ABOUT ME
A chair seater with over forty years of experience in caning, rushwork and upholstery.
I began re-seating chairs professionally in 1978, initially with cane. Later I learned rush seating at Dr. Bernard (Bill) Cotton’s restoration workshop near Lechlade. My work over the years has included chairs of all shapes and sizes from important antique pieces to simple cottage chairs. I give talks to groups and demonstrate re-seating at local shows and museums. Recently I was invited to take part in the Martino Gamper Post Forma Exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle, demonstrating at three of the four venues. I have a City and Guilds qualification in Upholstery and a Teaching Certificate. The certificate allowed me to teach City and Guilds upholstery at Askham Bryan College, and also caning and upholstery at Local Authority evening classes.
SERVICES
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Caning
I am skilled in all caning techniques including medallion, blind and double caning.
Rushwork
I rush seats in both the standard English pattern and Continental patterns using english rushes grown in the Thames.
Seagrass
I weave several different patterns of seagrass including Chequer board, Twill (feather) pattern, and Maze pattern.
Danish cord
Danish cord is a popular Scandinavian technique using twisted paper.
Upholstery
I am experienced in both traditional upholstery techniques (using springs and horsehair) as well as modern materials.
Tuition
I teach a regular class in Leavening once a week on a Thursday for students of all abilities from beginner to expert.
Presentations
I give talks to groups about techniques and history.
Live demonstrations
I give live demonstrations of various different techniques at shows, large and small.
MY WORK
Here are some of my previous projects. (Click on the images to make them bigger)
