a useful tray

20 October, 2009
homely, quilts

I thrifted this tray a few months ago.  Can’t quite remember where :-) Was it hard rubbish?  I think so.  A wooden tray is always useful, wherever it is found.

before

This one needs a real makeover.  The tray base is covered in a high gloss laminate - yuck!  The sides have LUMPS of dirty varnish - ugh!  However, I haven’t got around to doing anything with it - apart from using it to hold the drying family memory blocks before Fathers’ Day.  Since then it has sat on the back porch.  It’s even been rained on.

Today I found the perfect use for it.  For weeks, I have been trying - very poorly - to keep the wee half square triangles cut from Sam’s quilt in one spot.  When I remember them, I scoop them all up from here, there and everywhere onto the ironing board, and arrange them back into a teeny quilt.  This always takes a while because I forget how they are supposed to go.  Then, Julian needs to iron a shirt, Mum needs to iron a dress, I need to iron Abby’s school uniform, and the little triangles are scattered to the wind yet again (literally) and I forget about them - yet again.

This morning I had 25 minutes before I needed to leave for work, so instead of enjoying 25 minutes of quiet and peace with a cup of coffee in the back garden, I frantically crawled around the porch floor, gathering up the half square triangles, blowing the red dust off them, and arranging them once again.  Fruitless, because 25 minutes is not long enough to do anything - see, I should have sat in the morning sun and enjoyed a quiet and peaceful coffee.  This morning something had to be done.  In comes the tray.  With a felted bottom.  Perfect.

after

Eventually, I will clean the poor little tray, sand back its lumpy edges and paint them - not sure which colour - and glue my felt down.  Until then, this will do.  My half square triangles are neatly arranged for the next time I have MORE than 25 minutes, they can be carried from wherever to wherever,  and hopefully the felt will stop them from shifting around.  I knew a wooden tray would come in handy :-)

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