can I please be to told now? On Topic

This one actually sounds like something that might work in my house with my furniture. I like it! Now I just need to go buy some of those clips.

Karen, Queen of Squishies my back and knees thank you all

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This is where it helps to tape toothpicks to the centers of the table ends and line up the centers of everything. Also helps to cut backing and batting quite a bit larger, maybe 3 or 4 " all around. It isn't wasteful if it saves you grief. Roberta in D

"Boca Jan" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:HLednZxKM7krjhHYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@adelphia.com...

I do the same thing, except I use my dining room table. ME-Judy

"Carole-Retired and Loving It" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

I also have a folding craft table..got mine for $20 from someone who was moving into an RV to travel. It was one of the best buys I've ever made!! Right now I've got it set up as a wrapping station for gifts. Great height. Back to the quilting...I lay out and smooth the back and the batting and clamp around the edges with plastic spring clamps that I bought at the hardware store. Then I smooth the quilt top out over the batting, and one at a time, re-clamp. Then I pin using my Kwik Klip (another great invention). I also suffered through the crawl-on-the-floor method a couple times.

My mom usually uses a batting 6" bigger all around, and backing is often 10" or more bigger all around than the top. She likes plenty of "fudge room" in case she doesn't get everything quite squared up at the beginning. She says it's much less frustrating to cut off what is not needed than to have to re-sandwich it after one or two failed sandwiching attempts. Debra in VA See my quilts at

That's how I do it, too, Carole. Thanks to the largest size binder clips, I've had real good success with layering and basting quilts on that craft table. One of the best investments I ever made! This year when I had to paint a 60-foot scene on kraft paper, that long table was a godsend! And best of all, when you are done it folds up into a very small table where the quilt pieces can rest until you get a chance to sew. I got mine on sale, too, but after having it I would even pay full price to replace it if I had to!!!

Cafeteria-type folding tables work real well, too. If you're really lucky, you might find a place that would let you put three of them together and have the perfect working surface at a reasonable height.

I got lucky. Current husband was a collector of large heavy desks. One was a professional drafting table. I stole it from him and made him give up all the huge metal desks. He did not fight to much to keep them as they stored static charge that was causing problems with the computers that are his life. The drafting table is about waist high, 4ft x 6ft, with drawer space. The top can be tipped up with makes a regular desk top available for other types of work. Once I finally have a work room of my own, I plan to add a 4ft x 8ft top. Right now in this too small double wide, the living room/ dining room combination also does duty as office space for both husband and wife with seating room and small work tables for each child. It really is a living room, we all live in it. ;^)

In the past, I built cutting tables using a 4ft x 8ft sheet of heavy exterior grade plywood (CDX with the C side up). A second sheet of the same type plywood made a shelf high enough to fit a couple of two drawer file cabinets under on one side. The other side had space for bins of material. The shelf held bolts of fabric. Heigth of the table was set so that when standing my elbows rested comfortably on the top. I am on the tall side so a dining room table is dreadfully short for comfortable use. All wood was painted with a white sealant paint, then painted dark green at my desire. The sealant paint is to keep moisture from the plywood. The moisture is from high humidity. Uprights, legs, where made of 2x4s on each corner and the middle of the short ends.

Short end was placed against a wall with a rifle rack on the wall. The rifle rack, picked up cheap at a yard sale, was a handy storage location for yardsticks and work aprons. The drawer in the bottom of the rifle rack was handy for storing sewing chalks and smaller measuring tools that were not carried in the carpenter style work apron pockets. I use a standard size waist tied apron with the lower 2/3s in two large cobbler pockets.

Tools need are a circular saw or a hand saw if you don't mind spending all day sawing wood. Four inch flat top wood screws, L brackets to hold the shelf. Sealant paint and finish coat paint in color of choice. Two sheets of 5/8 inch CDX plywood. Three, maybe four, 2x4s depending on height of table needed.

Jill of all trades and almost master of some, Vandy

Thanks, "Jill", and very nice to meet you! Welcome to the group!

Karen, Queen of Squishies

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