Morning wooly mammoths! I knew you weren’t extinct! I just knew it!
More sewing room stuff today, although sharp peepers may be able to spy the dress that I finished this weekend! But, since the cutting table doesn’t have to do his or her hair and get pictures during the late afternoon when the sun is best, all y’all are getting another sewing room update! Plus, I just finished edging the table last night and Mr. Bug helped me put up the lighting, so I’m super stoked!
Going clockwise around the cutting table, I’ve got one of my FAVORITE parts of the new sewing nook! Project baskets! And a cutting station-type-area.
Let’s go look at the utility fabric, shall we? Man, oh man, do I have a lot of white fabric!
This side is another Closetmaid cube with all of my white and off-white non-garment making (almost) fabrics.
I had a really hard time figuring out how to organize (and identify!) all this stuff! Here’s what I ended up doing.
Let’s go look at the pressing side!
I set up all the stuff I’d need for pressing on this side, close to an outlet for the iron.
Over to the left I have three bins for interfacing – one each for fusible, sew in and all of my silk organza (well, I have it in black or white…) In the center top I have my tailor’s ham, then underneath that my glue gun which obviously isn’t a pressing tool, but DOES need electricity, so I thought this was a good home for it. On the right I have a home for the iron, then a basket with strips of fusible interfacing that I’ve cut on the bias along with my steam a seam. You mammoths all know how much I love that stuff! Underneath that is my spray starch and lint roller.
You can also see all the way to the left my awesome hanging bars!
Here’s a close up. These are utility drawer handles – you get them at the hardware store with the hinges and doorstops – NOT with the fancy cabinet handles. I like these kind because the screws attach from the outside, not from the inside like most fancy door handles. I got a package of S hooks from Ikea and these make a perfect spot to hang my spray bottle and pressing cloths. I feel particularly clever as I have two muslin pressing cloths – one is all gunky from the glue from interfacing and I sewed a different colored ribbon loop onto that one so I know which is which without having to grope them.
As I said above, I used the same handle on the cutting side of the table to hand my scissors and rotary cutter. I also hung my flexible tape measure over that and if I EVER recover my tailor’s ham, I’ll probably include a hanging loop so I can hang that here on this side as well!
Construction and cost
I thought I should include a few notes if any of you would like to make the same sort of cutting table. First, here’s the materials list and cost.
4 x 8 melamine sheet from Home Depot ($35) – I had them cut down to 36″ x 59″ which gives me a 4.5″ overhang on each short end.
A roll of melamine tape to finish the cut edges ($15) – This stuff is super easy to use, you just iron it on!
(3) Closetmaid cube units ($35 each/$105 total) – we got ours on sale, I think they are normally $40 or $45
(10) Closetmaid fabric sqares ($8 for a set of 2/$40 total) – we got ours on sale, they are normally $12 for two
(2) Antonius units with desktops ($54)
(2) Utility handles ($5 each/$10 total)
Bag of S-hooks from Ikea ($1)
Screws – two bags of 1″ #12 screws to attach the top to the sides ($1) and a few spares to attach the handles to the unit
Total cost $261
Now for the building, it was fairly easy. As far as tools, we used our drill and electric screwdriver, a mallet, an iron, and that was about it. I wasn’t quite sure how to attach everything, and in the end we attached two of the Closetmaid cubes – the ones on the short ends – with screws to the top and we just slid the side Closetmaid in after we got it right side up. I figured that the weight over everything would stabilize it quite well and I just wanted to keep the top from sliding off. My preference was to NOT have screws showing on the cutting top, if possible.
We laid the melamine down on the floor, then placed the first Closetmaid unit on top of that, 4.5″ from the edge (to create the overhang.) We drilled holes through the Closetmaid unit to the table top. The holes were about 1″ deep (the Closetmaid stuff is 1/2″ thick, the melamine top is 3/4″ thick) and marked that depth on the drill bit with a bit of painters tape. We drilled two holes in the front of the side cubbies and two holes in the back of the center cubby so there are six screws attaching each unit to the table.
After we attached the first unit I measured to make sure there was enough clearance to fit in the side units. And then I measured again. I BARELY left enough space to get that third unit in, so I should have measured a third time!! Then we attached the other end with six screws. After that we very, very carefully ‘rolled’ it to its side, then upright. The melamine top is tough, but those Closetmaid units are a bit thin and I was scared that we’d break them! Once upright it’s pretty easy to move around, as long as you hold on to the Closetmaid units and not the top!
Off I go, but before I do, thanks to Diary of a Renaissance Seamstress for her great inspiration!
I love the font that you use on your blog. Do you mind sharing what it is? (hot off the press, archives, text at the bottom of the page,etc.)
THANKS
this is looking SO cool. i almost hate to come by for the sheer envy of it!!!
oonaballoona recently posted..hair of the dog
I know I’m always saying that I don’t mind sewing in the middle of my dining room, where I can keep an eye on the kiddo and watch tv, and it’s all true.
Where that starts to break down, however, is when I see cutting tables. Oh, my kingdom for a cutting table! I cut on the floor, which means, with two dogs and one toddler, that I have to cut on the fly at odd hours, mostly late at night. Also, I usually sew a good amount of dog hair right into my sewing projects. And learning over things on the floor, furtively cutting before the lil’ ones figure out what I’m up to hurts my back. So yes, I would love a cutting table. Lovely lovely.
Inder recently posted..Two (!) Protect & Serve Aprons for my pals.
I am drooling over this! I don’t have an IKEA anywhere close–sigh. I esp like the pressing side–I need to figure something out similar for my situation. My sewing table is a large “board” affixed to the top of a 9-drawer dresser. Patterns (100s!) and small stuff are in the drawers; the tabletop overhangs the “back side” of the dresser and that’s where my machines sit. I sit on that side to sew. Sorry for the long reply, but in case y’all haven’t thought of it before, a dresser is a wonderful thing to attach a tabletop to (works in the kitchen as a storage island, too!).
That’s an awesome idea! What is your table top made from? And how does it not overturn your dresser? That seems precarious!!
Patty The Snug Bug recently posted..Finally! A finished…. tote bag?
The tabletop (made of sanded and glossy-painted 1/2″ plywood with that iron-on edging) completely covers the dresser top (18″ deep) and overhangs the back only 12″. The plywood is secured to the dresser with screws screwed in from underneath so as not to leave any snaggy places on top. I have three braced L-brackets under the overhang for support. I thought of putting legs on the corners, but I haven’t needed them (that would eliminate any tipping, however). It supports my sewing machine and my serger well, and I don’t lean on that side, of course. =) The dresser is about 7 ft long and heavy (esp when it’s full). I had a smaller one in my kitchen once; that one had wood corbels on the ends to support the tabletop. My experience has been if the overhang is not excessive and the dresser is heavy, you don’t have to worry about tipping.
coming along so nicely, but the question of the day is What Did We Do Before IKEA?
Corinne recently posted..Mary Jane’s Raw Edge Circles
I just asked the same thing of a neighbor who redid her sewing room with lots of ikea stuff! Along the same lines, I noticed a lot of crafty stuff in the Ikea catalog that came out last week and the Ikea by our house just redid all their upstairs displays and there are sewing machines involved! They apparently decided to acknowledge they are the official outfitters of sewing rooms!
Patty The Snug Bug recently posted..Finally! A finished…. tote bag?
Your sewing command center is coming along nicely. You are super organized! What did you decide to do for a pressing surface?
Mr. Bug and I went to Home Depot last night and came back with the makings to upholster a 2′ x 4′ piece of MDF (the most I can lift!) I REALLY wanted to cover the whole surface, but the MDF would have been pretty pricey, so I decided to upholster a smaller piece first and see how I like – I can always upgrade later!
Patty The Snug Bug recently posted..Finally! A finished…. tote bag?
