My fee is $2500 and I will take it in fabric please.......

Saturday Carrie came to help me with the sanding of my tabletop. Patty the Quilt Lady was my impetus for the work, she is redoing her home by herself!  Incredible!

In 1979 Frank and I bought a little house in Hammond, LA out in the middle of nowhere. When we moved our furniture into the house, we found the table blocked the door to the back yard. This was a problem because we had two Irish Setters and an acre of land just out the back door. The solution came in the form of a new table of beautiful solid oak that we could barely afford. The table had two leaves and two drop leaf sections. With the drop leaves dropped, the table would push under the tiny snack bar ledge and the door could be opened. When we sat to eat, we would pull the table out, flip up the drop leaves and have a nice table. So 32 years later the table is still in use.  Now we keep both leaves in and the drop leaves up because our house is much bigger and our back yard door opens in a den.  We didn't even have a den in Hammond!

But my little table needed some TLC so Carrie came over and sanded the top with the orbital sander.   I used medium grit sandpaper for this rather than anything coarser because of the fine finish it needs as a table.  The sanding took a while longer than I thought it would, but slow is good.  You can't really see what she is wearing, my apron from the kitchen.  When I realized that, it was already 30 or more minutes into the sanding and I just didn't even make a comment.  Geez. 

Carrie did a great job with the sander and the grainlines.  Here you can see the chicken on my nice apron.  Yeah, buddy. 

I used the sanding sponge to get the tight places where the leaf drops.  It was quick and very easy to use.  We used this item when we did the makeover of the Bristoe House three or four years ago.  I liked it then as well for the door sills.  The sponge molds around the curves nicely.

The table top is nearly ready to be wiped with the tack cloths.  It is a beautiful piece of oak wood and very well made by a man from a small country town.  Here are the leaves as well.  Nice job Carrie!

Then I brushed the clean top with a wood conditioner and then the first coat of Golden Oak stain went on. I want six or seven more coats during the week, but I think the top

is looking incredible even now.

So I told Frank I had just saved him $700 for the professional services to redo the table OR $3200 for a new dining room table and chairs.  I also reluctantly agree to take the difference in quilting money so he could realize a bargain and not be short of cash. 

glen:  you can get paid, you just have to be "smart" about it.....