I was at my machine this morning. I have a old singer cabinet thats allows me to put a portable New Home in the inset. There is a space about 5 inches from edge of cabinet to starting edge of machine. I push my chair as far in as my tummy allows. And this works well for me. My chair is adjustable for height so I sometimes adjust for regular or FMQ. Good luck. Let us know what you decide and pics too.