I wonder if it could be mounted to a wall on hinges with fold down legs for support. It probably would not be easy to anchor on the basement walls, but just a thought. You two are working so hard and it is really going to pay off!
well… my original goal was to only have ONE surface (to save space) – but I’ve realized I’ll still need an real, live ironing board sometimes to iron skirts!
Outstanding!! I love the Renaissance seamstress’ link too! Thanks for sharing.
Px
Portia recently posted..Boys will be boys…..
I know, right? Her link is so great! It’s been a super inspiration for me!
Patty The Snug Bug recently posted..Finally! A finished…. tote bag?
Love it, that is a fab table, so nice to be able to walk all the way around it for working on the fabric/ altering patterns etc.! I especially love the use of the utility handles – very clever
And I totally blame you for mine & Hubby’s visit to IKEA last night LOL
We shelled out for a new 2metre long table + legs for my sewing machine + serger to live on, plus drawers, shelves, another Expedit unit + other small bits. Plus… we’re going back tonight to buy the Broder system to store my fabric stash!
P.S. Re: cutting mat – any plans to get a bigger one… after all you’ve an enormous table to keep it on now
Claire (aka Seemane) recently posted..‘SewSimple’ – New Patterns by Simplicity
yay! We have the broder stuff in our garage – I LOVE it!! I’d have liked to use that for my sewing nook, but am trying to avoid putting anything on the walls!
And on the cutting mat – I’ve been looking! I’d sort of like to spring for the self healing but (A) egad! the cost! and (B) the size closest to my table is 1″ too LONG!!
I’m trying to decide between the nice self healing or the still nice but not perfect white ones that aren’t self healing. That’s what we have at the shop, and they’re FINE, but, you know. Only the best for me (where, or where, is my sarcasm font??)
How’s your new stuff! Is it set up and in place?
Patty The Snug Bug recently posted..Finally! A finished…. tote bag?
Hi Patty!
Re: the cutting mat that is too long by 1″ – I wonder if you could cut it down to size? Maybe if the mat was laid on top of some scrap wood – so that the wood cover the full-length of the line to be cut-off, then if you were to put a long metal ruler on it and taped the ruler down so that it doesn’t move, you might be able to cut through it with a craft knife? You wanted to go down that route, then could test that method on a really small cutting-mat cheaply to try it out? I’ve bought A4 (approx. ‘Letter’ size) and sometimes A5 (which is exactly half A4 size) at cheap little £1 stores – maybe there’s an equivalent you could pick up too? (Or the present eBay – cutting mats LOL!)
Or if you decide to wait for your Birthday
… then there’s always this store : http://www.cutting-mats.net they make custom sized mats!!
Claire (aka Seemane) recently posted..‘SewSimple’ – New Patterns by Simplicity
Oh I nearly forgot to say re: my own sewing-space stuff! What with all the troubles in London these last few days we decided not to drive out to IKEA this week (we have to drive through some of the tricky areas to get there
)
And, sadly a few of our purchases from this Sunday are missing bits – or need swapping over so I’m itching to get them built and use them – but I can’t *sighs*. But hopefully we’ll be going next Sunday during the daytime instead
Claire (aka Seemane) recently posted..Boy Can I Shop!
your sewing area is looking really nice!
I made a table similar to yours a few years ago, and it has been great. I left the 2 sides open so 2 peoples can seat at the table, mini-me likes to help!
yours is looking better than nime, I needs to change the color of my old fabric buckets!
Morgane recently posted..Back from France and GBD
I can totally see that in the future I might move the Antonius units out and stack ‘em into a tower so this is a sittable table. I have a stool sitting by the table for perching – my mom has bum knees, and stools are easier for her to manage!
I really like my neutral fabric cubes! When I was buying everything I was starting to get bored (white, white, oatmeal, beige, white, white) but now that it’s together I’m glad I went so neutral – the fabric and trim provide enough color for us all!
Patty The Snug Bug recently posted..Finally! A finished…. tote bag?