Thought I’d just throw this picture in…..I have apple and pear trees in my back yard! And they were VERY productive this year. Yummy! (Okay, I did not grown the bananas! Although I did grow bananas in Florida but not very successfully!)

And back to the subject of this post…..

Like most sewists and quilters, I have many other crafts that I enjoy. One of those is updating used furniture. I posted back in May with the pieces that I had already finished. But there’s more!

Lauri gave me a table that the kids had used for crafting. Covered in paint dribbles, epoxy drops, glue remains.

With plenty of “Goo be Gone”, “Simple Green”, elbow grease and a sander, I was able to remove all of that residue and add a shiny sewing table to my sewing studio!

This sewing table is almost identical to the table that I’ve had for over 25 years.

And on to the next project….

Back in June, I went to several furniture stores looking for a small kitchen table.

I would typically buy used and refinish it.

But….

I had friends coming and thought it would be nice to have a table in my kitchen. For eating, card playing, jigsaw puzzles…..

I ordered a new one from a local shop that would be delivered the day the friends arrived. But when checking on the delivery schedule, was told that it didn’t get on the truck, that it would be delivered in 3 weeks.

Oh really.

Order canceled.

Meals were on the deck and we spent most of our evenings sitting outside by the fire pit. Good times! Who needs a kitchen table?

But…..I kinda did want one and I did find one on Facebook Marketplace that cost less than a tenth of the price of the fake wood table at the chain furniture place.

It needed some work.

Again, lots of cleaning, elbow grease, and sanding followed up with stain and paint….

And it is really nice having a kitchen table!

Next up were these night stands for Lauri’s guest bedroom.

I want to know when this type of garish furniture was trendy? Cause I can’t remember ever being tempted to buy something like this! (Other than used at a really cheap price!)

Lauri and I had a plan. I would remove all the bric a brac and the bun feet and start new!

We were actually okay with the feet but one was cracked in half so they had to go. I couldn’t figure out how they were attached but, while I was sleeping, my son knocked them all off with a mallet! Great Job!

Cleaned everything. Filled all the holes in with Bondo wood filler.

Sanded. Sanded. Sanded.

Painted the bottoms and drawers with Irish Garden All-In-One paint from Heirloom Traditions that matched a desk at Lauri’s house.

Stained the tops.

Lined the drawers.

Put on these lovely new handles….(left from my kitchen upgrade.)

Was so excited that I was almost done! But. I will be the first to say that I’m not a “professional” when it comes to anything. Definitely not furniture refinishing. I have sanded off many a corner and struggled with power tools besides many other mistakes. So I shouldn’t have been surprise that I couldn’t get the drawers back in.

I was sad. I called my son for rescue–he might be able to get the drawers in and maybe get them lined up. But maybe not. I’m guessing that removed a little too much of the bits and pieces.

Anyhow, Alan won’t be able to work on it for a few weeks so the night stands won’t be done before I leave for DC.

Trying to look on the bright side–just another one of many projects for next year!