May's Book

It’s not often I love a book by page 8, but when I flipped past the contents and onto the forward and realized Rosie was indeed a dog, I knew I had found my people (and Dog). Rosie’s portrait of the Silver River Center for Chair Caning was enough to convince me that Brandy and Dave were in the same pack of woodworking nerds, but a doting additional forward by David Johnson (Human) cemented my initial judgment that this book would rule.

This is the seventeenth book I have read for The Woodworkers Book Club, and I have found that the hardest books to write focus on a broad topic, like weaving and caning. How do you decide what to boil down into text and what to leave off the page, reserved for that in-person class to tie all those chapters together by seeing an expert breeze through? Jenny Alexander did a great job writing the book to build a singular chair. “The Woven Chair” gives me that same fuzzy feeling as reading “Make a Chair from a Tree”; it’s like being in a shop with an expert in their trade, helping me along through my project. I found it to be incredibly concise and well-organized, with plenty of wit and personality to keep my focus sharp. From breaking down the history and use of materials to formulas and weave patterns, this book will remain in reach when attempting future weaves.  

I want to point out the photography in this book as well; you could almost get by without any words with how well this weaving process is shot. Also, incredibly helpful hints peppered through the book like clamping techniques, posture problems, and stretches to keep your arms from getting too sore, which I can attest to after a couple of hours of weaving, they are. Also, a generous list of other books on the subject, vendors, and even pricing considerations if you plan on charging. I can assure Brandy and Dave are not keepers of the chair weaving gates and invite all who are interested to come into the fold.

Our meeting will take place on Sunday, June 7th, at 7:00 PM EST. Hope to see you all there.

Meeting Link: https://discord.gg/YV2zPJjyN