Martha Washington Sewing Table (Before & After)

Have you ever seen a Martha Washington Sewing Table before?  I had never, but they are one of the coolest pieces I've ever seen.  My friend had one that she wanted to freshen up with some Annie Sloan chalk paint.  If you follow me on facebook, you've seen this 'before' photo:

Before

I'm not sure if you can see from the photo that it was in a bit of rough shape.  From being moved or in storage, the top was completely off.  My hubby fixed that for me and then I washed it off with mineral spirits, denatured alcohol and warm water (a wonderful way of cleaning furniture - that I learned from my friend, Nancy, at the Sea Rose Cottage).

If you're like me, I'm sure you can see this inner beauty shining through.  I mean look at those crystal knobs?  Beautiful, right?  In the above photo the top had been fixed and the piece had been thoroughly washed down.

And here she is now:

After

Here she is with a couple coats of clear shellac (there were some rings from drinks and, what have you, and just bare wood).  Then I did a few coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old Ochre on the whole piece.  The drawers got the beautiful jeweled hue of ASCP in Provence.  You know how much I love that one!

The side panels open up to store fabric:

Here is a close up of the drawer pulls:

Crystal Drawer Pulls

I soaked them in white vinegar and scrubbed them.  There is is still some rust, but I actually really like it mixed with the new paint job.  What do you think?

Another element of the sewing table I love is the shape.  Octagonal.  Isn't it neat?

From the left

And here is a look at the right:

(After)

My friend took her home last night and already set her up in her new home!  I'm so happy she's as excited about the sewing table as I am. Would love to hear what you think!

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