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03.14

27 drawers

Welcome to See Kate Sew! If you’re new here, sign up for my email newsletter for access to free patterns, tutorials and all the latest sewing news! Tour my sewing room HERE!

Sentimentality can be heavy sometimes. Literally. This big metal chest of 27 metal drawers is the perfect example. It was my grandfather’s. His name was Julius. He was awesome, supportive and the happy-go-luckiest person I’d ever met.



I used to go over to his house where he paid me to do chores, an excuse to see us weekly. He had polio and couldn’t so simple chores like weed or water the plants. He handed me a blow torch and showed me how to burn the weeds in between the bricks so they wouldn’t come back. That was my favorite chore. I told you he was cool.


He always had a new half galloon of vanilla ice cream that he would bring out for my brothers and me afterwards. He bought it special for us. He’d watch us eat it with a big smile on his face, like it was the best thing he could have given us. It was. 


When he died, I got this big metal chest. I lugged it to college my second year where a whole apartment of strong boys had to help me get it up the stairs. When I got married a year and a half later I used another hoard of boys  to help me get it down the stairs into my new apartment. It is all metal and really heavy. Up and down stairs, even heavier. When we moved across the country, thousands of miles through the middle of nowhere it had to come. It’s the perfect sewing room piece. It’s full of buttons and zipper and paints.

My grampa’s house was full of treasures like this one. Everything labeled in his uppercase print. He kept everything. The chest was loaded when I got it. Full of envelopes and sticky back paper and glue of all kinds. It’s just so him. In his office a picture of him hung above this chest, on a mountain with greying hair and big smile and a backpacking pack. He was an adventurer, too. And now that he’s gone, I feel like this chest reminds me to be more like him, organized and happy-go-lucky…To keep everything, to share half gallons of vanilla ice cream and to use a blow torch whenever you have the chance.




So what’s inside?? Everything you can think of.
Like zippers. (In the drawer labeled Electric Tools)

A million buttons, mostly thrifted by my mom.


Paint, ink, puffy paints. I keep these in the top drawer because little babies like to play with them.

Ribbon, twill tape, bias tape.

There are also sewing machine manuals, spools of thread, extra needles, a whole drawer of elastic and some randoms like the scorecard from our very first date where I won in mini-golf. It’s fully loaded and such a great organizational tool for a sewing room, even if it is really heavy! I use it as a great excuse to keep everything!  


If you missed the rest of my sewing room tour, click here!

12 Comments | Sewing Room

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Reader Interactions

12 Comments

  1. Sarah

    03/14 at 1:14 PM

    This is great! I have an old card catalog with a billion drawers that I love to keep (and hide) my goodies in. Yours is even better because it was your grandpa’s- how fun! :)

  2. The Bold Abode

    03/14 at 4:07 PM

    My granddaddy was the same…happy-go-lucky-organized-sweet-generous man… I have lots of his furniture and it reminds me of him everyday. He lived us from before I was born until the day he died. I miss him terribly!

  3. enim sou

    03/14 at 4:19 PM

    A quiet but big reminder, wonderful. Beautiful in its own way.

    enimSou

  4. Meredith

    03/14 at 6:02 PM

    so cool, kate. the memories and the piece itself, love it. :)

  5. Ilaria

    03/14 at 6:28 PM

    Great….I love all those drawers…Ilaria

  6. Dana

    03/14 at 7:12 PM

    What a fantastic piece of furniture. And perfect for a sewing room!

    Sounds like Julius was an excellent person to have known.

  7. Cotton Bottom Mama

    03/14 at 7:18 PM

    I love everything about this post. Everything. What a beautiful tribute to your grandpa. On another note, I guess it is sewing room reveal week. I shared mine on Sunday! http://www.cottonbottommama.com/2012/03/sewing-room-reveal.html
    Loved seeing your space. I am inspired to cover my table with a sheet and store lots of stuff under it :)

  8. Julie, RN

    03/15 at 12:39 AM

    I love this! I feel that same way about family treasures….reminders of that person and the little stories that go along with them. My grandmother was just telling me how much she loves the old chair that her Daddy sat on everyday…even though it doesn’t match anything in her house.

  9. Loliii

    03/15 at 5:02 AM

    AYYY Kate ,es verdad ser sentimental es en verdad pesado.Nunca dejo comentarios en su blog ,pero hoy tengo que decirle que me encanta tener algo en común con alguien que admiro.Soy una ex mochilera que intenta coser para sus hijas y yo cargo una mesa redonda de madera que me regalo mi padre y que no entra por ninguna puerta normal.Tuve que romper la ventana
    la ultima vez que me mude.cariños.

  10. Talitha

    03/15 at 10:35 AM

    aw I got all teary reading this >.< It's so beautiful to have these wonderful stories of loved ones no longer with you (plus its an awesome chest!) I got my grandmothers sewing machine and cupboard and when I went through it I cried remembering everything about her. It was full of her little things :) Talitha xx
    http://www.ttimechatter.com

  11. Victoria

    03/15 at 1:51 PM

    What a lovely story.

    Just found your blog through Hello Cotton and I’m glad I did.x

  12. belle1996

    03/16 at 9:53 AM

    I’d love a storage item like that, even a whole room to me and my machines would be fabulous! Do you know about Versatile Blogger Award? I was passed on the award and I have nominated your fabulous blog for the award. If you are interested in it, please visit my blog to see the rules to follow.

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My name is Kate, a twenty something fashion lover and mother of two. When I’m not chasing kids you can find me at my sewing table or daydreaming up new designs. You can read more about me here. Thank you for visiting!

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