There is no doubt that making a chair from a tree is more difficult than it sounds, more difficult than yurt making too I am sure, but despite the obvious complexities, the notion of starting with a tree, felling it, cleaving it, axing it, drawknifing it, etc. until you have nineteen or so bits of wood that go together to make a simple chair, is a wonderful thing.
I am more proficient with the wood than with the rush seating which is how I came to spend an excellent weekend on one of Linda Lemieux courses on the edge of Dartmoor learning how to weave the rush into a chair seat. A woman of many talents and endless patience Linda grows her own willow for her beautiful baskets and harvests her rush for chair seats. The hospitality and excellent tuition makes for a great weekend . For more details see www.woodandrush.net