The perfect sewing desk?

Ok I am moving around the pantry/sewing room. I will have room for a

2x4' table. I have the base for it. A very heavy cast iron one that will bolt onto anything.

I was thinking about using plywood covered with indoor/outdoor carpet. I hate the way things slide onto the floor. Seemed like a good way to solve that problem.

I can use countertop (formica) or plywood or particle board or or or. Any other ideas or pro's or con's to the carpet thing?

I use the big wire boxes that are supposed to be used on the floor to hang on the walls, I use electrical fasteners to connect them and just hang on nails. They work great. Easy to see everything and cheap cheap cheap. I used the Target ones and bought a big black metal wire industrial type shelf to match for the fabrics to be stored.

Oh and I use ziplock bags for patterns, then store in one of the squares :)

Dana

Reply to
Dana Compton
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Might make tiny things a bit difficult to see and pick up?

Got no concrete reason to say otherwise, except I like work tables clean(ish) and smooth, but I can't help thinking that after a few days or perhaps weeks of trying to work on the carpet, you'd be tearing your hair out and thinking 'Well, that idea didn't work'! :-)

We use a simple 'canteen' style table for our dressmaking. It has a metal frame and legs, and the top seems to be a spray-coated matt finish. Don't get too many problems with things slipping and sliding off.

Use MDF as the base for the table top. It's extremely stable and wont have any tendency to warp or twist. I'd go for a durable surface like formica or similar, but definitely matt not shiny finish. If you feel it necessary, edge it with a suitable trim that has a small upstand along the top edge, that'll stop things like pins, beads from rolling off the edge - but you may get irritated in the long run with the slight lip along the edge! :-)

The alternative, and it may require a trawl through your yellow pages, is to try and find a furniture finisher who can spray coat the table top with a (I think) plastic based paint that gives an extremely durable finish. Again, go for the non-glossy finish. We're lucky in that there's a small one-man-band company in a nearby village that does this type of work. Our bedroom cupboards and cabinet were done this way. Now about 8 years old, and not showing the slightest signs of wear, despite regular washes to remove cats' paw prints!

Oh, and if you haven't got one, buy yourself a cheapo extending magnet thingy. Invaluable for picking up needles and pins that slip through your fingers! :-)

Reply to
The Wanderer

Hmmm.... I quite agree with The Wanderer there. I'll also throw in another possible problem - keeping it clean.

Just think about all the lint and stuff that's going to accumulate on the top of the table - and how you might clean it - you'd get a hand held vac up there - but would it be strong enough to get the lint out of the pile???

And - you do need a degree of slide to your work surface - to allow the fabric to move smoothly under the foot and save effort on your part - just imagine pulling heavy curtains along carpet = more friction = more muscle work.

I can understand why you don't want slippery though! It's how to achieve a good balance........

Sarah

Reply to
Sarah Dale

Oh, Richard, please - as I unmasked in another thread! (Now you've got another name to remember, alongside all the other personnas) :-)

Reply to
The Wanderer

ew.

How about getting some fabric with a woven grain that you can see ( woven plaid is ideal) and padding your board just a bit, then cover with the fabric, stapled very carefully so that you keep the grain straight in both directions. I've used one like this, with a full size cutting board on it for years.

Penny S

Reply to
small change

I used a woven gingham check on a board. Works well.

Reply to
Pogonip

You might consider a cork top table. See the Sewing Success Sewing Blog post at:

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've used one for years and love it. Marian

Reply to
fit2sew

Dunno what supplies are like in the US, but this side of the pond, cork has largely disappeared from the sheds.

We have two large (about 3' x 2') self-heal cutting boards - the sort that come from Artist Supplies or Stationers - that sit on top of our work table. Works very well.

Reply to
The Wanderer

...

US stores like K-Mart and Meijer sell it in sticky-back rolls as a decorative wall covering. Near the Con-Tac paper.

HTH

--Karen D.

Reply to
Veloise

One of these days I'm going to have a proper sewing/craft room and will keep this in mind. Right now the dining room table has to be used as my sewing surface. I did go to your site and read the part of using a cork tile to keep the foot control from sliding around. Many times I've had to chase it around on the carpet as it wants to slip away from me. And I just happen to have a small roll of cork that I can cut and use to keep foot control in place.

Thanks!

Reply to
itsjoannotjoann

Well I ended up with a piece of kitchen counter top that was left over from the kitchen remodel. I had hubby drill holes so the serger and machine cords could go straight through the counter. No cords on the table top is great. I did that in the kitchen too on the coffee/tea bar.

The cork on the foot pedals idea is neat. My floor is new, old fashioned linoleum squares so it's slick once the acrylic is put on and buffed. I will put up a picture when I am done with the whole thing. It's pretty easy and cheap to do and didn't take up much space.

Dana

Reply to
Dana Compton

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