OT: unfinished embroidery sewing cabinet

That one makes the cabinetmaker, the interior decorator, and the needleworker inside of me sing with joy!

U.

WOW! when you said "small cabinet" I had envisioned a little box with compartments similar to a remote control organizer on end, but THIS is wonderful!!!!! Too bad you didn't have blue prints, you'd make a fortune selling those for other people to build one just like it. super duper job, John! You never fail to suprise me! wow. amy in SoCal

If folks had to pay for this sort of thing it would seriously cut into their fabric budget. So far, I have 1-1/2 weeks on the production and about one more full day of varnishing and reassembly. Then there is the hardware and material costs. I haven't priced out what the total would be, but you can see that it is not for the faint of wallet. If you take out my labor costs, then it is not so much, but therein lies the rub. How could you not charge something for your time. I can't charge myself, because I enjoy doing the work. I was saying to Lois last night, that I would find it difficult to give up woodworking, as a creative outlet, even though I quilt, sew clothing, and am starting on another element of sewing, embroidery. But the bedrock of my creative drive, is still woodworking. I have designed a large Tansu chest to house a Futon and all the bedding accessories, for the occasional guest who find their way to this little corner of the midwest, and need to stay overnight. This is a large piece of woodworking, with sliding doors, and lots of little drawers and cubbyholes and assembled with dovetails and other woodworky details. Very Japanese, but with a Shaker twist. It should be rather imposing as it fits against a sloping ceiling line with a tapering, ascending group of small drawers at the top, that follow the ceiling angle. Pictures to follow, when they become available. John

I love to look at your work, John! Your ideas and creativity are inspiring!

My grandfather was quite the woodworker, as was my dad, and I was fortunate enough to get some of those traits. I have my grandfather's hand drills and tools. Someday I h> >

I have always insisted that I have a dedicated space for doing woodworking, where ever I lived. There was a time when we were traveling for 6 months, before we settled here that I was without that option, and I felt almost at a loss or missing something, in my life. I understood the reality that because of the traveling it was not an option, but I often came upon a situation that required some tools and space to use them to rectify something that was present where we were staying, and felt bad that I couldn't "fix" the problem. A lot of people don't really understand what it takes to accomplish some handyperson/carpentry/woodworking jobs, as it pertains to tools. They hire somebody to do something and go away to work and then come back home and the job is finished, (hopefully). But so much is entailed in that process, that unless you understand the requirements, it is apparently simple to do. That is not always the case. I think everybody should have a minimal amount of tools that they could fix some simple things around the house or wherever they are staying. You don't need high priced power tools. Just things that can get the job done by hand, and move on to the next issue of your life. I note that there are now home handyperson "kits" for sale that have these sorts of tools, and are contained in a convenient carrying case that you can slip under the bed or put in a closet and be ready to go if the need arises. It is money well spent, in my opinion. Always beware of your limitations, especially when it comes to plumbing and electrical work, as those things can be deadly. But not outside the realm of abilities of the average homeowner, with the help of a good how to book, that is available at most home centers. My 2 cents. John

When I became single again...many-o-moons ago...I put together a small tool kit of: claw hammer, straight screwdriver, philips screwdriver, paint can opener, all purpose wrench and plyers, retractable ruler, super glue, duct tape and WD-40. The tool kit has grown a little over the years with some of my Dad's hand me downs...awls, pipe wrench, rubber hammer, etc., I'm glad I have it, even though I don't own a house anymore. they come in handy.

My mother taught my brothers and me to sew so we wouldn't be at the mercy of any women in our lives. Likewise, my father taught my sisters simple things like changing a tire, checking the oil level, and fixing a leaky faucet so that they would not be at the mercy of men. Valuable life lessons, on both accounts. Although, to be honest, I never seemed to mind being at the mercy of women. John

I sent a kit like that to my sister when she was suddenly on her own. Unfortunately, she is very clueless to use of tools and just hires out for any work. Changing a lightbulb is about the extent of her "fixing" range.

G> A kit like that makes a great gift for children when they move to

Hmm, my mother didn't teach me to cook or sew, but I do both reasonably well now [although i flunked 7th grade Home Ec classes]. My father gave me run of his workbench after he tested me, and had me draw to-scale plans for a model horse stable at the age of 8. I was hooked!

Ginger in CA who really hopes to be able to get a workspace in the future