That is sweet how close you were to your MIL. I love pieces of furniture that hold meaning like the sewing table. I have my grandmother's antique table and matching hutch. I have the small hutch in my dining room and the small table in my hallway upstairs. Both the pieces came from her family in England. I love them both.. Then I have nesting tables from my aunt's parents in my hallway foyer...
My mother has the trunk that my grandmother travelled with on the boat on the way over from England. She is still using it in her house now. But I wan it someday!!!!!!!!!
Oh what a atreasure that trunk must be! sigh.. I love trunks, chests, etc... more STORAGE, and pretty storage is even better!
My mom has a cherry grand piano that my sister is lusting after... she even had the gall to tell mom she had scheduled the mover to pick it up so she could take it with her when she moved to another state!

Mom was NOT happy... ended up writing into her will that as it is a family heirloom it WILL stay in the family (sis has no kids and is not having any!). Sigh.. so far the only grandkids who actually play and enjoy the piano, are MINE! LOL.. not that I have any designs on it myself at ALL, its just funny in a sick kind of way how my mom ended up reacting to my sisters plan for the piano. Sigh...