Wooden inlaid chess table

This amazingly delicate wooden inlaid chess table was made by my great-grandfather Charlie. Inside is a mechanism that once played music.

wooden inlaid table made by master craftsman my great-grandfather Charlie

The hinges are currently rusted, and I'm not sure if they can be fixed but we should try. This special tiny table is at my mother's house.

Wooden Toy Steam Train

I think this train needs its own post, it's so very special.

hand-crafted wooden toy steam train

My father-in-law Brian, otherwise known as Pa Murphy, hand-crafted this at his workshop in Stanthorpe, and I think his wife Freya painted it. I put a tiny bit of silver and gold paint on top, just a few dots as if they were bolts. What a very special toy!

The Hobby Horse Pa Murphy made

And here is the hobby horse Pa Murphy made for Thomas, isn't it great? Thomas is just the right age to appreciate this, he loved it straight away. He's very lucky to have a crafty grandfather who can make him really cool things!

the hobby horse Pa Murphy made

Other things Pa Murphy made for us are the wooden blocks and toy cars, and the drop spindle I posted about yesterday. Thanks, grandpa!

a cosy scene by the fire

The Drop Spindle Pa Murphy made

When we recently went to Stanthorpe to visit my husband's father Brian and his wife, this hand-made drop spindle was waiting for me!

home-made drop spindle by Pa Murphy

I'm very keen to learn how to spin my own fibre, I've tried spinning plarn, which is made from recycled plastic bags. I had a go making some plarn while still there so we could see how well it worked. We then shortened the dowel and put a notch in the round weight so the yarn can be secured as you spin. It worked quite well then, and I'm really looking forward to doing some more spinning. This is hopefully what I'll use if our attempt at growing potted cotton is successful.

here is Pa Murphy in the garden wearing the green beanie I made for him

Brian loves gardening, and he needed a beanie to wear when he was out in the cold. This green gardening beanie I made for his birthday was perfect! I followed the divine hat pattern which is available free from Rheatheylia.

Portable Kitchen Shelf

a portable kitchen shelf for renters

This is not the first one of these portable kitchen shelves I've made, but the first one I've blogged about! Because we are renters we can't put up normal shelves, so I've  made a couple of these portable ones which will be usable at the next place we move to.

shelf ingredients!

I decided this morning that I needed a smaller shelf to go on top of the larger one I made a couple of years ago. We went to Bunnings and I got my ingredients! One plank of pine cut into 3 pieces, 2 x 35cm and 1 x 70cm. There was a 40cm left over piece at the end, because the plank was 1.8m long, so that is going to become a chopping board! The hardest part is asking and waiting for someone to cut up my piece of pine, as I don't have a saw. They do it very quickly, once they start, and the cuts are very smooth. Bunnings do this free of charge with a purchase of timber.

leftover pine chopping board

The other things I needed were 4 angle brackets with screws to go in the corners, some hooks to go along the front to hang things on, and some sand paper. I also bought a portable drill today, as last time we borrowed a drill. I just gave the 3 pieces of pine a quick sand and roughly screwed the angle brackets into the corners! I know its a bit wonky, but I only want to put a few light things on it to get them up and out of the way, I don't think it needs to be sturdier than this. I did make it smaller and thiner than the first shelf so it would have less chance of falling over, I don't think it will topple.

The most fun part of course is at the end, when I get to put my stuff on it!

a happy kitchen shelf!

The Table my great-grandfather made

There is a real story behind this special little table and how it came to be in my possession.

This small bedside or occasional table was made by my great-grandfather Charlie, the father of my father's mother Mavis. Apparently he was a skilled carpenter, and my understanding is that he hand-crafted the swirl you can see in the middle. This is the only thing I know of that was made by my great-grandfather that is still in our family and I am very privileged to be the custodian of this historical family piece.

This table has obviously had an eventful life, it even has a coffee stain on the top. But I'm not going to touch this, or attempt to restore it. Its just not going to happen. Anything I could do, or anyone else for that matter in my opinion will only take away from it's character. No way could a 'fresh coat of paint' make this look better because it will make something old look new and you will not see it for what it is. New is not always better. It is a very special turn of events that allows this table to be in my possession. You might think this table, being made by father's grandfather, might have been handed to me by my father but it was not.

When my great-grandfather's first wife died, he remarried a lady who the family came to call "Aunty Annie". Mavis and Aunty Annie didn't get along, so Mavis didn't inherit her father's things. Aunty Annie's best friend was a lady named Margaret, who adopted her niece Beverly. When Aunty Annie died, Beverly inherited her things, including my great-grandfather's table. But Beverly and Mavis knew each other, and they had  introduced their children to each other. Dennis was Mavis's son and Heather was Beverly's daughter, and they are my parents. When my grandma Beverly died a couple of years ago, her daughters agreed I should get the table.

I love the history behind this table, it makes it all the more special. I think its sad we don't have more things like this in our family, things that are meaningful and made by our ancestors. Old things should be cherished and passed to those who appreciate their meaning. That's just my opinion!

I hope you enjoyed hearing the story behind this special piece of furniture my great-grandfather made.
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