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How to Make a Seamstress Very Happy

For the past week and a half, I’ve had to move my sewing machine back to the dining room table while my husband worked on refinishing and modifying a vintage sewing machine cabinet that I picked up at a local thrift store a few years ago.  It is solid wood with a cherry veneer and was a bargain at $30.

He’d gotten it all sanded down soon after I bought it but then with working away from home so much never had the chance to do the necessary modifications and finishing to turn it into a cabinet that would fit my sewing machine.  During that time, I sewed with my machine sitting on top of the closed unfinished cabinet.  But that is now a thing of the past.

Last week when the weather warmed up enough for him to work in the garage, he installed the Regal/Horn airlift mechanism, modified the cabinet so that my sewing machine would move smoothly from storage to flatbed to free arm positions and then began applying several coats of clear satin polyurethane.   That took longer than expected because the weather turned colder causing it to take much longer for each coat of polyurethane to dry and cure.

But he did the final sanding and polishing this morning and moved it back into the house.

Isn’t she a beauty…

My refinished vintage sewing cabinet with the top closed.
My refinished vintage sewing cabinet with the top closed.

 

Front view of the sewing cabinet.
Front view of the sewing cabinet.

 

Top view with the lid open.
Top view with the lid open.

 

All ready to sew the sewing machine in the flatbed position.
All ready to sew with the sewing machine in the flatbed position.

 

Moved to the free arm position.
Moved to the free arm position.

Please note: The Regal/Horn Sewing Machine Lift no longer seems to be available. However I did find a similar sewing machine lift mechanism available from Lee Valley.

I would be so pleased if you chose to share by clicking on one of the buttons below!

6 Comments

  • SUSAN
    February 17, 2019 12:44 pm

    How do you know how to install the lift ? How far left or right, forward or back ?

    • Super Mom No Cape
      February 17, 2019 5:53 pm

      Hello Susan,

      The lift came with instructions on how to install it. So you’d need to take measurements to get it positioned correctly. 🙂

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  • Katherine
    March 17, 2011 12:57 pm

    Wow! Your husband did a gorgeous job on this cabinet, Susan. I’m actually trying to find a vintage cabinet to be modified for my Janome. I’ve always had it sitting on top of our dining table, but since buying my vintage Singer (which is in a cabinet), I really want another cabinet.

    Enjoy your beautiful vintage cabinet… now go hug your husband for his wonderful handiwork! ;o)

    • supermom
      March 17, 2011 2:06 pm

      Thanks Katherine. He really did do a wonderful job. I sometimes walk by it, just so that I can look at it.

      I’m loving sewing with my machine in a cabinet… it’s so much more comfortable and it’s really handy having all my sewing accessories in the drawers. I’m going to have to do a post soon to show how he modified the drawers to organize my thread and notions.

      And I saw that beautiful vintage Singer that you bought and have to admit to a bit of sewing machine envy as I’m on the look out for a similiar one too.

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