Sewing table advice

[theladyrebecca]

I've been trying to plan my new sewing room, and the one thing I really want to add is a cutting table. I have a drop leaf kind I got at a garage sale, but I want a permanent one with storage underneath. Also, and this is the big thing, I want one that is appropriately tall for me. I figured out that I think I want one about 43" tall. Now, I figure that at least about 1.5" of this will be the table surface - My plan is to have a hard wooden surface that has been covered in cotton batting and that silver ironing board stuff, and covered over with a layer of fabric (probably canvas, but I haven't decided yet). I do most of my cutting with scissors, not the rotary cutter, and this way, I can pin fabrics and patterns down to the table surface, When I want to use the rotary cutter, I'll just put my cutting mat on top of the table.

However, that still leaves about 40-41" of height that need to be filled in. When I go online, it seems that the majority of people use the Ikea Kallax (previously Expedit) system. And I love my Expedit giant wall unit. But that's only 30" tall and wide, because it's just a 2x2. (I also want my table to be about 36"x60"). A lot of other people use the Closetmaid system from Target. But even that is only 36" tall. I suppose I could find leg or wheel pieces to put on, but I feel like 5" of leg a) wastes space that could be used as storage, and b) makes the table a lot less sturdy (especially because the Closetmaid system looks a lot less sturdy than the Kallax units anyway.

So the question is - how do I (easily) build/assemble a taller-than-normal cutting table? I would also love pictures/links to anyone else's cutting table, for inspiration. 

Comments

[sadievale.livejournal.com]

You can put the Kallax on wheels (castors) but that will only give you a few more inches, probably not quite enough. You can also another layer of bookshelf or something in between your board and the Kallax if you go that route (think a 6-8" wooden bookshelf you can screw/nail into the Kallax and the board above for stability. Just one idea!

Quincy134 did an LJ post on her Kallax on castors for her ironing board station and I'm doing my own version of what she made now: the Kallax and castors are delivered this Saturday and I will get a board and ironing board fabric :).

Good luck!

[theladyrebecca.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had been hoping to find some sort of singular drawer unit that I could stack on top, but so far no luck . Let me know if you know of any! Thanks!

[ktlovely.livejournal.com]

Our kitchen island is like 42" tall, with a 1.5" butcher block top. It's two wire shelving units from Target, Room Essentials brand, with the casters that go with it. It was actually going to be my cutting table but ended up being too tall, and I don't want to carry the butcher block (36"x72") up a flight of stairs to my sewing room, so it lives in the kitchen now. Target has a bunch of accessories like baskets and hooks that clip onto those types of shelves that are really handy, too, and if I were just a little bit taller it would have been a perfect cutting table solution! As it is, it does well as a bar height island.

You can see a photo here on my Instagram: click!

[theladyrebecca.livejournal.com]

That's a cool idea. Thanks!

[starlightmasque.livejournal.com]

Mine is made from a filing cabinet and two hutches that are meant to sit atop a desk, then topped with a big piece of covered MDF. It's perfect!

http://starlightmasque.livejournal.com/81265.html

[theladyrebecca.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I love yours! Do you remember where you got the filing cabinet/hutches?

[starlightmasque.livejournal.com]

I got them from Dania Furniture, and I just looked and they no longer sell them (it was a loooooong time ago.) Surely Ikea has a version? Ikea wasn't around when we bought these. My hutches measure 42 inches tall, 37 wide.

[ashamanja-babu.livejournal.com]

When I was re-doing my sewing room I saw several cutting tables that were built upon filing cabinets. You could also use a chest of drawers (or two). That might give you the right height.

You could look for a standing desk in the office section, or an adjustable leg table. Uline has some nice warehouse tables.

[theladyrebecca.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had been thinking about chests of drawers, but they're much more expensive! I'll look into uline, though, thanks!

[quincy134.livejournal.com]

I was thinking filing cabinets too. Perhaps craiglist for those?

[howlgirl.livejournal.com]

I have a suggestion for your table topper. Get a 1/2 sheet of plywood and layer on cotton batting and then some basic muslin. You can iron on it, pin into it etc. Cover the back side with felt and that can be your cutting side. I've been doing it for years and it's awesome.

[theladyrebecca.livejournal.com]

You mean to do one thing on one side and one on the other? I thought about that, but isn't it really heavy to flip?

[howlgirl.livejournal.com]

1/2 inch ply isn't that heavy. Mine is trimmed down to 4x6 (4x8 is standard) and it's pretty easy to flip. You can always go to home depot and try out the different weights. It comes as thin as 1/4.

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

My table is about 36" tall, but I used an ordinary door for the top. Regular doors are 80" tall, which is longer than you want, but it can be cut down. It also adds 2" of height. It's already very smooth, but I covered it with flannel-backed oilcloth from Joann. Old post here, if you're interested.
http://sceneinthepast.blogspot.com/2012/07/sewing-room-with-bonus-table-tutorial.html