I am currently working on restoring a beautiful authentic sewing table. I have given myself the challenge of  painting a faux marquetry inlay to give the table additional charm.

Preparation is the key to a good finish. I have spent many hours sanding, filling and refilling the surfaces to make them as smooth as possible before applying any paint. Now I am ready to begin the next stage. First I will paint the whole tabletop a faux mahogany,  then I will work on the individual woods over the top.

Here are some images of the table’s evolution so far.

Sewing table

Table sanded

Table filled

Table primed

Ioana – Shadowfolds

Ioana – Shadowfolds

Ioana – Shadowfolds

During the visit of my friend Jeff Rutzky I discovered the joys of shadowfolds, a technique of sewing material to create tessellated patterns. This particular tessellation was made from a piece of cotton around 1.60mx2.50m. The pattern is featured in the beautifully illustrated book that he recently made with Chris Palmer, Shadowfolds.  I look forward to trying out some different designs and experimenting with other fabrics.