My version of the foam quilting table
 

There was a thread on Tuesday about the foam Sewing and Quilting Table tutorial by Marguerita McManus on YouTube at this link. That thread reminded me that I promised someone a few weeks ago that I would post pictures of my version of Marguerita’s table. (Sorry I forgot to do that sooner.)

When I first saw her video, I loved her idea and made one a couple of years ago, just as she describes, but using 1-inch thick foam insulation because that’s what I could find at my local home improvement store. The insulation I bought came in 24 x 48” sheets. I made the table in three sections: one section was left full size; one section was cut to fit around the back and left side of my machine; and the third section was a small piece to fit in front that could be easily removed to access the bobbin. I first taped the sheets together (I needed exactly 4” to be level with my machine bed, so that made it easy.). On the pieces shaped to go around my machine, I marked the foam with a Sharpie and used one of DH’s little hobby saws, but a hack saw or craft knife would work too.

I loved the table but found that the draped vinyl was sort of undependable…it shifted around, the edges hung free and caught on things and it was a pain to move it around when I needed to change a bobbin. Besides that, it was, well, just sort of ugly. So I then ordered a large piece of white oilcloth and used it for a drape instead of the vinyl. It was much slicker, stayed in place better, and looked much better. But I still didn’t care for the draping part.

I recently “remodeled” my table. I still have the same foam sections but I cut the white oilcloth and wrapped each foam piece sort of like a package so that there would be no draping to fuss with and the sections could easily be removed when I needed to use my machine’s free-arm feature. All of the raw edges are concealed.

Here are some pictures:

Picture 1 shows how the foam table looks when it set in place. You can see where each section fits up to the machine and/or another section. Notice that it extends beyond the left edge of the desk, which gave me a little extra surface space.

Picture 2 shows the two large sections moved out of place. The 24 x 48” rectangle is set on its edge so you can see how I taped the oilcloth on the underside. (I used just regular duct tape but had to use three different colors.) The other section is shaped to fit behind my machine and the next picture shows a closer view of it.

Picture 3 is a closer view of the shaped part of the section where it fits behind my machine. The foam I used was just regular old Styrofoam and when you cut it, it falls apart into a million little balls. (Try to get a better type of foam!) So I covered all the cut edges with duct tape.

Picture 4 shows the small section in front of the bobbin access. It’s wrapped “package style” and taped on the bottom just like the others.

I much prefer the wrapped sections because they are so easy to move or just put away and there is no draped piece to deal with. I ordered the white oilcloth from Mendel's Far Out Fabrics in San Francisco because it was the only source I could find for solid color oilcloth yardage. (As the name implies, they have some amazing fabrics….takes you right back to the 1960’s!!)

Let me know if you want more info or if something isn’t clear in this post. Margeurita McManus is a very clever quilter and she deserves all the credit for her unique and problem-solving ideas!
Anita

WOW..that is super amazing! you did a great job with your project and with the directions/descriptions..thank you so much!

Wow! Wish I'd thought of that or at least seen it yesterday before all the recycle was picked up :(

Anita: What an awesome tutorial!! Your instructions/pictures are great. Thanks for posting this.

Anita: I went back and watched Marguerita's video (again!) and noticed she has the folded table that I see everywhere (Staples, Home Depot, etc) as her base. What are you using for a table? It looks like wood. Thanks....Connie

Nice job. Thank you so much for sharing that information with us.

Excellent!:thumbup:

My table is an IKEA computer desk with the center (lap) drawer removed and without the doors on the lower sections. It's particle board clad in melamine....one of those assemble-it-yourself items but it makes a nice looking desk. It's what I had and fit well in my sewing room.

Wow, that is amazing. You are so talented. Do you silicone spray on the surface to make is more slippery? I use it on mine, and what a differnece it makes. If you don't have any, I have a case I'm trying to find homes for. lol

Thank you for posting your pics! What a great adaptation to a great idea!

How much do you want for a can? I live in a small town and can't find any here.

This is great!! How do you keep the individual pieces from sliding out of place? Also, I don't quite understand how the silicone spray is used. Thanks!!

What a gift of knowledge!
 

Now this is ingenious!!!! I absolutely love this, will be making myself one in the new year! Thanks a million times over!

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas! :thumbup:

Under the foam sections I have that non-slip shelf liner stuff...just make sure that it's even underneath the foam sections so they don't rock around. I had that trouble with the little section at first.

I don't use the silicone spray. The oilcloth is plenty slippery. And that's a bit of a drawback when I'm just sewing, as opposed to quilting. Fabric does slide around!

