Photos by Laurie Mustard / Winnipeg Free Press
This table repurposes the base of an old Singer sewing machine, giving new life to an antique object.
I had to go and open my big mouth.
A friend of mine was over for tea earlier this week and commented on how much she loves the old Singer sewing machines I have as part of the decor, one that has a flat top doubling as a table.
She said, "I always wanted to have one of those made into a table!"
"Well I’ve got two other old bases," I said. "I’ll make you a table out of one of those if you’d like!"
"Oh please," she replied, "I’d LOVE that!"
So now I have to find a great piece of old growth quarter sawn oak and make her a table. And you know what? That thrills me, because that’s exactly why I saved these old machines: to one day repurpose them, turning them into something current and useful, while preserving and honouring their past at the same time.
The old base with the plywood top was a creation of my Dad’s back in the 1970s, simply to be a bird feeder. The feeder was situated in the front yard of my parents’ lakeside Killarney home, and it turned out to be a place where the deer went to graze, as well.
The other — stored in one of my sheds among a mess of old stuff and the feral cat penthouse — has been in my possession for years and is one of the two bases I will choose between to make the table. Sooner or later they’ll both be tables, no doubt loved for centuries to come. That’s my fantasy and I’m sticking to it.
The feral cat penthouse is currently occupied by a beautiful and very wild white cat I call "Casper" (after the ghost) and, some day, I will have to tame him enough to get him neutered and a find him a loving home so he doesn’t have to live outdoors all winter, scrounging for food.
I feed him, but I think there are more critters than him chowing down, so it disappears very quickly.
It will come as no surprise to you that I have many potential projects in the wings for me or someone else to undertake, happily preventing the dump from claiming yet more of our history.
A parallel aspect of this is the "historical" furniture many of us have in our homes, that will someday pass to some family member or friend who we know likes or admires it, but who must wait till we croak to get it.
Come Spring, my daughter Andrea is very much looking forward to taking possession and ownership of a beautiful old Hoosier kitchen cabinet that has been part of the Mustard household for a few decades.
She grew up with it and it will now reside in her home along with all of the associated — and great — family memories.
Another family "heirloom" is a 1965 Checker Marathon car (the civilian issue of the square old yellow cabs in New York) that a friend of my Aunt Madge’s gifted the family back in 1980. I’ve since had it painted and it even got its 15 minutes of fame by being included in the World of Wheels car show one year.
Son Lyle has always said, "Remember Dad, when you croak, that Checker is mine."
About two and a half years ago, I said to Lyle, "Y’know, regarding the Checker, I’m in the second half of my ’60s and hopefully I’ll be hanging around for a few years to come. So rather than have it sitting around in storage most of the time, used very little, you can have it now."
He just about fell over. He’s having a ball with it and I’m having a ball watching the joy he’s getting out of owning it. So if you’ve got something like a car, tractor, truck or any other interesting vehicle or keepsake hanging around — especially if it’s sitting outside deteriorating, or in a garage seizing up and being devoured by mice — consider passing it along now!
You’ll have a ton of fun gifting it and can even take part in bringing it back to life. So much fun.
What’s in your attic or basement or garage that your family or a close friend might like to be using, or repurposing? Currently, it’s in the "dead zone" and once the will is read it will just go to the garbage. Much too much of that happens. As precious as some of these items are, they’re things — and often, the real value in them is in the happiness they can bring to the living.
So here’s the perfect February project: think it over, go through your stuff and see how some of these belongings might be used to ramp up the feeling of love and respect and appreciation with loved ones, or close friends, or as a donation to a charity to help them raise funds to do good work.
Gifting is a way to say "I love you," and nothing beats that. Comments or feedback, love to hear from you!
lmustard1948@gmail.com
