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The Sew What’s New Archive
This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and
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From: bridesmom
Date: 09-24-2005, 07:21 AM (1 of 11)
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I'm going to be in the market for a cutting table shortly. I've never even looked to see whats out there. What have you all got for suggestions?? I'm going to be moving my sewing room (9x9 that I share with the computer) into a 14 x 20 room that is MINE MINE ALL MINE.
Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: bridesmom
Date: 09-24-2005, 07:25 AM (2 of 11)
After I posted this I stopped in at the quilting forum which I rarely do cause I don't quilt (yet) and there is a terrific thread on cutting tables. Should of done a search before posting methinks. 
Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: paroper
Date: 09-24-2005, 09:26 AM (3 of 11)
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I don't know what brand my table is but it is wooden with gate legs. It folds down nicely and is a whole 42x74 inches! I would guess that when it is down it is about 18-20 x 42...very easy to get through doors. It is wonderful because I can lay out a full 2 yards of fabric at one time. The weight of the fabric is enough to keep usually keep the rest from pulling onto the floor if I just unroll it. I also love it because I can measure a full 2 yards of fabric at a time (amazing how often I do that.) When I sewed for people I always double checked their yardage before I start. I still do. I prefer the wooden tables legs over the metal because the metal seem to loosen a bit over time. Mine has a drawer and bracing under the drawer. Some have cabinets. If it had it to do again, I'd look for one with drawers or a cabinet if I could afford it. (It wouldn't be that hard to add one of those to my current table.) I think this is probably my most favorite large sewing purchase. I paid less than $500 (I think around 300) for this table but I bought it so long ago I don't remember. The second most wonderful purchase I made that day was a self-healing mat that covered the table perfectly and a t-square that was made to reach across the table. I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed these items in my sewing room. I have a terrible back and they have really added time, convience and comfort to my sewing. The mat is marked off in 1 inch squares and has lines for different angles. I've used that along with the t-square (which is really a long lipped wide ruler with all kinds of angles and measurments) for all kinds of sewing, home dec and even garment sewing where I needed "straight" or "angled" perfect measurments. For instance, last year's band director wanted to make flags. We ran out rolls of white (medical grade) paper and used the squared underneath to draft her designs to scale....worked like a dream! It is invaluable when doing drapes by direction (without a pattern)...or just doing a simple bag, purse, belt. bias strips, straps, etc. I have really gotten my money's worth out of THIS investment!!! There are a lot of cool ideas for making a table, like buying a dropping down a door when needed. Mine has been moved several times and even put in storage. I never take it down when I can find a place for it, but it sure has been nice to move it as my sewing room has changed, evolved and moved over the years. I've just moved it againg to a larger sewing room (hopefully for the last time.) Here is a picture (not great) of my sewing table in my "old" room. This room was 7'4" wide by 14' long so everything was really "tight". http://kensphotos.smugmug.com/gallery/469317 pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: bridesmom
Date: 09-25-2005, 04:36 AM (4 of 11)
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Wow Pam, quite the sewing room you had! How tall is your table. I was measuring the counters at the lab at work last night, they are 36" tall and I was thinking that may be a fairly good match as I am 5'10. Is there a formula for how tall the table should be compared to your height? I also really like how you stored your rolls of interfacing (I think it was interfacing) on the dowels. A very smart idea. And I really like the idea of the t-square for measuring. My hubby had one when he was drafting and I think he may have sold it, but I will have to check around the house and see if its laying around somewhere, possibly I can conviscate it. Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: paroper
Date: 09-25-2005, 12:50 PM (5 of 11)
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It is 35 inches tall. I am 5'8". 36 Would probably be a great height. I really like it because I don't bend when I work, but I can bend over the width if I need to do so. The "old" sewing room was the smallest room in the house. About a year ago we converted the part of the garage that my dad had planned to use for a workshop and never finished. The total area is 14'X26'6". There is a 6X14' space cut off one end of that because of ceiling problems where Dad added a huge support. When My daughter moved into that area with her baby, we used the small extra bedroom for my sewing space. It was very nice, but with the sloped roof facing the south and the heat from lamps, machines and computer, the room got unbearably hot. (At my age, I KNOW hot!). Anyway, my daughter has just moved out and I've taken her space. It looks like the smaller room next to the garage will be an office (for me), a fitting room and a place for pressing, and a place to store my pattern cabinet (and the added drawers)...could only manage to haul one of those from Joann's when they moved their store....