportation van tricked out with storage, tool organization, shade, and a bed.

After BBQ dinner we had a game of CHAIR NERD JEOPARDY! And it was FUN! Mostly because our team won. My dad won 2 squares on the board, I won 3 and a 4th with help!

Wayne Sharp / Alex

I wish I could say I took my winnings and blew them on Wicked Weed beer, but like the certificate reads "Expires: as soon as Received"

Before we headed back to the hotel we went to Appalachian Vintner and loaded up on Wicked Weed beer in every flavor to take back to Ohio. I knew we wouldn't make it to the brewery to try it all in person and we have no way of getting it at home. My friend even put in an order too!

Asheville sunset

Sunday

On Sunday we continued our workshops and also opened to the public to demonstrate techniques and answer questions.

I continued demonstrating with Danish Cord. Mical gave me some great pointers from her 3 decades of experience and Bill Brick finished a chair.

Mical Wilmoth Carton

Bill Brick

Kirk weaving his first Danish Cord seat!

It was a lot of fun teaching Kirk and Bill (not shown) to weave a standard Danish Cord seat for the first time, from start to finish! Now our Guild has 2 new Danish Cord weavers!

Shaker Tape demo:

The fabulous Mary Beth Lodge working on a porch rocker seat:

A BIG thanks to Brandy Clements for all the hard work putting the whole Gathering together this year. All the planning really paid off!

After we loaded our chairs and tools up and said goodbye to friends, my dad and I stopped in to a few antique stores before they closed early on a Sunday.

There were a few things I would have loved to take home- like this little Tramp Art chair and stack of Mad Hatter/White Rabbit restaurant ware partitioned plates...

...and trio of Creative Playthings toys.

And I did some Canespotting!

And back down the tree lined freeway to Luella's for more BBQ!

It may have been the let-down of a travel and fun-packed weekend, but I had the worst migraine in recent memory! Thanks to the hotel necessities shop for the meds on the spot!

Monday

We took off early Monday to take a detour on our way home. We took the Blue Ridge Parkway to Great Smokey Mountain National Park.

The detour down the Blue Ridge Parkway was totally worth it! Super calm drive with no one else on the road, it was cool, we had the windows down, had beautiful views, woods, and exposed geology. At the top of the pass we stopped for pit toilets (ew), swarms of busy bumble bees and butterflies going nuts over the blooming clover, and views over each side of the pass.

Great Smokey Mountains National Park that way!

The parkway dumps right into Great Smokey Mountains National Park- this was my 16th National Park! The Great Smokey Mountains NP was beautiful, but not necessarily as breathtaking as Yosemite or Canyonlands or as in-your-face interesting as Arches, Great Sand Dunes, Yellowstone or Bryce. And after being on the Blue Ridge Parkway it was just more of the same + overcrowding. And maybe I was very tired!

16th National Park in das BOOT- thanks broken toe!

I really wanted to get off the pavement and into the woods and trails, but the broken toe and leg in boot kept me on solid ground. Rats.

Now for a moment of nature...

Glad to be home

We got into Columbus about 7pm and I was so glad to see my daughter Mina! I'm pretty sure she grew 5 inches while I was gone! She loved the hand carved "itsy" cherry wood spoon and owl I brought her. (And my husband and I were glad to see each other too, but we don't matter any more!)

]]><![CDATA[Dewey's Fleet - Commemorative Chair]]>Sun, 08 May 2016 19:41:48 GMThttps://www.emzaschaircaning.com/blog/deweys-fleet-commemorative-chair

"Dewey's Fleet Our First Victors"

Commemorative chair from the Spanish-American War. Specifically the 1898 Battle of Manila Bay in the Philippines, lead by American four star Navy Admiral George Dewey who defeated the Spanish in 6 hours with only 1 American casualty.

A victory that inspired great pride and many commemorative items such as plates, spoons, pins, post cards... and chairs! Other style chairs were made pressed with his bust and boats he commanded.

