Ikea Groland kitchen island as pressing table.

Because it's a kitchen island, it has a bar for hanging towels and pans off of hooks....but it's perfect place to hang your patterns after ironing them!

Thanks for all your comments about my three Renfrews!!  I've been wearing the second and third versions quite a lot!

So in between the second and third versions, I "made" something else....I put together the Ikea Groland kitchen island for use as my pressing table. I needed a sturdy table for the Elna Press and wasn't thrilled with the press stand options which all looked rather flimsy.

I assembled it about a month ago, so any bad memories must have already been repressed, but I don't think it was too bad.  I bought it online and paid for the home delivery.  I do remember it took me 3 hours and 5 minutes to put together, over the course of two days (I was timing it--my original guesstimate was under an hour.)  I remember my hands hurting from trying to screw the screws in with a regular screwdriver, as the pre-drilled holes didn't seem wide/deep enough. So then I got out the drill and cordless screwdriver and charged them overnight.  I finished it up the next morning and it was SO MUCH EASIER.  Having the right tools for the job and all that.



And here were all the pieces:

So here's what it looked like after I put it together.  I put away my big ironing board and put the miniature one on the table top.     My sewing room feels like it has SO MUCH SPACE now that the big ironing board has been put away.


I put all my pressing tools and my two irons on the second shelf.  By the way, the polka dotted Stitch Nerd ham, seam roll and ham stand are pretty fab.  I've been using them over a year now, and I don't know how I lived without them.  The ham is a must for darts.  I use the Angela Wolf clapper frequently too.  The point presser I've only used for one project since buying it, but I haven't been making anything that needs that tool lately.

All the stuff on the right side was corded mayhem:  my wireless router and cable modem.  Yesterday I traded out my old modem and router for a new modem/router combo unit which is 1) neater looking and 2) much faster on 2 of my 4 wireless devices, yay!



So this looks neater, now doesn't it?  There is still some more cord control to be had, but it is much better.


And here's what was replaced:

I really love having the stable table.  It weighs 70 pounds so it feels quite sturdy, even when using my Elna Press.  It's 36" high so there's no issues with bending.   It's almost as long as my cutting table but it's not nearly as wide so I can't recommend it as a cutting table.  Definitely great for pressing.  (Oh, and I was able to flip it over myself.  I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do it because of my back, but I did flipped it in two stages and was fine).

So I highly recommend a table like this.  Having the right tools for the job and all that.

Oh, and what animal (or two?) left these prints on my front sidewalk?


I have a two more projects to show you.  I might finish a third tonight.  I was going to make chicken pot pie but it's hard to make that when you forgot to buy the chicken at the grocery store earlier on!

Be well!