Two
Farm Girls Furnishings
Two
Farm Girls Furnishings
Manitoba Co-operator Article
June 9, 2005
By Joan Airey
"We enjoyed it so much that we thought we'd try to make some willow furniture on our own," says Brenda. "Patterns were developed through trial and error. Sherri and I enjoyed all aspects of this hobby from being outdoors to pick and work on the willow to the ability to create new and different items. We decided to put our work into the local, annual Plumas Craft Sale. We received a lot of praise for what we had done from shoppers. Even men, after testing the sturdiness of our furniture, were impressed."
"Our enthusiasm to continue never faded. From there we just kept creating more products from willow. Customers even request special items. The challenge of figuring out how to make it and seeing a successful creation in the end is very rewarding. While we do make a lot of willow furniture, we also create and make special items for Christmas, gardens and home decor."
Brenda adds, "One of our biggest challenges is finding the right willow for each project. We've been out in snowdrifts up to our waist and in water that required the use of hip waders in search of the perfect willow. Being outside in the fresh air, even in not-so-pleasant conditions like wood ticks and mosquitoes, is very gratifying. Currently we are working in Sherri's garden shed; we've claimed the space as our own now. We were previously moving from shed to shed to keep out of our husbands' way with their machinery and trucks."
"Our craft shed was originally my husband's garden/tool shed which we confiscated after being moved from one steel shed to another all summer long," says Sherri. "We are located one mile east and 1 1/2 miles north of Plumas. Our furniture is stored here and people are welcome to call and stop in to look anytime."
"We've attended craft sales in Pumas, Brandon, Neepawa and have our work on consignment in a couple of places. We have been asked to display some of our work at various functions and if people are interested, we teach classes," says Brenda.
Sherri says, "This fall we will be at The Original Christmas Craft Sale at the Royal Oak Inn in Brandon, Neepawa's Christmas Craft Sale at the Yellow Head Center plus two more locations we haven't decided on yet."
"Our husbands farm together and manage Tonn Seeds - Certified Sales and Processing. I'm a stay-at-home mom with three children ages five, seven and nine," says Sherri. "Brenda's children are seven and nine. She works part time as the seniors resource co-ordinator in town. In the fall we both have on-farm jobs helping with harvest."
"Because we live only a few miles apart, we can easily get together to cut willow. Our children already know a lot about willow picking. We've taken them along on occasion and they have fun exploring while we pick. They've even made some of their own willow furniture. When the two of us are traveling we are like our husbands checking their crops - we're always looking out the window in search of a good patch of willow," says Brenda.
"We are in our fourth year of making willow furnishings. Our skills have definitely evolved. We started out cutting all the thick willow with a hand saw, but are now very happy to incorporate the use of a mitre saw. And out in the field we've become quite handy with the chain saw, " says Brenda.
For more information on Two Farm Girls Furnishings, contact Brenda Tonn at 204-386-2072, Sherri Tonn at 204-386-2206, or write to Box 233, Plumas, MB, R0J 1P0. You can also send an email to 2farmgirls@tonn.ca