This particular rocker was a new acquisition for the owner and not a family piece.

And a note to all the caners out there- this seat had 44 holes and took common size cane!

]]><![CDATA[3 Year Anniversary!]]>Sun, 16 Aug 2015 02:08:00 GMThttps://www.emzaschaircaning.com/blog/3-year-anniversary

Personal project - Nursery rocker

Today marks the 3 year anniversary since I began Emza's Chair Caning & Weaving! This summer also marks the 20th year since I first learned how to cane from my father and began to help him with his business Bill's Chair Caning & Rushing (now retired).

A big thank you to my husband who has put up with our house being perpetually full of chairs. And for being an extra set of hands to help me remove old weaving. I couldn't do it without him.

In the past year I have restored..... drum roll please..... 138 chairs, rockers, stools, wheel chairs, child's chairs, high chairs, etc. Not as many as I typically do, but I had some other things going on... In January we had our first baby- a little girl named Mina EMZA Uphill! I took off 3 months to get ready, recover, and enjoy our new little bundle. And I began my new full time job as mom at Mina, Inc.

My 4th year is going to be another interesting one while I continue to carve out time to get into workshop any way I can. Thank you to all my clients and especially the ones this past year that have been so understanding with adjusting to my new work schedule.
Here is to a very exciting 4th year!
-E Emza Uphill

Year 3 Blog Highlights

Before and After Highlights Year 3

Last But Not Least- the best work I've done this year/ever:

]]><![CDATA[SeatWeaver's Guild Annual Gathering 2015]]>Mon, 03 Aug 2015 19:55:49 GMThttps://www.emzaschaircaning.com/blog/seatweavers-guild-annual-gathering-2015Our trip to Nashville, IN

July 31st-August 2nd we were in Nashville, IN for the annual SeatWeavers Guild Gathering. It was my first year as a member and first year attending. My dad was a member early on in it's creation, but never made it to any meetings. Working with a "lost art" it can be a pretty solitary experience day-to-day and I was excited to meet other professional weavers in the flesh.

And we're off!

Traveling with me was my husband and baby wrangler Jason and our 6 1/2 month old daughter Mina. This was our first trip as a family of three and Mina's first time riding in the car for more than a half hour. So like all first time parents we packed all of Babies'R'Us and off we went! She was very good and slept most of the 3.5 hours and sang when she was awake.

Family of 3 on their way! -or- "See! We didn't forget the baby!"

Getting to sleep at the hotel was a little touch and go, but we all have trouble settling into a bed that is not our own. Mina settled into the middle of the king size bed, baby limbs all akimbo, after she decided the Pack'n'Play wasn't satisfactory. Meanwhile Mom and Dad clung onto opposite edges of the bed. This weekend I ran on adrenaline!

The entrance to Brown County State Park is directly through this lovely covered bridge. Every time we traveled back and forth from the hotel and the lodge we got to hear the click clack of the wood floor of the bridge as we drove across. Mina's eyes would immediately open wide and look all around in the sudden darkness.

Abe Martin Lodge at Brown County State Park - Indiana

We arrived at Andy & Amanda Dick's home in Brownstown, IN just in time for a delicious dinner and our first time meeting, in person, other weavers I have known online from all over the country. Then headed to Nashville to check into our hotel.

Once in the park the drive took us up into the hills through a tunnel of trees, winding our way around the park until we came to the lodge.

Note to self: plan ahead and stay at the lodge. Bring a bathing suit and hit the indoor mini water park with hot tubs and slides!

So here we are! Ready to learn and meet new faces! OK, Mina was ready to teethe on her Darth Vader doll.

You Can Do This: Basic through advanced techniques in Wicker Restoration with Jill Woods

If caning is a "lost art" then wicker repair is an endangered species. Many of us who do weaving repair don't have time, space, or extensive knowledge of wicker repair. So to find anyone that is doing it is a gem and Jill Woods is the Hope Diamond. She has extensive knowledge and years of experience and offers intensive classes at her workshop in Michigan.

