There’s lots to cover in this multi-skill course, where students will learn the basic aspects of traditional chair making by building a post-and-rung stool and get an introduction to natural dye processes. We’ll begin on the evening of the first day with a demonstration on splitting logs and a lesson in shaping pre-split stool parts using a shaving horse, drawknife, and spokeshave. The next morning, students will prepare their seat weaving materials by mordanting and dyeing shaker tape (aka cotton webbing) with plant-based dyes provided by the instructor, and then spending the rest of the day carving stool parts with hand tools. On day three, students use mortise and tenon joinery to assemble their shaped parts into furniture and explore different weaving patterns with their dyed traditional shaker tape to weave a beautiful pattern for their seat. And of course, we'll sit. As any good chairmaker says, a seat is never finished until you sit on it.

Required Tools:

none

Optional Tools:

Favorite carving knife, drawknife, or spokeshave
 

You will need the following tools for this class:

All required tools/materials are provided by your instructor and North House and will be available once the course begins.

• Favorite carving knife, drawknife, or spokeshave.
• As well, students may want to bring Rit dye to dye their shaker tape. It is not required (the shaker tape can be left white). The local Ben Franklin has a great array of Rit dye colors that will work, so students will have the opportunity to go buy the dye after the course begins.