I, too, am trying to learn about painting on muslin and have questions if someone would be so kind as to answer. I have searched on the internet but with little luck. I understand that you just paint directly on the fabric. I read that you should wash and dry the fabric but not use fabric softener or sheets. Do you pre-treat the fabric otherwise - like with a primer or acrylic base coat?? Do you seal afterwards? Do you use regular acrylic paint? I have fabric paint but it gives a "puff" look which I don't want. I'm trying to achieve what I call a primitive "leather" look. I've seen this on dolls and other primitive things (animals, ornaments, etc.). I appreciate any help anyone can offer! Kammie

I've always struggled to figure out what "style" I liked. I tried shabby chic as well but it just wasn't right. Even though I liked the rustic and shabby portion, all that white and pink made me want to scream. I tried French country, which was much better, at least I could have my beloved blacks and reds, but it wasn't quite right either. I took all those "what style are you" quizzes and they''d always say either traditional or cottage, which I guess makes sense now. This didn't really all click until I went to a moving/estate sale that had a farmhouse table advertised. I was still trying to do the country french thing but when I got there and she took me inside to see the table (she had half the stuff out, half inside). I walked in and it was YES, I'm at home!! Maybe a little too heavy on the Americana for me but still, it all felt so cozy and comfortable. I love antiques (and boy did she have some!) but never knew how I wanted it all to feel. I bought the table and a grocery bag of stuff - knick knacky stuff and left a happy camper. I would have loved to grab a couple of cabinets and dry sinks but alas, way out of my budget. The table is so cool. It's not a table made to look farmhouse / barn style, it's actually a table from a really old farmhouse. No faux distressing, this baby has seen some hard days. I love it. Since then I've made 3 trips to the thrift store, each time spending $20 or so, and have a huge stash of cool stuff. I haven't put anything together though because I've been stripping paper and getting ready to paint. It's all piled in my garage just waiting to come inside.

Was unexpectedly away from the forums for a few days, but I didn't stop thinking about all the wisdom in your posts. Finally had to accept that my uncharacteristically lengthy indecisiveness could only mean that none of the paint-alone options was going to bring a satisfactory result. Backsplash and paint it shall be. Hubby got onboard; he knew I'd given paint-only a thorough effort, and experience has taught that once he is in the middle of one project in an area, it is easier to nudge him with a little project creep. For multiple reasons we'll likely go with Lowe's allen & roth Temple Grey (which actually contains a lot of browns, too) for the backsplash. The cabinet's gel stain will have to wait for time and adequate working space recouped from other projects; we'll switch out the hardware when replacing the stained doors. I have tentative paint colors in mind, taken from the input here, but will wait for the backsplash to go in before finalizing that choice. The floor will have to wait for the cash flow to seep back into the project fund (alas, too many recent vehicle repairs and other unexpected financial hits). But at least there is a working plan now. Thanks everyone-- we appreciate your help! ------------------------------ We love our windows, annkh.They were one of the selling points when we bought. They aren't fancy, but wonderfully large. Even our 150sq' office has a 6'x5' window. Sometimes it interferes with getting work completed. :-)

bellajourney -- I don't recall the brand of india ink I used; it was whate4ver Utrecht sold in large bottles and allowed clean up with water. I bought both the tung oil and the citrus solvent from Real Milk Paint on line. Their web site is really informative and the owner will respond to emailed substantive queries that are not addressed on the site. I should have said at the outset that I have little experience in painting anything but walls, the attention span of a flea, and the manual dexterity of a garden slug. All of which is to say that none of my processes was optimally left-brained, and I am confident that you and DH can do better. So, I had reason to be apprehensive at every step: the india ink looked streaky after every application. Ditto the tung oil. Indeed, the tung oil going on full strength seemed pretty disastrous in real time. It may have dried ok, but I was much less apprehensive about the process when I was applying it thinned, mostly with a foam roller and sometimes with a brush. I waited a couple of days between applications of the tung oil. After the last coat had dried, I ended up sort of buffing it with painters rags, as I wanted the wood grain to show through but did not want the scars from how badly the india ink and tung oil had been applied. I do use a cutting board, but the counters have gotten splashed with all kind of foodstuffs. Against all odds, the finish cleans up nicely after use. The laptop on which most of my photos are lodged has died and I only have access to pictures already web-accessible. What is attached is a slideshow that is really about how crazy decision-making gets at the end of a complex project. Photos 12 and 14 are the best of the countertops, although 12 does not make them looks as teal as they really were. God bless brickmanhouse, and please keep us posted. Cheers. hbk Here is a link that might be useful: weird peek at india inked counter project