Jill demonstrates how to reproduce a wicker spiral.

Jill brought many, many examples of all different kinds of wicker- willow, fiber, Lloyd Loom, and more.

She extensively went into her tool arsenal and unique wicker repair uses for many different tools and items previously unrelated to wicker repair.

Bringing Creativity to the Seven Step Process with Wayne Sharp

Wayne won the prize for the most hands-on session demonstrating ways to weave creative patterns into traditional hand caning. Oversize template and ribbon so that the whole room could see his demo.

Our pre-made (and pre-soaked strands!) sample to try Wayne's technique.

Some examples of Wayne's unique weaving patterns he has created.

Weaving Seats With Natural Rush with Cathryn Peters

This section I was particularly interested in. I've always wanted to see natural rush weaving done in person. Cathryn spoke about the difference between bulrush and cattails, how to glean them, store and prepare them for weaving. I would LOVE to do this if I had space!

American Bulrush on the left, Cattails on the right

And then she demonstrated how to weave a rushed seat with the materials. Edge. Of. My. Seat!

And then Cathryn invited anyone who wanted to give weaving with natural rush a try to come up and add to the weaving with cattail or bulrush.

The fabulous Brandy Clements giving it a try!

Weaving Seats with Fiber Rush with Bill Brick

Hypothetical situation: I'm told I have to pick one technique I do and never, ever do it again.
My answer: Without a breath of hesitation, rushing.

It is monotonous, hard on the hands and body, and the only part I enjoy is walking away from a finished seat. But the chairs are lovely, the customers are happy, and it is a pretty substantial source of work. This seemed to also be the sentiment of many in the group.

Bill Brick, on the other hand, churns these puppies out! And had some great tips to share including his swivel stand he made for himself (below).

One of Bill's tricks of speeding up the rushing process (we thought it was going to be a magic trick) was his wife with the coil of material going ahead of him and doing the wrapping around the 4 corners while he put the rushing into place. Kind of a let down of a magic trick if you ask me- I was expecting smoke and mirrors! Heehee!

If I had to name this maneuver it would probably be "The Marriage Breaker" or the "Call the Divorce Attorney". In my mind having my spouse try and wrap the rushing while I'm putting into place falls somewhere between my husband and I trying to put a tent together without instructions and strategically backing a 26' Uhaul truck. But somehow the Brick team makes it work! They even look like they are having a good time!

Creative Uses for Leftover Materials with Jo Rusin

Sweet southern Mississippi belle Jo Rusin talked a lot about dying weaving materials and other non traditional materials to spice up the mundane day to day work. With wit and personality she explained the process of dying with Rit dye and gave some examples of weaving some color into her work.

Here are some examples of using dyed cane that I particularly enjoyed (by Cathryn Peters):

Break Time!

Dinner got napkin-in-glass fancy

Newly elected officials at the member's meeting

Weaving A Medallion Back Chair with Suzan Diaz

I am sorry to say I did not make this 7:30am session as I have a baby to nurse, but here are two lovely medallions she used in her demonstrations.

Tip and Tools with anyone with tips and tools!

During this session anyone with a tip or tool could share with the group. (I wish I would have known- I would have brought a few of my favorite non-traditional tools that help get the job done) Cathryn Peters brought adjustable frames that are stands to hold cane or rush seats that need to be removed from the chair to complete. She had them made for her by a local wood worker.

Panel discussion on Running A Successful Caning Business For Fun and Profit

I am really sorry to say I could not stay for this one- was super excited to see what Bill Brick, Cathryn Peters, Dave Klingler, and Brandy Clements had to say- great to hear other perspectives and ideas, but we needed to get on the road with baby in tow.

