Stardust Ceramics & Art Studio

Over thirtyfive years has past since Donna Longenecker wove her first cane seat, never guessing that restoring the seat of an antique chair would lead to a successful business. Country Seat, Inc has undergone many superficial changes over the last three decades ; but supplying top quality basketry and chair seating supplies has always remained their number one goal. Country Seat, Inc was founded in 1975 by Donna Longenecker as a seat weaving business. Her husband, Bill, had inherited several cane and rush chairs that were missing seats and she taught herself how to weave them. When friends and family saw the finished chairs, they began bringing their old chairs to her for new seats. Soon friends who wanted to give weaving a try asked her to get the materials they needed and word slowly spread. After 30 years, word of mouth is still the best form of advertising. In 1978, along with their two small children, Angie and Billy, the family moved to a farm outside of Kempton, a small rural township in eastern Pennsylvania. Bill, a professional draftsman, had taken up woodworking as a hobby. The family traveled the craft show circuit, selling Bill's colonial reproduction pieces while Donna demonstrated seat weaving. She had built up a following of customers who would book her time in advance to weave their chairs as demonstration pieces when she was in a location near them. Donna would even go to their homes during off hours to replace pressed cane backs in sofas and beds.