I am new to quilting and find cutting is quite a chore. The main problem seems to be my cutting space is too low. I am currently using a long folding table - any suggestions? Has anyone raised their table by using the things you can put under your bed to raise it up? Thanks for your ideas.

I have seen on here before where people have used pvc pipes to raise their table legs.

MINE IS MY KITCHEN TABLE......

I've been using the floor but age is creeping up on me and am seriously considering using the dining room table or our bed.

I do my cutting on the kitchen counter, it's the perfect height for me.

I like having the table lower, because I can put more pressure behind what I'm doing. But it does start to hurt my shoulders after a while.

I found a folding adjustable height table at Sam's Club. The highest level is perfect for my Alto cutting board. I have the AccuQuilt Go and it needs to be much lower so I bought another adjustable table and keep it at the lowest height. It's perfect. I tried the bedrisers but they made the table too unstable. PVC pipes are what we use at guild to raise the tables for cutting. They work the best and keep the table very sturdy. I painted them using spray paint for plastic (now available) to match the table legs and they look nice and not so make do.

Get bed risers. They are either plastic or wood. You can get them at walmart or bed bath and beyond.

I use my kitchen table or the freezer top. Not a big enough home to have a permenent location set up.

Yes! I have bed risers under a table for my basket weaving too....this saves my back.

It may be easier to get a height adjusting chair, this way you can save your back.

I've found if I cut sitting down it helps to have a lower surface or an adustable chair.

But standing is so much more accurate for me, if a bit more painful. Because I'm only 5'3" a regular height table works just fine for a while. I can't stand much longer than "a while" anyway.

When I used to stand for long periods, I made 'risers' for my foldup table from PVC pipe (the stiff, white, plumbing stuff). They can be cut any length to fit over the legs and I put cane rubbers on the bottoms of the legs to keep them steady.

Jan in VA

I've used PVC pipe and NO#10 coffee can.
My husband made the PVC pipe stands when I was making Lefse for the first time and it was killing my shoulders. Now I just continual to use for my cutting table when it's bigger then a 1yd cut.

I bought the wood bed risers from Bed, Bath & Beyond for my table legs, it works wonderfully.

Mine is the kitchen table too but found I can't stand & do it for very long. Would love to have higher table....

:thumbup: :thumbup:

most stores sell bed risers for around 10. There are normally two sizes .

Hi Guys

Try this....! I have one and it is fantastic!

Hugs

So do I, I have a part that sticks out (like a peninsular) and use that - I can walk round and cut from the other side that way too.

If you have to press hard, and therefore use a lower table, it might me that you need to replace your cutting blade more often.

Little space but kitchen island is perfect height

I'm tall (5'11" ) and I have some issues with my back and I found that cutting on the kitchen table, my sewing table (a Horn) were too low. My husband made me a portable cutting table extension with removeable legs. This is what he did:

He got a piece of wood from the hardware store that is the same size as my 24x36 cutting mat. It is actually a little bit smaller but I can cut on the whole thing. There is a tiny bit of overhang. Then he got some ready made table legs and attached them. I put felt pads on the bottom so that they don't scratch up the kitchen table. The legs screw into a metal piece. For my comfort and ease of moving it around he attached metal handles to the sides.

When I want to use it I pull it out from under the guest bed, screw in the legs and set it on top of the kitchen table or wherever I am cutting. It is the perfect height for me. Then when I'm done I just take the legs off and put it away.

I am grateful for my new house with a very large kitchen island...perfect size and height. Before this it was risers under the dining room table with a 4'x4' piece of plywood sitting on top of the table pads...what a job getting that all together and taken apart.

I use my ironing board for small cutting jobs....it's the right height and it's always up and ready to use!

I cut on my kitchen island as it is the perfect height. However, I have a long folding table that I use to do my pinning and some of my ironing. I use the bed risers under the feet and it is now the perfect height. When I first got them I was afraid that the table would feel unstable on them, but it isn't.

I ordered bed risers from Wal-mart.com for my folding table....I think they were under $20.00 ( tax and shipping). It is so much nicer to cut now, no more back strain.

Absolutely! It's a perfect solution ... if it creates the height you need for comfort.

I am short so I like low tables. Try bed risers or even bricks to get it up a bit.

My desk in the sewing room is a bit too low for lots of cutting so I move to either my kitchen table or my kitchen counter, depending on how big the item I am cutting is. (I have a large cutting mat for the table and a 24x36 for the counter. The both store behind the china closet so I don't have to haul them up and down the stairs.

Ditto kitchen counter - just the right height

duplicate

My cutting space is counter height & that works for me.

Kitchen counter works for me, Im not bending over and hurting my back

This is what I did. Worked like a charm. No more tired back from bending over in an awkward stance.

I went to a furniture store that builds it own solid wood stuff and found a think what is called a kitchen vegatable./meat cutting table it is just the right height and size for putting 1 large cutting mat on it same width and length... no more bending over a table and betting back aches.....

Yep, I used the bed risers ($15 from Bed Bath and Beyond) and they worked great!

by-the-way it is in my dinning room no room in my sewing/cat/radio room for it :) hubby has no problem with it lol my sewing maching is on the dinning room table too :)

ditto. BrendaK

I found some bookcases, about kitchen cabinet height, on sale at Staples. I bought a solid core door and placed it across the bookcases - instant cutting table, long enough for pinning a quilt or sorting fabric, just the right height for me. It could easily be taken down if I needed the space for something else.

Me too, it's the perfect height and fit for my cutting board. Iron nearby and the ironing board sits underneath on the dining room side of the counter. Needless to say I sew all of the time on my dining room table - I do have another table in the room on which I SHOULD be sewing but that if covered to within an inch of fabric, patterns, rulers, cottons, etc etc :)

PVC pipe, cut to the length needed to raise the table then place each table leg into one. Wonderful quick fix. Most places that sell the pipe will even cut them for you.

I got the plastic bed risers, works great, no stability problems.