Cowgirl, you have received lots of good advice. If you think you will be on your own sometime soon, I would not spend too much time or money on things that only fit your space now. If you are sewing in the dining room, ask if you can buy a wicker hamper or storage ottoman to keep in the dining room. Then you can store your current project, tools etc. in the work space and just move the sewing machine. I found a sewing desk on craigslist that is on wheels and I push it out in the dining room when I want to sew with more space and light.