Shoni and Ron Maulding bring a combination of their knowledge and expertise in various art and craft fields as they collaborate on each piece they are asked to restore.

Each piece is unique and has its own challenges. Restoration work is intense and requires more hours than expected. Until restoration is complete, it is difficult to know how many hours are necessary to restore the item. We provide you with the highest standards of quality work.

The historical value of some items can be jeopardized with restoration. Some pieces are fragile and best left alone. At Montana State Prison, cotton butcher twine was taken from the slaughter house and used to hitch over. Cotton rots over time. Old pieces may have cotton rope as the core, which is subject to rot.

There are also some things we will not do on old pieces, i.e. restoration of the actual hitching. Each row of hitched horsehair is dependent on the previous row and the next row. We will not jeopardize the old piece.

Our customers include High Noon, Los Angeles, California; Fighting Bear Antiques, Jackson, Wyoming; Antiques of the Old West, Big Timber, Montana, and individual collectors.

A minimum of $100.00 is charged on all restoration work. It's possible that just sending photos will determine if the piece can be restored.

Consider carefully if restoration is appropriate for your item.

Old Pieces -- Appraise, Buy, and Sell: These businesses are experts in providing all these services on old pieces. We have met them all, they can all be trusted, and we do restoration work for all of them. They're listed in alphabetical order.

1. Antiques of the Old West, Elmer and Jan Diederich, P.O. Box 756, Big Timber, MT 59011; 406-932-7787; website: www.elmerdiederich.com; e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

2. Fighting Bear Antiques, Terry and Claudia Winchell, P.O. Box 3790, Jackson, WY 83001; 307-733-2669; e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Store address is 375 South Cache in Jackson, WY.

3. High Noon, Joseph and Linda Sherwood, 9929 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90034; 310-202-9010; website: www.highnoon.com; e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Shoni & Stetson (yep, the hat company...):

There's a new show in the western world. Women Who Design the West premieres in Cody, Wyoming, September 2010. It's an exclusive exhibition featuring women who design and create western craft. And Shoni has been invited to the show.

Stetson has endorsed Women Who Design the West and will be inducting each craftswoman into the Stetson Craftsman's Alliance. The mission of the alliance is to recognize and honor excellence across western craft disciplines.

Thea Marx has worked with Stetson for several years on this project. Thea also directs Style West, held at the same time. Both shows open, free to the public, at noon on Thursday and Friday, September 23-24, and at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 25. The event closes daily at 6 p.m.

Website: www.womenwhodesignthewest.wordpress.com.

Upcoming Classes: We are always open to one-on-one three day workshops, taking up to two students at a time in our studio at Kettle Falls, Washington. Check the "Instruction" page of this website for more information.

Montana Academy of Living History: We will present two sessions on hitched horsehair in Deer Lodge, Montana, September 16-17, 2010.

First session: Find out what hitched horsehair is, a general description of how it is done, and display of finished products. This is an overview discussion. A question and answer period will be at the end of the session. This is September 16, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; fee of $10.00.

The second session is an accelerated how-to and hands-on for beginners. Students will make a hitched horsehair key fob, having hands on experience with making pulls, the two knots used in hitching, and understanding drop, add, and standing pulls. The six row diamond, the basis for all geometric patterns will be hitched, but not completed due to time constraints. Class is limited to ten students. Please bring small scissors and a ruler. We recommend that people taking the how-to, hands-on session also attend the two hour overview session on Thursday. This session is September 17, 8 a.m. to noon.

For more information and to register: www.academyoflivinghistory.com; or e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Or call the Powell County Museum and Arts Foundation, phone number 406-846-3111.