Table Trauma

We have a solid-wood, kitchen table and is the natural color with a little bit of dark distressing. The top protective coat started to come off and it looked horrible. I always wanted to sand it and stain it black. We had the opportunity, with some friends and their electric sanders, to sand the whole table last week.
Frank really didn't want black stain so we agreed on a darker, cherry color. It was so pretty. We waited for the weather to warm up and we finally stained it in our garage. It looked awful. The color was pretty but you could see all the different spots where we sanded in different directions and on the sides the stain wouldn't absorb into the wood.  I don't know if it's because the inlay of the wood was going different directions or what, but I've never had that problem before. It just looked so scattered and uneven. We thought we should try a couple of coats. Nope, same thing happened. The only option left was to paint it. I still really wanted to try black so I looked around the internet and liked the black/distressed look.
My new problem was that because of the stain we just put on it (all three coats) I really needed to sand it, but it obviously wouldn't come off all the way so I would also need to use a primr/sealer. After several stores I could not find a clear primer (even though I know they make it) and I was too impatient to wait to order it online. I did not want a white pigmented primer because then when I sand during the distressing process the white would show through.
One of the painting "experts" at Lowe's showed me how to use a light glaze on a black surface to get the distressed look without having to sand the edges. So that is the way I decided to go.  Hopefully, he steered me in the right direction.  If not, we will have a solid black table- eek.  Pictures to come when it's all finished- if it looks good.