(hahaha). That room also has a nice closet to store garments as they are being made. We are in the process of turning the larger room into a sewing room. I have designated a corner for my husband's "computer/photography" work and another for a TV so that we can have entertainment...and the rest is MINE!!!! It is looking very usable and I'm terribly excited. The room has excellent electical circuitry (I made SURE of this when I designed the room)...it has 3 dedicated circuits of its own which is terribly important with our computerized machines and hot irons. Since I spend so much time with my hobby and he with his, we felt that a shared comfortable area would be a wonderful solution for both of us and it will/already has done a lot, to rid the house of a lot of ugly clutter. When it is (finally) completed, I'll post pics again. (My daughter moved in before the utility (electrical closet) was enclosed and we had to put in replacment windows that kept us from finishing out the window area because she wanted in so bad. We have moved all my sewing things in the room and are just about to complete the areas that needed trim. I don't have much time to do this with the wedding on the horizon. The rolls on the wall are my stabilizer for the embroidery machine. That rack holds 10 rollers. I had planned to drop a piece of heavy gauge plastic down like a curtain over the top, but the company whose stabilizer I use has started putting them in plastic tubes. I can just knock the end out of the tubes and put the rolls on the wall...works nicely. In my old house I had one that held 5. It held my plastic bags, a roll of medical paper for tracing patterns and interfacing that I put on wrapping paper rolls so that I could run dowels through them. I still have that rack, but I like it at the end of the table so I can just run the paper/interfacing onto the table for use...I couldn't get my husband to get it for me in the old room...and I have a problem with some sconces in the new one so I may not be able to use it (not enough room to pull out the dowels). I think this is one of my best inventions. Instead, in the room in the picture and in the new room, I am using a metal towel holder/wine rack that has hooks to hold my interfacings, papers and bags. It isn't as convient because I can't just roll them out, but it does hold a little more. I had hoped to use my old rack for the rolls. If I had gotten to do that, I would have used the towel rack to hold large rolls of fabric (on rolls) that are difficult to store and I would have put them over the end of the table where it is hardest for me to reach since I don't often use them. pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: NanCee
Date: 09-25-2005, 03:46 PM (6 of 11)
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Wow ,wish my sewing room looked half as neat or productive as yours, I just turned green. I must do some chunking out and see if I can improve my sewing area. For a table I have been using a foldaway I picked up at Can. Tire., its not the best solution but its better than on the wood floor or carpet.
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User: NanCee
Member since: 04-15-2004 Total posts: 76 |
From: paroper
Date: 09-25-2005, 06:32 PM (7 of 11)
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I've found that I'm more productive if, no matter the size of the space I keep it orderly and organized. When I get lazy and let the area clutter, I loose my "edge". We've gone through several evolutions in the sewing room. I've sewn with my machine sitting on a kitchen chair facing me (when our house was one room) and cut out my patterns on the bed using a cardboard fold-out. I've also found that it is not necessarily the size of the room as it is the shape of the space and the shape of your equipment that you are using that can make your sewing room useful. When I was sewing professionally my sewing equipment was in a 20 x 20 room that was a general purpose living space for my family. I used about a third of the space for almost all the equipment that you saw (except the quilt table...I was using a $20 desk for my second machine and serger...came from Venture and a small rolling cart for the computer). I interviewed my clients and sewed in the very same room that my family spent all their time. I enjoyed beinga part of the family as I spent huge blocks of time sewing. The customers changed in a small entry hall that I would lock for their safety. That space was more usable that when we moved into my mother's large home (huge to me) with many more rooms...4 bedrooms, 2 living spaces...etc compared to our 2 bedroom home with one living space. A few years ago I quit work and made a huge investment in a home sewing business. I learned a lot. I chose a Pfaff 1475 and my Bernina 1530. I thought that I would have time to embroidery (this was early embroidery time) and digitize with the Pfaff. That dream was unrealistic at the time if we were going to eat. The Bernina ended up being our bread and butter because it sewed faster, it also had fewer restrictions than the Pfaff which fit my sewing methods. I took my furniture list to the two dealers and told them BOTH that I was planning to purchase "these items" from one of them. I then let them take the lists and give me a price. I went with the lowest price. It worked quite well and I ended up with about a 30 percent discount off list from one of them. This "bidding" was something that was totally out of character for me, but about 2 years ago I redid the kitchen and used the same tactic. I ended up with a straight up discount of 20% off my kitchen appliances and then they gave me another discount of about 10% off that because I purchased 6 appliances...it was enough to pay for my new Duet dryer! My husband has been a wonderful sport about the new move for my equipment. He doesn't like his living space cluttered with cuttings and scraps of fabric...so this is a chance to get those things out of his way...however, he does mutter something about a "pool table" every so often. I keep telling him that when I am dead and gone.....(he can sell everything and pay for a wonderful game room...if he doesn't buy a pin ball machine I'll haunt him though!) He has really enjoyed having a set space for my sewing though and getting them out of his living space into a dedicated space has been really pleasant for him. I think that is why he has been so nice about me moving into this new space. pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: LadySloPokes
