The Garden in Autumn

Tags

Autumn, flowers, Geraniums, Lobelia, November, pictures, Sweet Alysum, Verbena, winter

Who could guess that in November in western Virginia, the Geraniums, Lobelia, Sweet Alysum, and Verbena could be so beautiful. The days are in the 50′s and 60′s and the nights in the upper 20′s and low 30′s and the flowers against the house just keep on pushing out their bright and shining colors.

I decided on this sunny but cold day, that anytime now I will wake up to a not so pretty site. I thought I had better grab the camera and take the pictures now, fore tomorrow may be another story. The leaves on the trees have changed and dropped already and I guess soon my garden flowers will go to sleep for another winter.

Hand Caning In The Modern World

Tags

Artisan, cell phones, computers, demand, hand labor, high-speed, impatient customers, Quality, replicators, skills

I find it really fascinating in today’s wold just how many people have forgotten what hand work and hand labor is. They forget in the high-speed world of the internet and computers, cell phones and information on demand, what artisan skills are and what time is involved in the fine art of handcrafted work.

Over the years as a professional basket weaver and chair caner, I have noticed how impatient customers have grown for their chairs to be hand caned, as if they lived on the Star Ship Enterprise and could just go and put a chair in the replicator and it should be done within seconds at the touch of a button.

Hand Caning takes hours of hand labor that usually takes place over days and weeks, while at the same time working other chair orders at the same time.People do not understand the hours involved from start to finish in the caning process and cannot understand why it takes 4 to 6 weeks turn around time for their chairs to caned, dried, stained often times to match, which in itself can take quite a while, since cane does not take stain and each coat must dry completely before the next layer or color is applied.

In short hand caning takes time, it cannot be rushed. Unlike today’s computer fast age, where you get what you want at the click of a mouse, it is not so with hand caning. Like all good Artisan made skills, Quality takes time!

The Caner’s List

Tags

Caner, Caner's List, disappointments, list, scheduling, studio, waiting list

The Caner’s List- Now I know that many of you are asking the same question that many others before you have asked, what is the point of me putting my name on the Caner’s List. Also many of you also ask what is a Caner’s list?

I will answer the second question first- The Caner’s List is simply a waiting list of people waiting for caning to be done. When you put your name on the list, along with the type of chairs that you have to be done and the quantity, then as the caner works down the list you will be called as you are come to.

In my studio, you are called and if at that time it does not suit you to have your chairs done, then I usually will set aside one week the following month, usually the third week of the month, where I will move your name to and will call you back about having your chair done, if at that time it still does not suit, then I will move your name to the bottom of the list, which means that it may be 3 months out or sometimes a year or more from today. This is done as a courtesy to the customers as often there are situations that arise, that makes it not suitable at that time.

You know Caning is a lot like going to the grocery store, you walk in and look NO ONE is in line, however when you want to check out everybody and their brother is in line to check out. It is very much the same with caning/seat weaving, no one comes, no one calls, then suddenly and without warning everyone calls, so to the customer that says no I don’t want on the list I will call back in 6 weeks when you are caught up, they wait and then call just to find out, that now they have to wait for 6 months longer, had their names been on the list, I could have taken their chairs at 6 weeks.

I try to stress to customers, just because their name is on the list, does not mean they are making an obligation for work to be done, it is used as a scheduling tool

Please I urge all customers thinking of having work done to have your name put on the list, and avoid disappointments.