Table Manners ~~ A Finish

I have a finish to show you, but it's not what you might expect. It's not even (exactly) my finish. Here's the backstory: We have a growing family. Our three boys are married adults. Their marriages have produced seven children! The grandchildren are almost adults themselves now that the oldest is a senior in high school.

This growth is causing a bit of a problem on those days when everyone wants to break bread together. Since our table was intended to seat six comfortably and we were five people when we purchased it, we were all quite happy. But the girls came along and joined the fun. That was easy: add two chairs and everyone could squeeze closer. It was a tight fit, but closeness is a good thing. Did you notice that the end chairs don't match?

Grandchildren became the problem. After two or three needed their own chairs, we just didn't have enough room, but we fixed that with a children's table. Because the cousins love each other and I've always dressed the kiddie table to coordinate with the grownup table, they didn't mind being relegated to another space.

However! The some of the grands are getting to an age that they want to bring friends or dates when there's a big family shindig. I learned from my own parents that inviting young people and their friends is a way to include them in family gatherings--they come if their friends can come. At the very least, it's more difficult to excuse yourself out of the gathering.

So what to do about grown grands who don't want to be seated at the kiddo's table? We've tried mixing up into groups with adults in both groups but having to be in two different rooms meant someone is always left out. When there's laughter in one room, the others have to leave their food to come join the conversation. So Richard decided to resolve the problem with a larger table. 

Louisiana cypress. 12 foot long.  Completely hand-made, or hand-hewn. The top from smooth-cut cypress, and the base from old barn cypress. The best part? Richard salvaged the barn cypress from my parents' barn. So while the top is beautiful to look at--it has a rustic but finished look--the base has a beautiful, sentimental story that is part of our family since I was about six years old (50 years now). Richard sanded the base so that it won't splinter, but still has an aged, grayish look. This is wood that has seen things, knows things. 

Right now we have only the eight wooden chairs from the other table. I've decided to add more by purchasing mismatched ones from flea-markets and such. It will be a work in progress rather than one that is resolved quickly, but we have folding chairs that will work for a while should more than eight want to sit at the table. It took months to complete. But it is perfect! 

What do you think? Would you consider having a rustic farm table in your only dining space? 

Linking up with

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Pin It Weekly #136

Pin.  Pin. Pin.  What are you pinning this week?

I've looking at table runners since it's time to put away the Christmas runner.  I'm thinking of maybe making one for January/February.   

I also am posting this week's Pin It Weekly on a Tuesday (very early for me!) because I'll be at Beta Convention in Lafayette for the rest of the week and likely won't have time to do any blogging.

I have almost 400 pins on my "table, runners" board.  Check it out! 

Have a great week everyone!

Thanks for visiting!

a problem-solver and a few problems

Only two days ago I wrote about a project that had me very excited.  I'd covered the top of a table with an old map that I'd stolen from Richard. (He did not care one bit, so I guess it wasn't that important to him.  I could have stolen the map I wanted.) 

That map table (the grands named it that) is pretty awesome. Except that I'm noticing some issues already.  The vinyl cover on the map is already unsticking.  Now what to do?  So I gave the problem to Rich, who loves it when I call him "The Problem-Solver."  I don't mind.  He is a great problem-solver.  And if it gets him to work on something I want solved, so much the better.  So today he decided that the best solution would be to get a piece of plexi-glass and let that hold the map down.  It would also keep the map clean.  And maybe protect it from the puppies.  

DAYCONDTEMPDESCRIPTIONPRECIPWIND

TONIGHT

36°

Partly Cloudy

0%

N 15 mph

SUN

53°

Sunny

0%

N 14 mph

SUN NIGHT

30^°

Clear

0%

N 3 mph

There's another problem blowing in: a nor'easter or something like that.  Cold.  Ice.  Freezing temps. Burst pipes.  The works. It's bearing down and coming quick.  We are not ready.  We never are. 

We live too far south to really ever be ready for the first freeze. The fact is this morning I was beating off mosquitoes in 70 degree balmy weather.  I was also running a little fever from this stupid-won't-let-go-of-me cold, so it didn't necessarily seem prudent to break out the wool coat.  A trip to Alexandria for another shot for said cold, and we could feel the change every time we stepped outside.  By the time we returned home, at 4ish, I was thinking I should keep a quilt or two and maybe even a sweater in the car. Just in case.  

Not my fern, but one just like it

It was cool enough to remember to bring in the plants.  I slept off the shot while Rich tended to the chickens, the plants and maybe a pipe.  I really don't know what he tended to, honestly.  

Also not my schefflera...mine is much larger.

Whatever it is that he tended to, it was in good hands.  Much better than my own, of course, since my hands were clutching the softest lap quilt in the house.

Map Table Tutorial

This week I've been refinishing the top of the small table that sits next to my recliner.  We got this table from a second-hand store.  I fell in love with it because it's an old school table.  I mean, really, it's old, and it was made for school.  

Anyway, it was such a nice little table that I really wanted to use it as a small office desk for when I grade papers.  Rich did quite a bit of work sanding it down and cleaning it up.  Then he added a shelf under the table to double the surface space.  I decided that I needed the shelf about halfway down the legs and Rich agreed because the legs needed stabilizing.  

The little drawer is just the right size to hold pens and a journal and the little shelf that slides out can hold a small stack of papers if I need more space.  I added a pretty glass knob to the drawer because the old knob was missing.

Adding the map to the table-top was easy.  I gathered up a few supplies: tape measure, scissors, craft knife, rotary cutter and rulers, decoupage glue and a sponge brush.  The map is from a wall atlas that Rich got long ago.  I think he wants to eventually display it in his shed, but one of the pages was torn, so I cut it out to use on the table.

After measuring the table (18 x 34) I found a section of the torn page that was large enough to get one whole piece and cut out the section to 19 x 35.  

Luckily the tear was to one side of the page so I was able to make sure the piece was straight, but I was willing to have an angled map, if necessary.

After clearing off the tabletop and scrubbing it clean, I spread a generous amount of decoupage glue on.  I poured it out of the jar and spread it using the sponge brush.  Spread it quickly so that it doesn't dry out before you get the map down. 

Put the map down and adjust it so that it's straight.  It can be moved by lifting, but I found that because my map has a vinyl coating, it was easier to slide it around to make adjustments.  I used books to weigh it down.  Use the edge of the book to push out the air by putting the spine edge down in the center of the table and push to the edges.

Then stack books all around the edges of the table.  I stacked books in the center, also, but once the air is pushed out, that may not be necessary.  I left the books for about a day so the glue could dry.

After taking the books off, I used the craft knife to follow the edge of the table and cut off the excess map paper.  I had a few spots along one edge that did not stick well, so I used a small sponge brush to push glue into the space and stacked books again to hold the edge down.  

Because my map has a vinyl coating, I've decided to leave it as it is: it's very easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth.  Otherwise, I'd seal it with either the decoupage glue or a sealant. However, I plan to keep an eye on it so that if it begins to wear too quickly, I'll definitely add a sealer.

Linking up with 

 Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts!  

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: CHRISTMAS

I love Christmas.

Here's hoping that you are getting

into the holiday spirit.

Enjoy the holidays beginning today.