A Step Stool Made With Love

Rob brought home this bench during his first or second year of carpentry school. Proud as punch, he was. I had wanted a step stool for around the kitchen, and one that Abbi could use as she got older so she could step up to the potty and also wash her hands at the sink.

Except...er, dear, the step stool is like 18 inches tall? A man-sized step stool perhaps?

So this poor bench/step stool has stayed in our lives, begrudgingly so. Rob would walk into the kitchen to find me on a kitchen chair reaching into the upper cabinets. "Why don't you just use the step stool I made for you?" "Oh right, the step stool..."

It really has never had a use, yet it stays with us. Rob would argue its use is as a step stool, but I know better. After painting the kids rooms (and hey, I actually used it while painting!) it finally occurred to me, it would look great in Gabe's room. Well, not as-is, it still needed a little lady love :)

So the idea was quite easy. Buy a single pillow case from Zellers for $2.25. Buy 2 metres of ribbon from Fabricland for $1.68. Use some thread that I already had kicking around. And make a lovely tablecloth for this poor, sad, unloved table. Simple no?
Well, for you sewing types out there, I'm sure this would be quite simple. For me, not so much. By the end I was literally going crazy. Math is not my strong suit. I just don't have a mind for things like this. I can sew straight lines. That's about it. So after like a day of sewing, and getting fairly frustrated in the process, my beautiful table cloth was done...

Or was it???

Oh dear. Yes, that right there is an example of my sad sewing/measuring skills. To be honest, I was heartbroken. It was my first "original design" and I had put so much effort into it. I mean sure my math sucks, but I still tried really hard. At least an A+ for effort.

My dear husband saw this sad, sad sight and took great pity on me. Nothing could be done. I had measured the table top too small, so now my table cloth would not fit. No matter how much I ironed or stretched or pulled, it wasn't going anywhere. What is a girl to do? To be honest, I may have even shed a tear...

Rob to the rescue. Now as I look back on this, it truly was a giant thing he did for me. One of his first carpentry school creations. He was quite proud of it. But, I think, all for love, he did what you see in the following picture...
Yes, yes, that's my husband. Cutting his step stool. Cutting it so that it will fit my sad, poorly measured table cloth. Now talk about sacrifice! Talk about love! I was so impressed. I mean, what a guy! (Wifely sidenote - Although I do have to point out, the entire thing did require the use of a power tool. Hmm, now you do the math ;)

So, once the cutting was done, I put on my table cloth, and voila...it fits!
I still hadn't sewed the bottom seam at this point. I was more concerned about the top fitting. So I sewed 'er up, only to realize it was too short. "Honey, is there any way you can make the table shorter?" Insert husband eye roll here...

Ok, Ok, so it's a little short, but really you can only see that if you are lying on the floor of Gabe's room, and really, will any of you be doing that anytime soon? I don't think so. Really only Gabe will be lying on the floor of Gabe's room, and he will be taught that is exactly how a table cloth is supposed to fit. Obviously!
So there it sits in Gabe's room with each of our childhood teddy bears on it. I'm quite pleased with it, and I think it makes a great contrast to his olive green walls. I like to think of it as a "manly pleat." I mean dudes in Scotland wear kilts...

I also had to throw in this picture. I just love it! She's so thrilled that the table cloth actually fits, and she is just so excited at the amazing fabulousness of her Mother's inspired creation. Or she's just 2, and happy about life!