L to R: Bill Brick, Cathryn Peters, Dave Klingler, and Brandy Clements

Chair exhibit - Seatweaving Through the Ages

These chairs were brought by members from all over the country and displayed many different types of weaving and materials. Anytime I had a few minutes I could walk over and check out the chairs and talk to the people who did them or collected them. And touch them! And turn them over! That is my kind of exhibit!

Luscious hickory close-up

And a little family time too...

We got to have a little bit of family time in between sessions. It was nice to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful day we had on Saturday- cooler with a nice breeze.

Special thanks to my husband for taking over baby wrangling for the weekend so I could attend the events. Runner up MVP- all the rockers on the front porch of our hotel.

Annnnnd we may have stopped at Ikea...

...on the way home through Cincinnati. Picked up some baby stuff, kitchen rugs, and lots of containers to help better organize my supplies. And some Swedish meatballs for our tummies!

Mina's 1st Ikea trip + teeth!

And we brought home...

...an original Thonet child's rocker we bought from Silver River Center for Chair Caning (thanks Brandy and Dave!), some door prizes, and a hand made tool made from an umbrella part and wood from a broken chair (thanks Linda Sippel!).

We had a great time! Made some new friends and connections, learned some new tips and techniques, and have come out the other end re-energized and ready to dive back into my work. We are hoping to make it to the 2016 gathering in Asheville, NC.

]]><![CDATA[Summertime is canoe time! And a fun trade with friends!]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2015 21:26:58 GMThttps://www.emzaschaircaning.com/blog/summertime-is-canoe-time-and-a-fun-trade-with-friendsAhhh summertime. We've had a lot of rain this summer here in central Ohio, but now that the weather seems to be more summer-like I can't think of anything more relaxing and serene than floating down a river or lake in a canoe.
Did you know that quality canoes often have caned seats? Unlike solid seats it keeps the boat light weight and cushions the bottom while paddling along.

Last summer my friends bought a canoe to restore. It happened to have caned seats in pretty bad shape. So they sent them on over for me to re-seat.

A little bit of elbow grease and new seats and this summer they are enjoying some leisure time outdoors on this 3 seater.

In exchange for the new caning for the canoe, I asked if they would design and print an announcement for our baby that was born this past January. I loved the birth announcements they had designed and printed for their children and was so excited for them to do Mina's.

They designed and then hand printed them at Aesthetic Apparatus in Minneapolis, MN. I love them! The are so... Mina!!! And the bright colors were a sight for sore eyes in the middle of a gray Ohio winter.

]]><![CDATA[Early Summer 2015 - Large Scale Sheet Caning Projects]]>Wed, 22 Jul 2015 05:35:08 GMThttps://www.emzaschaircaning.com/blog/early-summer-2015-large-scale-sheet-caning-projectsI recently got to work on two really cool large scale Sheet Caning projects - an antique wheel chair and a register cover from a 1920s Bexley home. Both things I only see in a blue moon! They were a nice diversion from the typical, normal size chair seats and backs I do day-to-day.

First up- the Wheelchair!

What can I say about it.... it was B-I-G!!!

I don't often take pictures with my work, but in this case I had to! I am 5'8" and this was the largest antique wheel chair I had ever seen.

Needless to say it got nick named "Big Daddy" pretty quickly.

The owner loves antiques and found this in a store south of Columbus. He is also in the medical field- what a great and interesting find for him! He refinished the wood before bringing it in to be caned.

How I tackled the "Big Daddy" (LOL!)

The wheel chair was too large to fit down the stairs to my workshop- so, it being summer and all, I did a little en plein air caning. I had to break it up into 3 nice, sunny days- one for each panel. Anyone living in central Ohio this summer knows 3 sunny days has been hard to find!

The seat was physically difficult to do as it was hard to work around, up and over the wheels, arms, tall back and foot rest. It seemed like there was always something in the way. My back hurt by the time I was done from all the contortions and I was glad to have a chiropractor for a husband!

