I sew on an 8' folding table which is not as high as a dining table and usually, unless it is something very intricate, I sit and cut next to my machine. I only do a couple of layers at a time and it works well. If it's a big project, I clear the table but still try to sit and cut. Since I usually design a lot of my quilts, I cut as I go a lot of times. Hope this helps.