sewing table

Anne, I just bought my table less than a year ago. I looked at Horn, Koala and Tracey's Tables versions while I was in Houston and finally decided that Tracey's Tables was the company for me. I can't say enough good things about them, though I'm not sure they'll ship as far as the UK. ;) My table is wood (not veneer or plastic) and came completely assembled; it was delivered to my sewing room (not to the front step of the house) and put in exactly the position I wanted. It came with an insert to fit my Bernina so that I have a completely flat surface, but there's also a "lift" in it so I can have the machine below the surface and covered over to hide it or up high in order to use the free arm or to clean the bobbin area easily. I love it! :)

I don't live in the UK, I never changed my email when I moved to the US, I thought you might remember me from when I posted about getting stuck in the snow in Las Vegas in December.

Cheers Anne

I've now had a chance to look at their website, it looks like good stuff, but they don't exactly overwhelm you with information, or prices. Which one did you get? I need to measure my space, but I rather like the look of the "double box" for getting plenty of space behind and to the left of the machine.

Cheers Anne

Anne, I have the 3-drawer quilter's cabinet; it has a back leaf and a side leaf on each end. I would have loved to have had the double box, but my room is quite small and is now almost wall-to-wall cabinet.

Well, duh! Of course I do! I'd completely forgotten, though. All the more reason why I'm glad I posted about Tracey's Tables. :)

I really like my Quilter's Dream by Horn. Go to Horn of America's web site. They have several different versions. Gen

Can't help as to brand, because mine is German. But they all seem pretty similar. If possible, find a dealer where you can try them out for fit, to see if you have room for your legs and feet in your favorite sewing position, and to see that the machine needle is centered on your body. (Some of them are a bit too far to the left.) They will all fit your machine, because you order a plastic insert cut to your machine's dimensions. If you have more than one, you could theoretically order inserts for each one and they would all fit. Otherwise, my advice is to get the biggest table you have space for, because you want every bit of table surface you can get to hold the quilt for FMQ. Some of them have an extension that slides out on the left to help hold the quilt. And while you're at it, get yourself one of the XXXL cutting mats to put next to the machine -very useful! And they all have lovely options for thread storage, etc. Mine has 3 big drawers where I can keep all my thread, plus odds and ends such as marking and drafting tools, needles, and SM feet. Roberta in D

On Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:11:58 -0700, Anne Rogers wrote:

On Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:11:58 -0500, Anne Rogers wrote (in article ):

Mine ended up being custom made, but a couple of my friends have either the Horn or the Koala cabinets. So far they are both pleased with theirs.

Maureen

I spent a lot of time trying out tables. I finally settled on one by Sylvia's Designs because it fit my over sized machine well and had leg room for me.

It's worth it to visit the shops near you and sit down at the different tables. Some are quite crowded underneath depending on how they are built. Depending on your size this make a big comfort difference.

Ideally for sewing you want to be able to sit centered on the needle. Some tables are built so that you end up centered on the machine; not as comfortable.

Ask about what the table is made of. Find out if the inserts that fit your machine are included or extra. See how the tables fold up. Sometimes I sew with my table fully extended and sometimes not depending on what else is going on in the room at that time. Some tables can only be sewn at when fully opened. Make sure the table works for you.

Seems like all the companies sell extra drawers for storage separately. Look at them and see who has a configuration that fits your stash/thread/notions best.

marcella

On Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:32:42 -0500, Marcella Peek wrote (in article ):

My friend adds this. If your QI wants to sit on the extension next to you, make sure it will hold her weight when she jumps up there.

Maureen

No QIs in this house! I hope to go and look this weekend at one place that I think sells Koala tables and another that I think sells tables made by a small local business. Hubby has in principal agreed to the idea, though was shocked to find out the price!

Cheers Anne

It's just money. Taria, ducking and running

"Anne Rogers" Hubby has in principal agreed to the

Well, yes, Taria, it is only money - but you can spend a whole lot of it and get a miserable piece of junk. I've seen many SM tables that sort of bowed down in the middle from the weight of a SM. Don't know what the addition of a 10 or 20 lb QI might contribute to the party. My SM tables are nothing fancy; only sturdy wooden drafting tables, but if a gator or two wants to waddle up and nap it will be just fine. I will not disturb them. Furthermore - I've seen some very costly SM tables that 'looked like' a good idea but seemed miserably inconvenient to me. Polly

"Taria" It's just money.

I currently have my parents old kitchen table, which is pretty sturdy and is a great size. Obviously, it has no storage, but I do have a cutting table with storage and plenty of shelving and cupboards. My main reason for wanting a table is to be able to set the sewing machine into it, hopefully to make quilting a fraction easier. We'll need to move house before any kind of frame set up is a possiblity.

