Decorating and sorting my sewing room.

[annenet]

After a lot of hunting for the perfect cutting table I got the Koala Craft Center. It wasn't cheap but it's really well made and has wheels. Also a lot of storage. I would recommend one if you have to roll it away like I do. My cutting area is the upstairs foyer. Mine is white so it doesn't conflict with the real wood furniture in my sewing room.

[vtmartha]

I have a table very similar to the Koala one.  It has an oak frame and a white laminate top.  There are two drawers which open from either side, rather than shelves which admittedly store more.  I love the way I can roll it here and there which makes cutting on it ever so easy.  Putting casters on the legs of your Ikea one might raise it to a more comfortable height, Ruthie.

[BetsyV]

I have this one. I didn't need storage on it, but I did need it to fold down and roll out of my way. I got it for $15 from someone on Craigs List about a year ago.

Often it isn't long enough, so I line up my ironing board to the same height to hold the weight of the fabric that doesn't fit onto the table. It's smaller than my enormous cutting mat so I often the ironing board "extension" to prop up the overhang of that too. It is much better than the dining room table, which is oval, and a terrible height for me. The floor is bad for my back too, although if it's just a quick knit top, sometimes I just throw the cardboard folding cutting surface on the floor and cut out there. I am usually sorry though.

Ruthie I am surprised at how you positioned your desk. Will your pressing surface be right there or will you constantly have to get up and walk around the end of the desk to get to the pressing surface? I think I would have turned the desk so that the outside edge was against the wall/into the corner/and facing the window. Then you can just push away from the desk and access the rest of your room without dodging furniture.

[Ann]

It is looking good Ruthie. You will enjoy a cutting table. I have one which I like but need to get bed risers for it to be a couple of inches higher. I am long waisted and need kitchen counter height to cut out on or my back really hurts. I have no storage in my cutting table which is okay with me. Never had a chance to miss it.

I do like the size of  your desk for sewing on. I got the one at the bottom in white. It will hold my sewing machine and 5 thread serger. I will have a table set  up for another embroidery machine I am wanting to buy.  I bought this one as it has a larger sewing space for when I am quilting.

I will keep watch on how you set up your room. And all the while dream of my new sewing room.

Edited: Betsy, that is exactly the same cutting table as I have. I find it big enough for cutting out western shirts but would probably have to use an extension if I had to cut out yards of fabric. That I haven't had to do yet. I bought two of them for a school and we used the classroom tables to put the extra fabric onto when the girls were cutting out two piece suits as part of their course work. It worked out well.

Ann

[msplantladi]

Great idea on lining up the ironing board to your cutting table!!! After I read that I am wondering why I didn't think of that before...Thanks for sharing.
  Ruthie I have been out of town for the past week, how is your room coming along?
Have a great sunday ladies, I am off to see what I have missed while I was away.
dee
cedar city ut.

[Karendee]

Betsy,

i have the same cutting table as you, but it is much too short for my height. I thought of risers, but that would defeat the idea of the table being on rollers. Any good suggestions out there? I need at least 4 inches  increased height to be "right."

Karen

[momadams]

I wonder if there's some way to raise it at the top - a board on blocks?
Shari

[DeniseM]

annenet, I have the exact cutting table in white also. I got mine at a discount after one of the expos because it was used as a floor model. It's a great surface and being short, it's a good height for me. I also have the Horn cabinet with the drawers and spot for my serger on the side. Mine is kind of old but it's still in remarkably good condition given how often it's been moved.

[annenet]

Even though I'm tall this works as a good height - much better than a bed or the dining room table!

[msplantladi]

I posted my idea yesterday but I don't see it [yes computer challenged] I am going to take a old wooden dresser w/ nice deep drawers add wheels & a full sheet of plywood cut & hinged so it folds in half so I can push the whole unit up against the wall in my sewing rm as I just can't make a item on the bed or floor it kills my back. I also tried to post pics yesterday and was told the file was to big, which I don't understand cause the same pics go through e-mail just fine.
  I so enjoy reading everyones ideas.
Have a great monday
dee
cedar city ut.

[sdBev]

.., which I don't understand cause the same pics go through e-mail just fine.
  I..

Dee

your email program may have different limits.  i.e. I can attach more pictures to my email using my Yahoo account than my DH can using his google account.  It's the size of the picutures that matter.  Pictures posted to SG cannot exceed 350k, also when posting 2 or 3 pictures, all pictures cannot have a combined size of more that 350K.    I get the same error you do and then the SG board won't let me edit.  It says I've already posted a reply.  I have to exit, go fiddle around some place elsewhere for 5 minutes and then repost.  I think there is some glitch there and since I've found a work-around (reading a different topic and then posting a second time), I've never reported the problem to the admins. 

[msplantladi]

Not wanting to cut fabric on the bed or floor anymore is what started this whole reorganization task ......oh why can't I just be happy w/ what I have instead of creating more work for myself....it will be better when I am done though...IT WILL, IT WILL...he he The hardest part is waiting for someone to help me. I remember when I was younger I got a brain storm and flew with it....not anymore....another grrr of the aging process.
dee
cedar city ut.
p.s. is there a place on the message board that explains how to add pics...I keep getting a "FILE TO BIG" message.

[fzxdoc]

Hi Dee (msplantladi), go here to read about how to add pictures to any of your posts:

FAQ on adding photos to posts

You can try your hand at uploading photos in the Sandbox topic. It's a great place where you can try out features on posts without fear of messing up one of your "real" posts on this topic or any others. Here is a link to the Sandbox topic.  One of us administrators is almost always around to help you out there if you need it, so give photo posting a try!

click here to go to the Sandbox topic for trying out photoposting or other things

See you in the Sandbox! 

Kathryn

[cmarie12]

have the same cutting table as you, but it is much too short for my height. I thought of risers, but that would defeat the idea of the table being on rollers. Any good suggestions out there? I need at least 4 inches  increased height to be "right."

Karen,

I have the same table but I put my table top over a basket system from Ikea.  It lost it's ability to roll around but it became so much more functional with the storage added to it!


Full View


Table Top

[vtmartha]

Carolyn, I have similar basket systems although they are made by Elfa.  They make casters which fit into plugs on the bottoms, giving the units mobility.  I can't tell from your photo whether your frames have the same plugs, but it looks as though they might.

[msplantladi]

Hi Dee (msplantladi), go here to read about how to add pictures to any of your posts:

FAQ on adding photos to posts

You can try your hand at uploading photos in the Sandbox topic. It's a great place where you can try out features on posts without fear of messing up one of your "real" posts on this topic or any others. Here is a link to the Sandbox topic.  One of us administrators is almost always around to help you out there if you need it, so give photo posting a try!

click here to go to the Sandbox topic for trying out photoposting or other things

See you in the Sandbox! 

Kathryn

Thank-you!!!!!!!!!!!
dee

[Lisa]

Hi dee and sdBev!

We really encourage you to link to your photos elsewhere (method #2 on the FAQ on adding photos to posts which Kathryn gave you), instead of "uploading" them here.

There are a number of advantages to direct-linking:

1.  Direct-linked images aren't limited to a total of 350KB per post.  Uploaded images cannot exceed 350 KB per post.

2.  Your direct-linked image won't be subject to deletion after 30 days. Images that are uploaded and "attached" here (method #3 on the FAQ post) are subject to deletion.

3.  You can add as many direct-linked images as you like to a single post.  The number of uploaded images is limited.  During the recent swap contest, the limit was raised to three, but it will soon return to one per post.

As Kathryn said, we encourage you to practice in the Sandbox...just open the FAQ directions in a separate window so that you can consult them as you practice. 

Have fun! 

Lisa

[Liana]

One more point to consider about linking vs uploading photos.

It costs SG nothing when you link a photo.  But, we have to use our bandwidth when you upload.  I've noticed some uploaded photos lately that are actually from other websites.  Absolutely the only reason to upload a photo is because you don't have a photosite of your own.  Since there are multiple FREE photosites available for you to use, there's really no reason not to have one.  Just go to Flickr, Webshots, Photobucket, Picasa, etc. and do it.  One other great thing about this is that if (heaven forbid) something happens to your computer,  your photos will still be on the photo site, waiting for you to download them to a new hard drive.  Ask me how I know this.    What a relief.

