Dave’s Sewing Cabinet

This was my summer project in my un-air-conditioned garage shop in central Virginia. Judy requested a sewing cabinet for her quilting work. She liked the basic idea of the plan from Rockler, but the leg room space seemed too cramped. Instead of building the two plywood boxes for the base per plan, I built a base of legs, mortise and tenoned stretchers and plywood panels. I also added a back leaf to expand the work area. The one plywood box for storing a serger and the drawers is just screwed into the base. The Hohn lift is solidly built and works as advertised. I finished it with 4-5 coats of Arm-R-Seal Oil and Varnish Topcoat.

In the end, it all came together well although I would do a few things differently (and correct a few errors) if I ever reprise this project. The important thing is that Judy loves the look of the piece, appreciates the customized work height, and enjoys having the extra space. And best of all, our dining table no longer has to do double duty as a sewing station!