Craving cane

For 10 years Kathleen Barnes has been preserving the past for future generations. Her CaneWeavers business provides "quality caning and related services" to customers near and far by restoring people's treasured furniture and other family heirlooms.

"We're a dying breed," Barnes said, referring to those schooled in the art of weaving cane. "The work is laborious and very time-consuming. Most people today live on a fast track. They can't take the time, nor do they have the patience, to do what I do."

"Caning" refers to the technique used to weave chair seats and other furniture. Barnes' shop specializes in multiple weaving disciplines including hole cane, press cane, wicker repair, Danish cord, rush and reeds. She says most of the pieces she reweaves are family heirlooms with a lot of emotional value in addition to their worth as antiques.

"Sometimes the pieces I redo may be newer," Barnes added, "but like the antiques, they have emotional value or the owner just doesn't want to part with the set. I get a great reward out of restoring their pieces, whether old or new, and in seeing the joy in people's faces when they pick-up their revived piece of furniture."

Barnes learned her cane weaving art from her husband Tom, with whom she also raised American Paint Horses.

She says she feels her goal is fulfilled with her caning business doing so well "and with the beautiful horses we both so loved to fill my days with memories of time shared with Tom on our lovely farm."

According to Barnes, restoring an average chair seat takes 10 to 12 hours to complete, working in roughly two-hour intervals.

"It's tough on your hands and back. I'll weave for a couple of hours, then move on to other work."

Other tasks include tending to the chair frames and other finish work. Pieces are stained using hand-blended colors, created to match other pieces in a customer's set.

One recent triumph was a child's rocking chair made from walnut and poplar.

"It was in someone's attic for years," Barnes said. "It was a very special piece, and had been India inked by hand, a special technique. When I got it, it was jet black. I cleaned it with a wood soap. After some light sanding and two coats of tongue oil, it was beautiful once again. My customer planned to give it to their daughter."

Other favorite CaneWeavers restoration projects include a couch that took Barnes a year to complete.

"It was all 'blind-hole caning' work," said Barnes. "It had over 1,800 holes. An average chair has about 76 to 86 holes. I had to measure the depth of each hole, peg it, glue, and let it set. It was worth the effort. My customer loved it, and said I'm the only one allowed to sit in it."

Other happy endings include restoration of a Civil War rocker that had been handed-down in pieces from several generations, boat doors from Louisiana, and a baby carriage where she patched and spoked the whole back of the lid.

Barnes has done many interesting pieces, some in collaboration with local artisan Lori Stanger of Al's Wood Art in Floral City. "Al's has been in business for 26 years," said Barnes. They repair and refinish antiques. They do excellent work and Lori is fantastic to work with."

Barnes said one of the best parts of her job is hearing people's stories. "People like to see the old crafts and will travel to an exhibition to watch me do the caning. They also love to tell stories about family pieces and family members who once did the caning but never passed it on to the next generation."

Barnes has been able to pass on some of her cane weaving artistry to others. Local resident Kaitlynn Royal worked with Barnes for two years, and is now attending college.

"She comes back to help when time allows, and even took a chair back to college to weave as her own diversion and relaxation from class work," Barnes said.

Barnes' Web site, www.caneweavers.com, has many "before and after" photos showing the different types of weaving she offers. The site also has a schedule of the shows, fairs and festivals where she participates with caning demonstrations. CaneWeavers is a member of the Brooksville Business Alliance and Barnes says she loves participating in the Market on Main Street and other local activities that support Hernando County.