The SeatWeavers’ Guild, Inc. is the first chair caning or seat weaving guild in North America, and is a national organization run entirely on a volunteer basis.
The idea of forming a guild actually began on the Seatweaving, Chair Caning & Wicker Repair Forum™, founded in 2004 and moderated by Cathryn Peters.
This online seat weaving forum helps unite chair caners from across the country and Internationally from Canada, England and Australia. It provides a way to communicate with other chair caners, even if located in remote areas, when you can’t get together face to face.
The forum quickly became a close-knit community of like-minded chair caning and chair seat weaving individuals. Made up of professionals, hobbyist and beginners, all were eager to share their knowledge, learn from each other, and encourage and mentor new weavers into the craft.
Organizing a Chair Caning Guild
Then early in 2007, long-time member of the forum, Mindy King suggested that we start a chair caning guild. Members would include professional seatweavers as well as hobbyists and beginners. Most guild members in fact would come from the chair caners already participating on the forum.
Here’s some of the original posts about forming The SeatWeavers’ Guild, from posts back in July of 2007 on the Seatweaving & Chair Caning Forum. Enjoy this blast from the past.
This new caning guild was to be loosely structured similar to the myriad of basketweaving guilds here in the States and also similar to the Basketmakers’ and Chair Seaters’ Association, (BA) in England.
With the general purpose of the guild being: “to perpetuate the craft of chair seat weaving through example, education and promotion, we seek to include all levels of membership,” we were off and running!
Founders Meeting and Chair Caning Demonstrations
Mindy organized and planned the meeting in Nelsonville, Ohio at Robbins Crossing, a recreation 1800s village on the grounds of Hocking College. She had demonstrated seat weaving there in the past and thought the caning group would be well served in the historic atmosphere of the village.
Nineteen people from seven different states in the US and two from Canada converged in Nelsonville on July 15, 16, & 17, 2007 to organize the first national chair caning guild of its kind.
Several members demonstrated chair caning and other types of chair seat weaving for the train passengers outside the Robbins Crossing General Store, when the train made it’s stop –and we were on our way!
At the business meeting selecting a name for the group was voted on and officially became The SeatWeavers’ Guild.
Officers were elected, tentative by-laws were compiled and committee heads were appointed.
Plans were made for a newsletter, website and a date for the 1st Annual Gathering was set for July 2008 in Nelsonville, Ohio.
TSWG 2007 Founding Officers
Pierre Amyotte, Allene Hooper, Cathryn Peters, Ray DeFrancesco
President: Cathryn Peters
Vice President: Ray DeFrancesco
Secretary: Allene Hooper
Treasurer: Pierre Amyotte
Check out all the board members throughout our history on the Officers of the Board page. Stay tuned for updates throughout the site and subscribe to our News Events Blog