I chose to do 3 coats of Tavern Green milk paint, topped by 2 coats of Minwax wipe on poly. The milk paint is pretty forgiving. 3 coats, with sanding between each, still lets a little bit of the poplar show through.
Using 3mm braided hemp cord for a woven seat is a bit of an experiment. I found examples of it being used in 2 German chairs. This is a standard Danish cord pattern with L-shaped nails to catch the loop.
Here's one from the backside. I'm almost out of postcards and would like to use one of these last 2 angles for the next batch. I haven't decided which one is the winner.