MLK Day Project

After we received news last week that, again, the sellers messed up (not being a real estate lawyer, he didn't know that he had to order certain paperwork, so the closing got pushed back another week - tentatively scheduled for this Friday now), I swore I wouldn't talk or write about the apartment until we were moved in.

D. and I completed a fantastic DIY project today, so this is not *technically* writing about the new place, just about new piece of furniture that will *hopefully* move into the new place if we ever do.

My mother inherited the base of my great-grandmother's Singer sewing machine. We don't know when/where/how my great-grandmother bought it, but Singer started producing electronic sewing machines in the late 19th Century, so I'm assuming this manual piece is at least 100 years old. My parents told us we were welcome to make something out of it, and were thrilled with the idea of us bringing it back to life.

I was at the Container Store earlier today and found some inexpensive large wood shelves that I thought might work to build a console or work table. Luckily, D. was at home and available to measure the sewing machine and so I chose a piece of "driftwood" to fit the top (it may or may not actually be driftwood, as it is the Container Store - it more likely is a polyblend of some sort).

So here is our MLK Day Project, from start to finish:

The before photo:


We washed, brushed, and sanded; then oiled with mineral oil:



Drilled in the "driftwood"



And, for a $20 shelf and $20 in supplies, have an amazing (I think) work station!
The "after" pictures: