for those of you whose sewing machine is flush with the table top...
 

especially if you made your own hole in the table...is there a reason that the sewing machine always goes a certain distance back from the front of the table? I'm thinking that it's probably an ergonomic reason, but my other machine was flush with the table and I remember thinking that I'd like a little more room between me and the sewing machine (right now, for the life of me, I can't remember why). My DH will be cutting the hole in the next couple of days and he keeps telling me to make sure it's where I want it.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. I'll check in later tonight. He's locking me in the sewing room today with the table so I can "sit and ponder" to make sure I know how close to the right end of the table I want to be also...

Tartan is right, however you also need enough room between you and the machine to support some of the fabric. I have a Horn cabinet with an insert for my Bernina 440. My machine's needle sits about 8" from the front edge of the cabinet, and that works well for me. I would not want it any closer than that.

Mine sits down in a computer table on a shelf. The front of my Janome 6500 sits 3" from the front edge .... perfect for me.

I just checked my Bernina 1530 which sits in an old Singer sewing desk from the 70s. My needle sits 9" back from the front. Tell your husband when you have decided on a measurement to be sure to "measure TWICE and CUT once". :)

So, 8-9 inches from the needle to the end of the table. Sounds good to me. Thanks all!

I suppose this distance relates to your size. I have short arms nd mine sits t 6" away.

The edge of my machine sits 4 inches from the edge of my machine table. I don't have to reach out to sew and it's not to close either.

The perfect width for me would be to have enough space to set my magnetic pin holder in the front, with a pair of small scissors.

Mine are cut about 4-6 inches back depending on what I use each machine for. My 1600p which I quilt everything for is actually a little closer at 4. I spend more time there in the the same position and leaning too far forward for an hour kills my back.

I agree with the above posts. I'm really short so having the machine too far away, I wouldn't be able to reach the gas pedal! The same is true for good posture. Personally, I like the 4-6 inch distance.

My DH cut an Ikea table I found on CL for $50. I researched and since I'm short I had him cut it 7" from the edge.

Also we measured my Singer 301 and my Singer Featherweight 221 so all three can fit in the table.

Here's a couple pics.

I don't have a hole for my machine (I wish!!), but if you have a knee lift make sure you can still engage that.

I just measured the distance from the base of my 401 in the desk cabinet and it's 7". Will be interesting when I get ready to quilt on it. I still have my portable.

I set the front of my machine 5" from the front edge of the table. Just enough to have support for longer seams and to lay out whatever comes next for chain piecing.

I'm short too and the needle is a lot closer to me than for others. Since you can havea custom made hole, I'd stitch a little with the machine on the top of the cabinent to see what distance is most comfortable for you.

I also have 8" from the front of the desk to the needle. Sometimes I would like to have a little more room, but then I would lean into it more, which is not a good thing

Also, you'll "need" as much room as possible on the table to the left of the machine to help support the weight of anything you're sewing. My serger table is a homemade drop-in table, kinda smallish, and when I have to serge anything, I have to put an extra folding tray table next to it to support what I'm working on.

The best advice I could give is to sit at the table that is to be cut; place your arms as if you would be pushing fabric through. Find a comfortable spot remembering that your lower back will quickly tire if you are leaning into your machine. This measurement will be different for most everyone, and taking the time to get it perfect is time well spent, IMHO.

Failing vision?
MaryKatherine

Hopefully, you don't have a computerized machine because you can't put anything magnetic near it !!!

I agree with Debbie C, I would think it would relate to the length of your forearms. Try sitting at the table with your elbow about 3" from the edge (not on the table). Make a fist and measure from your knuckles to the edge of the table. That would be where I'd want the machine needle to be. For me it's about 10½".

My acrylic extension table has 7" from needle to edge, but I set the whole thing back several inches to compensate when I have to use it.

Don't forget the chair, it makes a difference.

My sewing table has the setback at just over 8 inches from the front, and the right hand side from the right edge to the side of my Bernina 550 is 8 inches as well.[ATTACH=CONFIG]464440[/ATTACH] My Bernina 830LE also will fit in this space, that is why you see the curve a little further to the right as it has a much longer opening. My sewing table in the picture is from SewEzi.

My Janome 6500 Sits the same distance ( 8inches) from the front of the table. The sewing table is a Janome brand.
Perfect for me!

Yep!!!! that should do well:)

Maybe this is a really stupid question, but here goes: does a front loading bobbin machine work in these cutouts or do you have to take the machine out of the hole to change your bobbin? Told you...duh!!

Also, what does the machine sit on if you've cut away the table? (Wow...two dumb questions in one posting...must be a new record for me!)

Anita

The table of your sewing machine cabinet needs to be about 28 inches from the floor to the top of the cabinet or when sitting at your sewing machine your arms for a 90 degree angle when placed on the cabinet. This prevents back and shoulder pain. This comes from a lady that wrote an ergonomic book on this issue as well as being ergonomically correct. All of my cabinets are 28 inches from floor to cabinet top. If your machine sits on a table and not in a cabinet the same remains for ergonomics.

My machine is in its original table and it is 6 inches from the edge of the machine bed to the edge of the table.

And something to lift the back of the machine so the needle area is tilted towards you will make a world of difference! I use rubber door stops because they are 'grippy' and the machine does not come off of them. And they don't mar my cabinet top.

I was wondering about the bobbin thing too. I've almost always had drop in bobbins.

As for what it sits on, you have to make a little shelf under the opening and it has to be the right depth for your machine bed to be level with the table.

Anita, most of the tables you should find or make will usually have a larger than the machine opening.

If you look at the one I made here:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...t216324-2.html
You can see that the insert gets lifted up to change the bobbin (that Pfaff on the page I linked to uses a front loading bobbin) and the bobbin changed then the insert is put back down. I often don't even bother closing the bobbin door, just drop the insert back in place.

The only times I lift the machine out of the opening are:
1. To change machines. In practice, the Pfaff is my go to machine, so it's usually in there, but if I'm trying something else out, or testing a new machine, it will be put aside for a bit.
2. In open arm configuration - sometimes for certain darning or sewing projects to get the work around the arm. Most things though I can just sneak in with the space to the left.
3. If I'm using a -side- load machine, like the featherweight, a 301, or a 15 for instance, I tilt it on the other side to change the bobbin. I still find this easier on my body than sewing with any machine on top of the table though.