Date: 09-26-2005, 10:13 AM (8 of 11)
That is one great sounding area you have!! Wowsers!! However I must say that my little corner is just perfect for my small amount of experience at this point!  We live in a 2 bedroom duplex (double) that does have a full basement. The smaller bedroom is already dedicated to being the home office with our computer, new computer desk, bookshelves out the waazoo, etc. Our very large living room (15 x 19) is also filled to the brim with furniture and bookshelves. And we can forget the master bedroom too--our dog has made that her personal corner in the place. The kitchen has a built-in eating area, what I used to call the breakfast nook. It's all open space, and when I moved here my VERY big, 60 yr old all oak wood desk wouldn't fit through any of the doors leading to the living room, hall or office. It came to rest in the dining area of the kitchen, and has been there ever since. It wasn't used for anything except for piling up junk mail and boxes until last September when my beloved man gave me his mom's serger. That started my new adventure in sewing, and my desk is now my beautiful sewing corner.It became very clear early on that I didn't have a place to be able to lay out fabric for cutting short of doing it on the living room floor on top of newspapers (oh my back and knees!). I started looking around and found that Joann's had a cutting table that would be perfect. When it's completely opened up, the top measures 36" by 59", and has casters on it for easy moving. The sides of the table fold down for storage, and measures 12" wide-absolutely the perfect size for the area between my desk and the back door!! It was a little pricey, but he got it when it was on sale at 40% off. During some recent sales, I saw it marked down to 50% off! It's called the Ultimate Cutting Table, but it takes 2 people to carry it in to the house and assemble it. I'm so happy with my table  and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something to use for sewing, crafting, or even wrapping Christmas packages!! LOL If I can figure out how to post pics here, I'll post one of the table for you.
Cookie
LadySlo...yes am I, but hey, I'm gettin' there! Are you sure it's supposed to look like this?! Proud owner of Singer Quantum Decor 7322 & Singer Quantum Futura CE 200.. "A balanced diet is having chocolate in both hands!" |
User: LadySloPokes
Member since: 08-15-2005 Total posts: 198 
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From: AndreaSews
Date: 09-26-2005, 05:47 PM (9 of 11)
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I refer to this article whenever I'm looking for pointers on sewing room changes. designing a sewing center (http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_g/g-412.html) Still...I'd love to get someone to come in here and just point out some ways to be more efficient. You know how we get used to working around our own obstacles and then sometimes just keep on doing that, even when we have removed the obstacles....
Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007 
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From: debsews
Date: 09-27-2005, 02:33 PM (10 of 11)
| I have a three bedroom house - the larger spare room is DH office, the smaller one is my sewing room. My problem always has been how to have a dedicated sewing room for 9 or 10 months out of the year and then set up a bed to have guests in that room. I have some cabinets and storage for sewing but the bed is in the closet for now. I put my niece on an airbed at Christmas just to avoid setting up the real bed. She wasn't happy when it lost all the air one night and left her on the frame!! Maybe I should set up the bed and use the closet to house the sewing machine. Always a dilemma whether you have a huge space or just the corner. This is probably the best sewing space I've had but I see lots of problems with it. My DH is tired of hearing how it could be better! |
User: debsews
Member since: 09-16-2005 Total posts: 254 |
From: paroper
Date: 09-27-2005, 03:09 PM (11 of 11)
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I used to have a really cool fold away sewing "room" idea. When it was up it was a floor to ceiling (cabinet) unit. The bottom of the unit had 2 doors that opened with shelving inside. The top had a door that opened to reveal a fold down table top...kind of like a door. At the bottom it rested on the doors of the bottom unit and the bottom shelf of the top unit. There was a leg attachment hinged on the end of the flat portion that locked out the support it when the unit was down. Inside the top doors were peg boards that held all kinds of sewing notions. Against the back were narrow shelves for sewing notions. When it was in use, the swing down portion made a narrow table for cutting and it also supported the sewing machine. When not in use, the sewing machine fit into the top portion of sewing cabinet and the "swing down table" folded up against the machine. I always thought it was a nice solution to a small space. However, the table was no taller than a sewing or quilting table which would be a large drawback. I kept the plan for years thinking that one day it would be the plan for my "sewing room". It was like a Murphy's bed all in one sewing room.
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
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