Day 1 - seat install

Day 2 - Back install

Day 3 - Leg rest install

The back and leg panel were a bit kinder to my body, but I needed to be careful not to stress any of the antique wood that had less metal support structure than the seat. I also needed to fit, glue and clamp the folding foot rest into place. The hillbilly cardboard was a buffer between the wood and the clamp so that the pressure of the metal of the clamp would not mar the surface of the chair.

Here it is- the finished chair!

Personally, I do not believe that this would have been used as a wheel chair for the user to push themselves around or at least not often. They might have been able to pivot or scoot a bit if needed, but the big back wheels are not easy to turn while sitting and there is a convenient handle in the back for pushing. The extended foot area and front wheels that stick out make it a little harder to maneuver.

It likely was an invalid chair- for a patient who could do very little, if anything, on their own. It reclines almost flat and at it's height would make it easier for someone to be transferred from the wheel chair to a bed.

An amazing marriage of furniture traditions with mechanism!

The owners late, beloved cat enjoyed sitting on the top- it got heat from the radiator below and sun from the window above. Over time, heat, sun (and probably claws) the caning dried out and became full of breaks and holes.

The second larger scale Sheet Caning project I did was an original radiator cover for a home in Bexley.
Not a level of detail you see in today's homes! This large cover goes over the original, working radiator. The caning lets the heat pass through, but the custom piece hides the radiator.

Old caning panel and wood frame

New caning going in

At first blush this looks like straight forward Sheet Caning with spline that would hold the caning into a grove in the wood. But it wasn't. The caning came out by unscrewing and removing a wood frame that it was stapled to. Installing new cane by staples was deemed impossible- the unfinished wood frame was very dried out and brittle. So I opted to install the new cane by positioning it into place and screwing and sandwiching it in with the wood frame- piece by piece. Since this was not a piece of furniture to be sat on and purely decorative, that option would work out just fine. This panel was pretty tricky to replace and I needed a few extra hands to help out for install.

After the caning was installed and trimmed- from the inside

From the top- new caning panel

After it was finished the owner took it to Coup Restorations for an overall tune up and staining the new cane to match the old.

Obligatory baby update-

Our little girl turned 6 months and desperately wants to learn to cane! Or do anything mom is doing... It will all come soon enough for the littlest Emza.

]]><![CDATA[Spring '15 was a who's who of Mid-Century Modern!]]>Fri, 10 Jul 2015 04:08:41 GMThttps://www.emzaschaircaning.com/blog/spring-15-was-a-whos-who-of-mid-century-modernMid-Century and Danish Modern furniture is hot HOT HOT!!! Especially Wegner and Møller pieces. Yet I rarely get to work on these quality pieces. Perhaps because they were not generally sold here in central Ohio. Just about every piece of Wegner and Møller I have worked on was purchased in the 1950s and 1960s in New York City or Denmark and moved to central Ohio with the owner later on. On the other hand, in every case, I have replaced the original seats. Maybe their time for weaving renewal is just now coming due.

These clients have lived a lifetime in these chairs and gleefully tell me that these chairs are loved just as much today as they day they were purchased. Of all the chairs I take in to reweave, Wegner and Møller chairs seem to be the most missed by my clients. They are their every day chairs and can't wait to get their beloved chairs back. And I don't blame them! These chairs are relaxing to sit in- every part hits at just the right place. The curves are so sleek and pleasing to both the hand and the eye.

Hans Wegner "Peacock" Chair

Hans Wegner

Danish Modern designer Hans Wegner (1914-2007) was very prolific in his career. He designed thousands of chairs in the quest to perfect chairs both visually and for the sitter's benefit. A percentage of those were put into production (some still produced today). The craftsman's designer, he despised screws. All of his pieces are constructed by tight fitting dowels and well blended, clever joints, and sanding. LOTS and LOTS of sanding.