Anyway, we're not up against our bandwidth limit here yet, but since we exist on donations and volunteers, let's not spend your money needlessly.     

[Confectioner]

Liana, I'm glad you explained that.  I will try to use a photo site the next time I want to post a photo.

[msplantladi]

Liana..ok the light bulb in my head just went off...lol..for some reason your explanation cleared it up for me. OK now a silly newbie question. I use adobe to download my pics and that's pretty much where they stay until I want to print or download/upload to a site, except this one...cause it doesn't seem to work. Is adobe not the right kind of site?
Thank-you so much for your patients.
Dee

[Lisa]

Liana..ok the light bulb in my head just went off...lol..for some reason your explanation cleared it up for me. OK now a silly newbie question. I use adobe to download my pics and that's pretty much where they stay until I want to print or download/upload to a site, except this one...cause it doesn't seem to work. Is adobe not the right kind of site?
Thank-you so much for your patients.
Dee

Hi Dee,

I'm not Liana, but I think we're going to need more information to answer your question.  Let me leap in with some probably silly questions to try to clarify. 

When you say you "use adobe to download your pics" I'm not sure what you mean by "adobe."  Adobe is a software company which makes Photoshop, Acrobat, Photoshop Elements, Photoshop Express  and many others.  Do you mean one of their software products?  If so, which one?  If not, what do you mean?

When you say you "use adobe to download your pics" I'm not sure what you mean by "download."  Normally, I think of downloading as getting something from a website to my local computer, but the context (that's pretty much where they stay until I want to print or download/upload to a site) suggests you mean you've uploaded them from your local computer to an on-line site where you keep them.  Could you tell me where the images start and where they end up in the download process you're referring to?

When you say "Is adobe not the right kind of site?", are you referring to Photoshop.com?

Sorry to ask so many questions...

Lisa

[msplantladi]

Lisa sorry its taken me awhile to get back here, its been a busy week for me, still working on reorganizing the sew station.
  Yes I use adobe photoshop to transfer my pics from my camera to the computer. Its called Adobe Photoshop Start Edition.In the past I just go to Abode Photo Shop hightlight the pic I want to post to e-mail, message board or whatever, copy n paste the properties address and upload & magicly its there. I think I may have already tired but will try again to go back and resize the pic I want to share here on this message board.
Sorry I am not very much of a computer guru and I do apprecaite the help.
dee

[Lisa]

Hi Dee,

No problem! (it took me a while to get back to you too...)

Ok, got it.   You've been keeping the photo files on your computer and then physically putting a copy of the file in the e-mails, etc.  If you take a look at our discussion of "how to get your picture to us", you've been using "method 3" (see the "how to" discussion), which is not the best method for posting here. 

We strongly rec comend that you instead use method 2, direct linking (aka, "hot linking").  You'll need to establish an account at a photo-hosting site (see the note at the bottom of the "how to" on photo-hosting sites).  Note that there are free accounts at a number of photohosting sites--let us know if you have questions about how to use them and then link to your photos there, so that they appear in your posts.   The best place to continue this conversation is in the "Sandbox" where we can discuss photoposting without interrupting the discussion here.

HTH,

Lisa

[msplantladi]

Lisa I do have a Photobucket Account [i think thats what it is called] will that work?
Boy learning the site, learning the embroidery machine,teaching myself different sewing techniques...my poor old brain is over loaded.
thanks for everyones patience's.
dee
cedar city ut.

[Lisa]

Lisa I do have a Photobucket Account [i think thats what it is called] will that work?
Boy learning the site, learning the embroidery machine,teaching myself different sewing techniques...my poor old brain is over loaded.
thanks for everyones patience's.
dee
cedar city ut.

Dee, your photobucket account will do beautifully.  When you allow your cursor to hover over one of your pictures, you'll see four separate windows of code.  You want to copy the one labeled "IMG Code" , and paste it here...this line will already have the IMG Codes called for around the image (you don't need to use any of the buttons above the edit window!   Here's an example pulled from my photobucket account:



Let me know if you need help or if you have questions.

Lisa

[msplantladi]

Ahhhhh gotta ya Lisa thanks so much...pretty pic too
dee
cedar city ut.