Please share your Homemade/repurposed sewing tables!
 

I would love to see your homemade or repurposed sewing tables! Bonus points if the machine is recessed into it. I really need a lower table for sewing at, and of course a recessed machine would be quite handy. But as always I'm in a budget so a several hundred dollar table is no where in my future. My hubby is handy so I am going to have him rime something up from home depot parts or a thrift store find. Show me yours!

My DH is in the process of making me a table to recess one of my sewing machines. As yet, it is not finished and I do not have photos yet. Like me in quilting, he has lots of segmented wood bowls he is designing and has in progress so not sure when the table will be done. He is just using hardware from Home Depot and wood. Will post when he gets it done but it may be a while.

Son 1 did a remodel on a desk I got from Craigslist for $15 bucks. He used a Dremel Trio to cut and do part of the sanding.

I lost the center drawer and the top right drawer because of the machine setting down in the desk. He screwed a piece of wood across the end on the inside and use a board to support the machine. There's a small stack of wood in the center drawer screwed down to the drawer to support that end of the machine.

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This is an inexpensive, non-permanent, easy DIY solution - watch both parts (the 2nd deals with FMQ/large quilts), probably costing under $50, and no power tools required.

Part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g14govA4pIM

Part 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAS25v3ZTk0


This was posted in an earlier thread on the same subject - look at the ALL that room to the left and back of the machine - just cut the whole and built a box for the machine.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...ml#post5584002

Depends on the amount of space you have to put a table, and whether it can stay out permanently or has to/can be put away at times.

My problem with that is, I'm short. With the machine on top of the table I ended up sewing with my shoulders hunched up because my hands weren't level with the sewing surface. Lowering my machine has really made a difference in how long I can sew at that machine.

We all need to do what works for ourselves ... and our body!

I can hunch up my shoulders so easily too ... even with my sewing machine recessed. My solution was an adjustable drafting chair which lets me sit a little higher than normal, and keeps my shoulders down in place better.

Of course, if you are short, sitting higher, may not work for your foot to touch the pedal.

That's my problem. My machine sets on my dining room table & I use the dining room chair. A cushion and an Isometics blow-up cushion raise me high enough so I don't hunch my shoulders & can still reach the foot pedal.

Got two old computer desk ( is what I call them) from thrift store with a recessed place where key board went. This makes my machine even with table top. They are square about 4ft. by 4ft. and the two of them together makes for plenty of room for quilt to left of one. So now have 2 machines set up.

My hubby modified a dining table for me. I've shared it before...here's the link again. There's more pics on page 5.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...on-t76568.html

I absolutely love sewing at this table :)

My son used pieces we bought at Home Depot and he made me this table. I had to add PVC pipe to the bottom of the legs to make it just the right height for me.

We found this farm table at a yard sale for $50. My DH cut it out so my machine could be dropped into it. I had a plexi glass table for my machine that I had been using, so that went onto the table. He followed Eleanor Burns tutorial. I love it and my shoulders don't hurt anymore.[ATTACH=CONFIG]370109[/ATTACH]
I know how to attach pics if I start a thread, but I don't think I did it right attaching it to a post reply.

DH manages a Rent-A-Center store and when they just finished their remodel, he saved me his old computer display. It's really solid and the perfect height with my computer chair. He also saved me a tall table for my cutting mat so that I don't have to bend to do my cutting. The tall table is 36"x30" and that's the exact size of my cutting mat!

My repurposed sewing table was once used as a cafeteria table for an old no longer in existence Post Office employee's cafeteria. It is 8 feet long and 3 feet wide. Plus it's table top is further laminated coated for protection from hot plates and food plates plus hot irons & water bottle mist sprays as I iron on it directly as well at times when I don't use my table top ironing board also on the table beside the sewing machine a short distance away. My Janome sewing machine is sewing a recent quilt on top of my "sewing table" below. You will see a small part of the table top very clearly and get an idea of it's width with the quilt in production at the time that this photo was take (at least I hope you do). Plus another pure silk teal colored mini quilt I did some time ago (photographed on the same table discussed here). I have been using this table for over 30 years.

Same problem here, so I hacked about eight inches off the legs of my table! (Gotta love using old furniture which owes you nothing!) I showed my DIY sewing table in http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...m-t202660.html, if you want to check it out there.

Alison

i love this!
 

[QUOTE=Scissor Queen;5587312]Son 1 did a remodel on a desk I got from Craigslist for $15 bucks. He used a Dremel Trio to cut and do part of the sanding.

I lost the center drawer and the top right drawer because of the machine setting down in the desk. He screwed a piece of wood across the end on the inside and use a board to support the machine. There's a small stack of wood in the center drawer screwed down to the drawer to support that end of the machine.

I have seen these desks before and just love the look of them. I'll bet you just love going into your sewing area and seeing it also! Nice! Wish i could find one like it to repurpose!!

Oh wow, this is exactly what I need!

I love the farm tables... I think I will start watching cl and gw for one.

Thank you everyone! Suh great ideas here. I can't wait to see more.

From Lee Valley Tools, you can get a lifting and lowering table which you can bolt into a sewing machine cabinet, the lowering and lifting table is adjustable for any sewing machine. I went to a business that replaces windshields on vehicles,
and measured the hole in my sewing table, and took along my sewing machine to them, and they cut a pieces of plexiglass to fit into the space around my sewing machine. It was very inexpensive to do - I think the plexiglass piece was about $15 and the Lifting table $50. I don't know how to post pics on QB or I would send you a pic.

