Oh Mia is sooo cute! I would have had to keep her too!

For a couple days, when they get up on things you don't want them to, take them down and say 'NO' firmly. Works with my two!

Hey Debbie I love your idea about how to keep the kitties off your sewing things. LOL LOL Now my problem is when I am sewing my little Bandit gets under my sewing machine and I don't know he's there until I start to get up and then trip over him. Can't seem to stop him for getting under there, he has to be where I am at all the time. But thats alright I would be lost with out him.

I have beachtowels I spread one on the ironing board, one on my waist high cutting table and the last one on my small table behind my sewing machine. I have 2 cats and they love laying on these areas whether I am there or not. This eliminates all the hair that gets everywhere on those places.

Good Luck. My kitty is my sewing partner. When I am sewing she is right there. Actually she is where ever I am all the time. My sewing machine is in the corner, with windows on both sides. She lays up against my sewing machine and watches the birds outside. When I do chain piecing she loves to play with the strips coming out the back. We also have a game we play. When I get up to do some pressing at the ironing board she immediately gets in my chair. I put her down only to have her do it again the next time I get up. If she is not the way and not causing problems I love having her with me. Also I buy lint rollers in bulk at Costco.

I tell ya, those lint rollers are a life saver! I use them for everything quilting related, and I have to use them on my clothes before I leave the house or I leave with threads all over me :)

Our 2 cats really like to be around us, whatever we are doing. Our current cats don't care to be right on the sewing machine, but if the table has the leaves opened up, they like to be on there. That's ok with me. I usually put a small baby quilt of theirs up for them to sleep on and that keeps them off the "current" project.
So if you can handle having them in the room with you, then i think, aside from the other suggestions here, my best advice is to make a space for them that is just as comfy as the work you have in progress. It has to have batting and your scent on it. You may be able to make certain areas within the sewing room "off limits" (like the ironing board or rotary mat) so they don't get hurt, by using the water bottle.
For cat lovers, check out youtube's Simon's Cat videos. You have to smile! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s13dLaTIHSg

I have two kitties. It's pretty hard to keep them off surfaces they like, especially if they've always done it. I have tried, with limited success, to teach them to stay off certain places (like kitchen counters), but they are very much creatures of habit. If they've staked out their territory in one place or another, it can be hard to change their behavior.

One thing you might try is providing them a space to lie and making it comfy with pillows and old blankets. I've sprinkled dry catnip on those surfaces to attract them, and that has worked sometimes.

Cute Debbie!!
(1) Moth balls (2)spray them with water only when they're on the no-no's
these are worked for mine
Cats don't like moth balls....can remove from area once they shy away from it.

I would avoid moth balls...very toxic to cats and other pets!