While antiquing with my mom and grandma this past weekend we stopped in Mary Catherine's Antiques is the Short North. And low and behold this beauty was sitting there waiting for me! An 1800s walnut and Cane Binding writer's / teacher's chair. It is large, roomy and the extended arm folds down when not in use. There is even a spilled ink stain which I love- this chair has had a life!
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This winter has been a particularly hard one here in Columbus, Ohio. We've been Polar Vortexed. Twice. Lots of snow and cold temps- I'm starting to get the SPRING FEVER ITCH! But I am also bracing for the yearly influx of work coming in once the temperatures start to rise a bit and people begin spring cleaning- including those chairs and other items that didn't make it through the holidays in once piece or those that people have looked at for a long time thinking "I need to DO something about that broken seat". The first spring-like day hits and my phone rings off the hook with people ready to act on their weaving repair needs and getting their household back in order. So here is a start-to-finish / rags-to-riches example to encourage everyone to get an early start this year! Thanks to the Walker family for bringing along the finished child's Lincoln rocker when they picked up other finished chairs. I don't often get to see completed work after it has gone on to be stained and finished. They have had this rocker in their family for many generations and had it reglued, minor wood repair, back re-caned, and the whole thing stained and finished. Most pieces simply need a cane or weave restoration, but this is a great example of a total re-do. Beautiful! For all wood, stain, finish, etc... restoration I refer all my clients to Coup Restorations at 614-274-5900 Other recent Before & after beauties:
Thank you to Columbus Monthly for including Emza's Chair Caning as the caning expert in the February 2014 issue cover story on household repairs! This issue is on newsstands now.
![]() 2013 is coming to a close and 2014 is on it's way. I am so grateful for all of my clients who have intrusted their treasures for restoration this year. I have tallied the number of chairs, stools, and other items that have come through my workshop this year and the total for 2013 is, drum roll please: 204 Holy. Moley. I had a total of 1 day in 2013 without a chair waiting for me to work on and topped off at 42 in line at one time in my storage room - my busiest year yet! I'm excited to see what will be coming through my door in 2014. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, busy, and prosperous New Year! 2013 - In the works I was recently interviewed by Peter Tonguette of Columbus Monthly Magazine for an article about antique ownership and restoration options here in Central Ohio. (I was so nervous!) What a great way to cap off a year! Check out the February 2014 edition for the article. ![]() This Holiday season is flying by! I am thankful for all of my wonderful clients, that I have met all of my pre-Thanksgiving deadlines, and all chairs are back to their homes in plenty of time for Thanksgiving guests. Now for a very small break before I dive into Christmas orders- most of which are heirloom gifts being passed down to the next generation. I am hoping to see lots of family children's chairs for new babies! Stay tuned! While I was on vacation in Northern Michigan (what they call the land below the bridge to the Upper Peninsula) I kept my eye out for weaving, furniture, and color inspiration. We mainly took little trips to towns along the Little Travers Bay on Lake Michigan, went shopping, and drove around looking at the cottages and massive vacation homes- both old and new. The kind of homes that are willed within families. And that have garages on the water for their boat collection. Fun to dream about and to find inspiration for our home and hopefully yours! Check out the beauties that I found: I am back in the workshop after a week long vacation camping at Petoskey State Park on Little Travers Bay- about 45 minutes south of the bridge in upper-lower Michigan. My family has been vacationing there since the 1980's so it feels like a second home and no need for road maps! We had great weather and only minor experiences with skunks- thank you skunks for just passing through! It was good to take a break from work and have a chance to pick up a book, relax by the camp fire, and swim in Lake Michigan- clear and clean and warm enough. And a perfect break before diving into the busiest season of the year for chair repair- fall and holiday. Yes, I am taking orders already! Today marks the 1 year anniversary since I began Emza's Chair Caning and weaving repair as a full time business!
In the past year I have restored..... drum roll please..... 198 chairs, rockers, stools, benches, hanging seats, trim pieces, child's chairs, high chairs, etc.... 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 This summer also marks the 18th summer since I first learned how to cane from my father and began to help him with his business (now retired). Here is a look back at a selection of my favorite pieces I restored in the past year: This chair was brought to me after the customer's friend tried to cane it by placing masking tape around the seat to mark the strands of cane and gave up part way. The tape was left on the chair for quite a while. Some of it came off, but left a heavy residue which is very difficult to remove. A section of the tape on the front of the chair actually dried into the finish and could only be removed by soaking in oil and bringing up the finish with it. Tape residue will have to be worked off the chair so that the finish isn't damaged further. Never ever put tape on finished wood.
Here are the before and afters of the Lincoln rocker from the last blog entry. It was brought to me to have a new seat woven. The faulty seat was woven within the last year by another caner and was done incorrectly causing the cane to pull out. Here is what I did differently to do the job right.
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E Emza Uphill
Owner/Craftswoman Archives
October 2016
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