Off the table
Question for Gordon Latter at Kane’s Furniture: How can I protect my wooden dining room table when my kids use it for arts and crafts?
Answer: Latter tells us there are two main tactics for keeping glues, paints, inks and all manner of liquids from marring the centerpiece of your dining room. First, there’s the table pad, custom-made to fit your furniture. “The table pads are about 3/8" thick,” he explains; “underneath is felt and on top is vinyl. It protects and absorbs heat” and won’t let liquids through. Table pads aren’t long on good looks, though, so you’ll want to pair it with a tablecloth—“When kids are using it, [use] a cheesecloth tablecloth,” says Latter; it’ll wipe up easily. For entertaining, replace cheesecloth with linen or just remove the pad altogether and let the wood be itself. Pads fold up for storage and cost in the neighborhood of $240.
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The other option: polyurethane, the shiny coating painted on with a brush. “If it’s an old farm table, that would protect it against the elements and if anything drops on it, it blends into the character of the wood,” says Latter. However, he calls this option “less desirable aesthetically,” explaining, “When you put a layer of polyurethane on top of wood, it takes you one step further from the natural surface and gives it a more commercial look.”
If you do find a puddle of some art supply or other on your tabletop, assess the situation. “Some things can blot up,” says Latter, “and if you apply a furniture polish it’ll take care of the problem.” More serious cases will require a trip to a refinisher.—Erika Howsare
Piece work
Everyone can appreciate a quilt; they’re fun to look at and they’re also an art form in their own right. That’s why we like Anita Zaleski Weinraub’s volume, Georgia Quilts: Piecing Together a History, which concentrates on the rich quilting tradition in that state. Here you can glimpse detailed information on centuries of quilters between long gazes at some truly amazing quilts.
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These are special creations; they go beyond familiar patterns (forget Log Cabin; ever heard of Circular Saw?) and display stunning variety, from the stylized to the expressive. There are quilts made from feed sacks, quilts pieced for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and quilts that illustrate connections to the histories of slavery and the railroad. Pure Southern Americana.—E.H.
Tea is for tall
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Local potter Jan Crowther, who calls her business Frog Moon Pottery, wowed us with her teapot’s daring stretch and delicate ornamentation. We spotted the Palmyra-based artist’s work at Downtown artists’ co-op C’ville Arts; Crowther can be reached at 589-4295.