Slick surface for FMQ
 

I just got a new Horn sewing cabinet and am loving it! DH helped me cover the top with some marble-look vinyl which is quite a bit smoother than the surface of the cabinet. I'm thinking it will help a lot when I go to FMQ without having to use other methods. I'm not sure how durable it will be, as it's only shelf paper, but it will peel right off. If I find it damages too easily, I will see if I can get some heavier-duty vinyl; or go back to the drawing board. We got it at Lowe's, and it cost under $7, so no big expense if it doesn't work out.

Since the picture was taken, we have covered the other two surfaces.

a nice set up

I hope it doesn't damage cabinet surface and hope it works for you, but I could never do that to my beautiful Horn.

I love the way you've used that storage under the Horn, and the way you lined the front of the drawers. I would love to do that with my cabinet, but the back is against the wall. Now I'm going to think about how I might rearrange things....

We tested it before applying it to be sure it would remove without damaging the original surface. I personally like the look better, so if it provides the smooth surface for FMQ and doesn't get damaged too easily, I think I'm going to love it. The jury is still out.

Just thought I'd post the idea here to see what others think. Thanks for your input.

We tested it before applying it to be sure it would remove without damaging the original surface. I personally like the look better; so if it provides the smooth surface for FMQ and doesn't get damaged too easily, I think I'm going to love it. The jury is still out.

I didn't think I was going to have room to leave the large leaf open, but we moved a book-case-divider over a few inches and schmoozed it in. Hope you can get a different arrangement with yours. Sometimes taking a different look at the space helps a lot.

A friend of mine has a similar cabinet and was complaining that it took up so much room when she wanted it to double as a guest room. I suggested that she turn it 90 degrees so that she could put the leaf down when she had guests. She had never thought about that, and when she did, she loved it. Just a different set of eyes sometimes!

Makes me think about my arrangement perhaps I could do the 90 degree thing too!!! Thank you for the inspiration!!!

I hope you have great success with your new cabinet and marble-like surface. Your sewing area looks neat and tidy.

That looks wonderful !!!

I just rotated my cabinet 90 degrees, moved some other things around, and I think I'm going to like it this way. It's now easier to reach things in my bookcases, and the room seems a little more spacious. I don't have storage containers that fit so nicely under the back of the cabinet, so I'm not using that space as efficiently as you are, but I think this may work out anyway. Thanks for the suggestion!

I just was thinking to protect the stick down topping you could go to a store like Wal-Mart and buy some clear plastic sheeting. It is crystal clear and comes in wide widths about 5 ft. and different thickness. You can use it for sliding around your quilts. It is very slick. I am going to make my top cover with it.

I purchased heavy duty vinyl at WM to use and it worked wonderfully.

Great ideas here. More heads are better than one.

Great idea! How did you get it to stick to the table?

My idea with the vinyl is that it provides the slick surface without adding anything else. So far I've been careful with it, and it's holding up well. I've spent a lot of time in the studio the last couple of days, so it's getting a workout.

Glad to hear it's working for you. I got the plastic 2 drawer sets from Target for only $20 each, so $60 investment. Not too much for some great storage. Still, I realize that some people are on a tighter budget.

I didn't show the other side of the room. LOL It kind of exploded! It's in better shape at the moment, but has some craftermath since I spent a lot of time there yesterday!