I don't think that these should be a certain height. The height should be what feels comfortable for you to work on. Colleen

Here's a link to the OSHA web page for setting up sewing and cutting stations in factories. The same ergonomic principles about sress on the body and ease of work apply at home, too.

The pictures showing the potential problems in a sewing station are helpful.

The best cutting table is one at about waist height so you don't have to bend over to manipulate fabric and cut. I used to have a huge door on saw horses set up in my sewing room at this height - about the height of your kitchen counters. It was wonderful. I also used it to lay out any kind of sewing or quilting project, to pin pieces together - more accurate than holding them in your lap.

I had to get rid of the door when I bought a quilting frame; now I'm looking for a good cutting table with folding leaves. I'm cutting on the dining room table again and I remember all the reasons I don't like it!

CMC

Here is a link that might be useful: OSHA sewing station guidelines.

Thanks, CMC. That is a very helpful link. If I use the computer chair at the dining room table, that is a pretty good height. I was wondering because my muscles hurt after just a few minutes of sewing.

Now the cutting table, that will take some thinking to come up with something workable.

I got a cutting table from JoAnn's. They run around $90. I am not very tall (5'2" or so) and it made a world of difference in cutting! I used to cut on my dining room table and it killed my back. I'm really nearsighted so I tend to feel I need to be close to my work, so I was leaning forward a lot to use the DR table. The new cutting table is high enough that I don't lean over. When it's fully extended, I can cut out garments easily, and when it's fully folded, it's only 12" deep. I usually have only one half extended when I use it for cutting quilt pieces. I also got the pressing mat for it, and it has come in handy a few times for pressing big things.

Donna

Here is a link that might be useful: picture of table

I moved from my dining room table to a cutting table my husband setup at 39" high. It is much more comfortable and a tall stool will allow you to stand or sit at that height.

Years ago when I took some sewing classes they had us bring four empty paint cans to put under the table legs in the school room. No more bending over! At home I have a "banquet table" we got at a yard sale (about as long as a door), and I painted the cans to match the room. I love it!

That table Donna gave you the link to is a good one.I had one of those for years,it also served as an extra table to set the food on when we had a lot of company,or needed another table for the backyard bar b q.I now have an 8ft conference table that i bought a length of 4x4 wood and had dh cut 4 pieces and drill a hole in the enter to set the legs down in.It's very sturdy and also allows me to store things underneath it in tubs.I made a skirt to cover it up so you don't see what's underneath.This works very well for me.You kinda just have to think outside the box.
Kathi

Kathi, Love the sound of your table. Do you by any chance have some pictures of it that you could post?

My sewing room is cobbled together, but I would love to see yours.

dody

I was set on going to JoAnns today to get something to turn my cutting table into an ironing board -- glad to hear I may not have to work from scratch.

I've got two 8'x2' workbenches with solid maple tops that are clamped together to make an 8x4 table. They were sold at Sams a few years ago -- maybe still. They are a great height, and very solid. Occasionally the "ditch" in the middle is a problem, but not often.

My machine is set on a counter above cabinets, about the same height at the table. It was so much easier just to use cheap stock cabinets and laminate countertops than to customize something at a lower height. The challenge is that the foot pedal has to be higher so I can reach it from a barstool-heighth chair -- so I have it velcroed to a footstool. It works fairly well that way.

Clergychick,

Sounds like you have a good set-up. My cutting table is a old buffet with a hollow core door that I velcroed to the top of it.

dody

For my cutting table, I use those folding banquet tables that you buy at Costco. The manufacturer is Lifetime. They are adjustable in height which is why they work so great. They come in 4 ft, and 6ft lenghths depending on what you need. They're inexpensive too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Adjustable tables

All your ideas sound good. My cutting table is a Mission style dining room table I bought at a rummage sale. It has leaves that I haven't had to use. I paid $50 for it. I use a cutting board on top to protect it.

Sue

Here is a picture of my 'not very pretty, but very functional' sewing room set-up:

dody

Oh dody -- your room is SO tidy!!! I'd post a pic of mine but somebody dropped a bomb in there and I haven't had time to dig thru the wreckage! ;^) -- Amy

Kim, I love the idea of the paint cans to raise up your table. What in ingenuis idea.

dody

Dody,

I love how you have the couch in there! My craft room has no place comfortable to sit! Very cozy!

Dody, what a great sewing room!

Kim, one could use different size paint cans depending on the height you need. Thanks for that wonderful idea. (Even to raise a bed, now I'm on to something. More room to stash fabric.)

I cut on the dining room table with a pc of plywood on it & it works for me just as it is.

When I bought a new machine, I bought a table that the machine sets down in. The height is 29.5".

Some things we bought when companies were replacing the old to bring in the new. A small metal table (possibly a typing stand at one time), just big enough for the lg size pressing mat that you can buy--that's to the right of my machine. There's an old office desk to the left set at an angle to my sewing table. Fom the hospital - an old table that's adjustable & slid over the bed that was used for patients to eat on. It's not very wide, but it's great to put behind me so I can turn around & work on something, or put at an angle to my left & set my serger on. I can turn in 4 directions & have a work surface.

We're using an old conference table as a kitchen table, but you could use that in your sewing room. With a tablecloth, you can't tell. It's like having a big island.

My husband uses old gurneys (from the hospital) in his garage. They have big locking wheels & he rolls them to the driveway when he's working on something, but they could be used in a sewing room too. He has a light clamped on one. The gurney pads are stored & used as sleeping mats on the floor when needed.

Sooooo, my suggestion is, tell your family & friends to be on the look out for items their companies may be selling (or garage sales) that can be used in your sewing room. The old "stuff" will last a lifetime.

Dody,here ya go,this is my cutting area.
Kathi

Here's a long view of the room,i got both of those desks at the goodwill for 35.00 each and they are nice heavy older ones.

Oh, Kathi, I love your sewing room. It looks so spacious. Your cutting table is wonderful I love it. I am jealous of all of your storage. Isn't it nice to be able to have the ironing board set up all the time?

I should move the couch out of my room, and it would help a lot, but I need a place to sleep my son when he comes home from Colorado for a visit. (which is not often)

I want to have shelves build inside of my closet. I put a hanging bar in the bathtub in the second bathroom, so I could get all of the clothes out of my sewing room. (Gotta work with what I have.)

I love your painted walls. I should do that. I have two double flouresence light, one over the cutting table and one over the sewing machines.

dody

I am on a Roman shade & pleated panel sewing marathon (I agreed to sew these for my daughter who moved into a new house.) I have a sewing crafts room (my daughter's former bedroom), but for sewing Roman shades and panels, I knew I needed to get serious. I put a leaf in my dining room table and then raised the table height with risers and a wood block. The height is a very comfortable 37.5". I love it. No more backaches. No arm problems with cutting.

On top of the table pads, I have very large cutting mats. My husband bought me two straight edges that woodworkers use. These are taped to the long sides of the table for when I need to do long cuts.

Everything gets taped down with blue painter's tape, so nothing slips and slides when I measure and cut.

I still seem to sew and rip, but maybe less now ;-)

I can post photos if anyone is interested.

Diane

Please do. We all love pictures.

A huge part of the equation (as you have seen here) is your individual needs.

I'm using the JoAnn's sewing table (probably the one linked above,its the one with 2 drop leaves, on wheels (which lock) and the center under storage); I took painters tape and made my own ruler along one long end.It works really well when I can work standing up (5'8" with long arms) or when i'm having health issues with standing I can sit in a bar stool height chair and work the width of one of the leaves. I also have a tall stool, I altered it previously for kitchen counter work when I'm unable to stand for long, that is on wheels and works if I need more mobility at the table.

The size makes it great for clothing (long patterns), crafts and I'm sure quilting (haven't gotten there yet).

The sewing machine is a lot more individualized. I am nearly blind, recently moved to bifocals. I have severe fibromyalgia and significant joint issues in my neck. With guidance from my pain management OT and a lot of help from my father we created a not so pretty but very functional set up for me. I was told to get my chest as close as possible to table surface, and sewing level as close to eye level as I could. So I was able to use my bifocal without leaning down or over. And was not REACHING in addition to lifting my arms.

I'm still fine tuning. Old machine died last week and the new one threw things a little off. I still need to get a better support chair with rollers. My job currently is to make sure as I lift my hands up to work with fabric NOT to raise my shoulders or extend my elbows beyond the hip width if possible. But I CAN sew and work patterns for hours daily, many days running without ending up on pain meds or in bed exhausted.

I'll try to add some photos...been a year since I used this site, my memory is a little foggy.

Please excuse the mess in the pictures. I'm in the midst of 6 or 7 projects, and my fabirc organization is totally non-existant. It's driving me a bit mad, but I have plans for reinforcements to come in and get it stashed away.

Here is a link that might be useful: pictures of set up on photobucket