Rush is a type of grass or fiber typically found in marshy areas and used for chair seating and basketry. This single-ply cord comes in a variety of sizes and is great for ladderbacks or any chair with four round/squared seat rails, but not for converting from upholstered chairs or caned chairs.
Handling Notes
- Soak for 10 minutes in warm water before using on chair seats; over-soaking can ruin the material
- Tape the strand’s end with masking tape before soaking to prevent untwisting
- This material is more temperamental than twisted seagrass or paper fiber rush
- For maintenance, occasionally vacuum off dust and debris
- Not suitable for outdoor seating
Why is this material interesting to you?
Natural cattail rush or bulrush is hard for chair seat weavers to source from suppliers. This is the next best option for chairs that have authentic cattail seats. It is reversible so you won’t get arrested by the chair police for using it. Natural cattails and bulrush flourish in wetlands but are time consuming to harvest and store. They can only be harvested once a year and require a significant amount of space to cure, dry, and store...
In Use
Have you used this material?
Please contact Mellanee Goodman, Program Director, Curator, and Materials Specialist, to start a conversation about submitting your work for inclusion on this site.
mgoodman@centerforcraft.org