Wow, what an awesome job, Happy quilting.

Very interesting topic. Thanks for the pictures.

Bingo- an answer to all the machines we have with missing free arms- LOVE IT !

thanks for sharing your update. I think about making a table like this but have never gotten up the courage to try it. How do you keep yours in place with all the pushing and pulling if you are working on a large quilt?

Suzy


Duh, never mind ... saw where you had already answered that question. sorry, the question just popped into my head while I was typing.

What an awesome idea - thanks for sharing

THanks for showing us how you did this - I always struggle to get enough space for my quilting.

Thanks for your post and sharing your photos. It is so neat and tidy. I love how you modified Margariette's idea!

Thanks Anita for posting this! I have several tops waiting to be quilted but don't because of not enough space to quilt. I've got the same Bernina extention table but all quilts are stuck on the sides so that's a big problem!
My BF is going to make me this foam quilting table :D :D

Nice pictures and explanation - thanks for sharing.

W-O-M-A-N! You remind me of the Rosie the Riveter poster: "We can do it!"

Wonderful tutorial on how to make an extension table. I have something similar, but wrapped it in plastic. I believe oil cloth would be better. I also have problems with a smaller piece shifting. Never thought of shelf liner. I'm gong to give that a try. I do spray the plastic it is wrapped in with silicone spray on occasion. Spray it on, wipe it off, and all is good.

Hi Bab -- Just wondering - can that spray be put on the machine or does it work better with a surface like the oilcloth? How much is a can of spray? I would like to try it. Thanks, Julie

I'm not sure what others do, but I spray silicone spray onto the plastic surface of my extension table. If the surface of my machine needs to be more slippery, I spray it onto a paper towel and wipe it on. I am somewhat reluctant to spray it right onto the machine as the machines have become so computerized and some can be persnikety.

A word of caution. Silicone spray makes things very slippery. DO NOT get it on the floor or you may end up on your keister. If you get it on the floor wash it off and wash it off well. I do speak from experience on this point.

The silicone spray that I use I got at Home Depot, and it is used for many lubricating jobs around the home.

Hope that helps.

Love this tip. I'm working on a card table right now until I can get it together (my sewing room).

I used Margarita McManus's foam sewing table idea for my 2 machines.. keep them both set up all the time.. My Juki is used for piecing, but I love my old heavy duty Kenmore for quilting.. Thanks for posting your pictures! Clever idea!

Well, this post has me thinking: I have a homemade painted wood table that my husband made and love it. At first the paint was fine and I had little trouble moving things around on. Now that both the paint and I have gotten a tad dull, moving stuff is more difficult. I'm going to try the silicone spray. If it doesn't work so well, I'll cover the entire table with the oilcloth. Thanks, everyone, for the info....gotta love this board!

Wow - 3 years later, people are still loving your good idea! Do you recall how much of the oilcloth you used? 4 yards? more?

I don't recall the amount of oilcloth I used...I think I just measured each piece, allowed for folding around the sides and onto the back. Oilcloth comes in different widths, but what I got from http://www.mendels.com was 46" wide. Four yards probably would do it unless your pieces are longer than 48".

I still love my version of Marguerite's "table" and find it very versatile. I moved last year and added another section behind my sewing desk (supported by some moving boxes full of stuff!) and now have a pretty large surface for quilting.

Anita

I love Marguerita's idea. I have hesitated adapting my table because of the vinyl issue, wondering what to put under the vinyl so the foam board wouldn't show. You have the answer!! I just checked the price for oil cloth at Mendels and don't know if I want to fork over $60.00 plus shipping for 4 yds. I may have no other option, we'll see. Anyhow, good thinking on your part and thanks for sharing a wonderful idea.

Just a thought...
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52426636.tip.html

Serita

I used to buy oil cloth (for classroom bulletin boards and table covers) at our local Walmart when they had a fabric dept. Perhaps the WMs that do have fabrics would carry it. I don't recall what I paid for it.

I used clear plastic on mine. I went to the dollar store and purchase two clear plastic table clothes. I think the total cost was $3 or $4. I got as plastic that was as thick as possible.

It works fine.

Thanks for link.

Thanks for the pictures and description on how to wrap the pieces.. Now I need to wrap a couple of cutouts on mine..

Today I'm learning how to miter the corners on a table topper.. The fabric for the sashing has a printed on lace effect and I wanted it to continue around the corners without a break.. After watching a tutorial to learn how, I resorted to using fabric glue to hold them.. I hope to sew them after the glue is good and dry!