Cheers Anne

there are pix of homemade sewing machine tables online. these have had a hole cut out of the table in the appropriate position that the machine fits into. below they've used L brackets to hold a shelf for the machine to sit on. you then get an acrylic type see thru piece to fit the whole thing so it is flat with the tabletop. if i find that pix i'll post it here. you could add shelves/drawers/whatever you require under and on the side of the table to suit your needs. just takes a bit of planning, sketching, a few basic tools and materials. i'm sure this could be done without too much expertise either. sure should cost less than buying a new table made for the masses. made to your own specs and less cost just takes some of your/dhs time to work it up. i'm sure between the two of you could do this. worth thinking about anyhow. you probably dont want to cut into your folks old kitchen table but you might find one at op shops, second hand shops, side of the road, freecycle in your area or friends that might have something sitting around doing nothing and would be happy to give it up for a good cause. j.

"Anne Rogers" wrote... I currently have my parents old kitchen table, which is pretty sturdy and is a great size. Obviously, it has no storage, but I do have a cutting table with storage and plenty of shelving and cupboards. My main reason for wanting a table is to be able to set the sewing machine into it, hopefully to make quilting a fraction easier. We'll need to move house before any kind of frame set up is a possiblity.

Cheers Anne

Polly Esther wrote:

heres a few with ideas on this.

"J*" wrote ... there are pix of homemade sewing machine tables online. these have had a hole cut out of the table in the appropriate position that the machine fits into. below they've used L brackets to hold a shelf for the machine to sit on. you then get an acrylic type see thru piece to fit the whole thing so it is flat with the tabletop. if i find that pix i'll post it here. you could add shelves/drawers/whatever you require under and on the side of the table to suit your needs. just takes a bit of planning, sketching, a few basic tools and materials. i'm sure this could be done without too much expertise either. sure should cost less than buying a new table made for the masses. made to your own specs and less cost just takes some of your/dhs time to work it up. i'm sure between the two of you could do this. worth thinking about anyhow. you probably dont want to cut into your folks old kitchen table but you might find one at op shops, second hand shops, side of the road, freecycle in your area or friends that might have something sitting around doing nothing and would be happy to give it up for a good cause. j.

"Anne Rogers" wrote... I currently have my parents old kitchen table, which is pretty sturdy and is a great size. Obviously, it has no storage, but I do have a cutting table with storage and plenty of shelving and cupboards. My main reason for wanting a table is to be able to set the sewing machine into it, hopefully to make quilting a fraction easier. We'll need to move house before any kind of frame set up is a possiblity. Cheers Anne

i just noticed that last link is in Tuolumne, California. iirc, that is northern calif inland somewhere. went there to summer camp as a kid one year but i've no idea where i was, other than the name. somewhere to check out on a bit if a weekend escapade perhaps. j.

"J*" wrote ... heres a few with ideas on this.

"J*" wrote ... there are pix of homemade sewing machine tables online. these have had a hole cut out of the table in the appropriate position that the machine fits into. below they've used L brackets to hold a shelf for the machine to sit on. you then get an acrylic type see thru piece to fit the whole thing so it is flat with the tabletop. if i find that pix i'll post it here. you could add shelves/drawers/whatever you require under and on the side of the table to suit your needs. just takes a bit of planning, sketching, a few basic tools and materials. i'm sure this could be done without too much expertise either. sure should cost less than buying a new table made for the masses. made to your own specs and less cost just takes some of your/dhs time to work it up. i'm sure between the two of you could do this. worth thinking about anyhow. you probably dont want to cut into your folks old kitchen table but you might find one at op shops, second hand shops, side of the road, freecycle in your area or friends that might have something sitting around doing nothing and would be happy to give it up for a good cause. j.

"Anne Rogers" wrote... I currently have my parents old kitchen table, which is pretty sturdy and is a great size. Obviously, it has no storage, but I do have a cutting table with storage and plenty of shelving and cupboards. My main reason for wanting a table is to be able to set the sewing machine into it, hopefully to make quilting a fraction easier. We'll need to move house before any kind of frame set up is a possiblity. Cheers Anne

I love my $10 table. Solid oak and works really well for me. It seems most folks just want to have press board/masonite/laminate kind of stuff. That usually, in the long run isn't cost effective. New and snazzy to start but after looking at the torn apart Koala at the thrift store, no thanks. After a trip to a couple of furniture stores last month I am pretty surprised at what folks think of as 'fine furniture'. Pretty disposable for the most part. I guess even if folks want to do the 'green' thing they have a tough time understanding what that is about. Taria