I would say that Wegner was also the weaver's designer. Pieces such as the Peacock or Whishbone chairs use a traditional rushing patter, but are modernized with material and little quirks in the weaving. Wegner's the "Chair" was/is produced with leather upholstered seats and Binder Cane woven seats. Having reseated two this spring, I can easily sum up the weaving experience as being unique, innovative, and creatively using traditional materials in a new, modern design and function.

Here is a fascinating production video of "The Chairs" being made:

These Whishbone chairs are new acquisitions for my client. He loves to find run-down Wegner pieces and bring them back to life. These two he purchased on Ebay with blown out seats. New seats have really brought back these chairs to their former glory!

Niels Otto Møller

While Wegner was very prolific in his furniture design career, Møller was not. Danish designer Niels Otto Møller (1922-1988) spent many years perfecting each design. He chose his materials carefully and perfected his designs around those materials. In these examples the Danish Cord is woven in a basket weave pattern. The seats are very springy and comfortable.

I re-seated 4 of these Møller chairs for a client. The whole set- including more chairs, table and other dining room pieces of the suite- belonged to his mother. I rewove the bad seats before the client is loading the whole set into a truck and driving them to his daughter in Minnesota. What a delivery! Lucky girl! Great design and I am sure even better memories sitting in these family heirlooms.

What I like best about Danish Modern and MidCentury Modern furniture is that is still feels modern and innovative today. The designs often reference traditional furniture and I find that they can easily blend into just about any decor. They are worth investing in- a joy to the eye and the sitter.

]]><![CDATA[Happy Easter!]]>Sun, 05 Apr 2015 20:11:45 GMThttps://www.emzaschaircaning.com/blog/happy-easter

This Easter at Emza's Chair Caning I worked on a very special project- a rocking chair for my daughter's first Easter! While I was shopping for an Easter basket the thought occurred to me- what am I doing looking at cheaply made Easter baskets when she could have an Easter ROCKING CHAIR restored by her mom!? The rocker I picked up at a garage sale years ago- it was a mess. I reglued it back together and painted it, and added the Smoked Splint seat. Voila! Instant Easter "basket" she can use and pass down! She will be sitting in it in no time.

I'm sad that I did not get a true "before" because this rocker was a MESS. It was in pieces and was painted black with green sponge paint.

Mina is now 11 weeks old and doing well. She is smiling and laughing at everyone and has been sleeping through the night for the past few weeks. Can't help sharing photos of this super sweet girl.

Mina at 2 weeks old - Photography by Rebekah Flory Photography

Birth announcement designed by Stephanie DeArmond and printed at Aesthetic Apparatus in Minneapolis

1 month old

And what is my assistant Bruna going to do for Easter?

Hang out with Mina and take a well deserved nap!

]]><![CDATA[Baby Mina is here!]]>Mon, 26 Jan 2015 11:40:04 GMThttps://www.emzaschaircaning.com/blog/baby-mina-is-here

And now we are 3!

My husband and I are so pleased to announce the birth of our daughter (our first baby) Mina Emza Uphill who was born Saturday, January 17th. Our days (and nights) are now filled with the most amazing love and new born snuggles. Mina is a calm, happy, and sweet baby- we couldn't ask for anything more. She is perfect!

Mina is the first grandchild for both our parents. Here is my dad holding Mina right after birth. Some of you may remember him- Bill Seib of the former Bill's Chair Caning & Rushing right here in Clintonville. He retired a number of years ago. He is smitten with Mina and loves his new role as grandpa.

We had a slightly extended stay in the hospital for her light therapy treatment due to jaundice. It was hard to have her next to us, but not able to hold her often. Luckily after 3 nights we were released and her jaundice is clearing up and no longer in the dangerous range.

My Quality Control specialist (our house rabbit Bruna) has taken her time to meet the new addition to the family, but slowly and surely they are becoming best buds.

Mina is getting a lot of use out of the family bassinet that I repaired and restored this past summer and fall. Check out the restoration HERE.

We just can't get over how content and chill this new little lady is.

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