When laying out space, there is a tendency to place tables and furniture along the walls and neglecting the center of the room. There is also the tendency to leave wall space unused. Be sure to play with paper and pencil and work with T formations, where one or two tables jut at 90 degree angles from a table or wall.
One suggestion is to place two work tables parallel coming out from a side wall and leaving about 3 feet in between. On the wall between the tables, you could hang rulers and catchall containers. Use one of the tables for cutting and one for ironing and "spreading." Just be sure they're high enough for you to cut without leaning over!