Check out http://www.Leevalleytools.com
for the lift table.

I hope this helps you out.

Here's the correct link to the Sewing Machine Lift ($169):
http://www.leevalley.com/US/hardware...21&cat=3,48759

And a similar (or the same) mechanism, the Rockler ($149) here:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2&site=ROCKLER

I posted this just the other day for someone that was looking for a table.[ATTACH=CONFIG]370206[/ATTACH]

At Goodwill, I found the homemade top in a L shape that someone had used for a computer table with Formica on it. Nice and big too. I nailed some 2x4's on the wall to fasten the top too. Works great and I could have it the perfect height for me with my machine setting on top of it.

http://moosestashquilting.blogspot.c...ere-i-sew.html

You inspired me to write a blog post. I have to say, I do love my table! :)

Thanks for sharing ... it looks like a great table top to work on.

However, do you not knock your knees when you are sewing? Or do you stand to sew?

My friend gave me an old desk and another friend used a shelf I already had to support the machine after he cut the space for my machine. I ,too, lost the center drawer but still have the rest. Love it and it's just the right size. My cutting table is made from a dog grooming table left over from when I was showing Lhasas' in the 80's. I used bed raisers to get the height right and a 40x40 piece of plywood on top covered with contac paper to smooth it out. It gives me plenty of space for cutting and holding "stuff". As I'm only 5' tall all now work without hurting my back.

Here is my Janome 9000 in a repurposed featherweight table in our 5th wheel trailer.
http://kalamaquilts.blogspot.com/200...my-throat.html

This is the Janome 7700 in a repurposed heavy banquet table.

The difference in using a set-in machine and a table top one is night and day.

I love mine. Modified a cheap Ikea dining table myself.

Thanks gang! Now I have the ITCH for a new table! Mine is a large computer table with a recessed part for the keyboard but that is where my machine sits. This only cost me $15 bucks at the GW store a couple of years ago.
BUT... I actually toom my machine to a sewing class just recently and realized how steady and solid that table was compared to my vibrating thing! That was the first itch I had. Now I really got it bad. Guess I know what I'll be doing
soon.

Great comments on using dining table. My sewing table made for me by an uncle when I was a teenager (1950's). My mother gave me the of a bow window in our dining room for my sewing area. The cabinet has very heavy drawers as entire cabinet made out of 3/4 inch plywood. Have wanted a lighter cabinet for years. DH can do anything with a saw and hammer but somehow we haven't tackled this project. Now after shoulder surgery I find I have to careful. If new table used, I would miss the drawers but figure I could use a basket set-up on wheels. Other side of my sewing room is computer area.

trying to post a picture but cannot for the life of me find the "icon" that looks like a tree to click on - help

SUPER job on the table! Is that Henrietta Whiskers that you are working on? Sew cute :)

trying one more time - got kicked off site trying to correct my own reply now trying under Manage Attachments but takes so-o-o- long - of course I have dial-up which is a pain in itself! Decided to drag photo from my own Photo file - we'll see what happened. Forgive me all, but I really enjoyed this subject. /Users/anne/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/2012/Sewing Table/GEDC0772.JPG

My husband finally inset my machine into the kitchen counter we bought at a yard sale for $30, which sits on a low file cabinet ($30 at a rummage sale) and rails nailed to the studs in the walls. I love it! I'm going to take a picture to post. I used to use an extension table made of foam (posted pics of that already) but this is the perfect height for me so I no longer have to sit so high and keep my pedal on a stool. My neck and back thank him!

You can inset your table into any surface. He used a drill bit to make holes at the corners, then sawed out the wood with a jigsaw and sanded it. He saved the cut-out piece to put brackets on so I can set it back in the hole to use with my other machines. btw there is a special jigsaw blade that will not ruin the formica if you use this idea. The counter is very sturdy, it is 1 1/8" thick! The machine sits in a wire basket screwed under the counter with a thin board and rubber shelf lining placed in it. No shake, no noise.

My Nana's old kitchen table with drop leaf for even more room on the left, my old kitchen table at the back, old typewriter table for machine and Sew Steady insert to level it all up! Plastic drawers go under Nana's table and 2" landscape tile on the floor allows me to reach the pedal while the office chair is raised!! Poverty is the mother of invention too!

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Thank you and yes, I started out with the BOM of Henrietta Whiskers but after 2 blocks it became an UFO. I took the two blocks and made a fall tote using the Cantebury FQs from Connecting Threads. Does that it mean it's not an UFO anymore?:o Here's a pic of the front and back of tote.[ATTACH=CONFIG]370349[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]370344[/ATTACH]

Ooops! Sorry, I didn't know the pics were going to be that large.

I too use a computer table, mine's about 5 feet long and at least 3 feet wide with the drop down for the computer keyboard. The machine fits perfectly there or I can leave it up for a smooth top.

I bought an l-shaped computer table, did not install keyboard drawer, and I have a surface to work on that has room for two machines to be active at any one time--all I have to do is turn to whichever of the sides has the machine I'm using at the time.

more important to me is a comfortable chair. I bought a nice high-backed desk chair that is very soothing to my back.

What an interesting thread. Thanks for psting misskira.

I use our old dining room table for my sewing table. It is just the right height for me. However, I cannot recess the machine into it.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...22-cabinet.jpg

My DH built this for me. I love it!

Wow Lyncat!!! I have major major major cabinet envy!!!!