Biedermeier Sewing Table Repair

Having extra time on my hands due to the Conovirus Lockdown, I’m on a bit of a roll with my long list of restoration projects.

This Biedermeier-style sewing table was missing its lid and, working from photos of an identical but complete example, I decided to make a replacement.

I started by adding the little cushioned middle section inside using a block of balsa wood covered in a piece of old red cotton velvet, and I re-covered the little pin cushion at the front to match too.

The fabric on these sections were red in the photos of the example I was using as a guide and when I removed the faded pin cushion section of this piece, I was pleased to see from the fabric underneath that it had originally been red too, albeit a slighter darker shade than this one.

The next step was to make the lid.

I’ve had a bag of wood veneer offcuts from Hobbies in my stash for many years and I found one that had a matching grain.

I cut a piece to the correct size for the table top. The lids of these tables have a large overhang over the front and sides of the bases so the size didn’t need to be too precise, though making it with good square corners was essential.

Next I laminated an identically sized piece of hardwood with the veneer.

I did this by sticking the pieces together with wood glue and sandwiching them between two pieces of wood which I then clamped together to form a press. I left the pieces in the press until the glue was thoroughly dry.

Two coats of Dark Oak varnish on the veneer, followed by a good French polish and the top matched the bottom quite well.

Being limited for suitable wood in my stash to make the edges of the lid, I made do with a couple of coffee stirrers which were fine after a bit of sanding.

I painted them with matt white Humbrol enamel paint on the side which would be on the outside and matt metallic gold Humbrol paint on the inside side and the edges, to match the table in my reference photos.

Gluing the edges to the top piece was fiddly but I got there in the end.

The sewing table in the photos I was referencing had a mirror set in the inside of the lid, however, I didn’t have a suitable mirror so I decided to use a piece of vintage silk as a temporary measure - the hope is that one day I’ll find the right size mirror and will be able to replace it.

I neatened the edges of the silk by sticking on some embossed paper to echo the edging around the sections of the sewing box.

I attached the lid to the base of the table with a piece of ribbon glued on to the top and base with fabric glue and then painted with matt metallic gold Humbrol paint.

Filling the individual sections up with scraps of ribbon and tiny sewing notions really brought it to life.

And here’s the finished piece in situ with the lid open.....

 ...and with the lid closed.

I’m very happy with how the whole thing came together and to have given a good but broken piece of antique dolls’ house furniture a new lease of life.

Until next time,
Zoe