Visible repair to a circa 1890’s child’s Orkney chair. Sympathetic restoration using homegrown Orkney black oat straw, marram grass cordage and coir.

Usually the last stage of the repair would be to colour stain the light yellow oat straw and marram grass to match the original darker aged look. However the client and I made the decision to show all the repair work. Like visible darning on an old well loved hand-me-down jumper, every new stitch reveals lives lived. Where the chair has been repeatedly nudged back against a wall, where children’s shoulders and bottoms have nestled and squeezed in! Both nerve wracking and a privilege to have fulfilled an over a half a life time dream of restoring an Orkney chair. 2023.