Studio Five :: Sewing & Cutting Surface

A week ago, hubby and I were talking about some home-improvement projects that needed done, and somehow, a discussion on what kind of new couch we wanted turned into an exchange about my studio space and a subsequent trip to Ikea. Yay me!

The major problem area in said studio was my sewing surface. As sentimental as it was, working with my modern machine on top of my grandma's vintage sewing cabinet wasn't the best ergonomically, nor for quilting. With nothing for a quilt to rest on, the weight hanging off the edges caused issues, as you can expect.
 

There weren't a lot of space layout options that would work in our shared studio/computer room, so what we finally settled on was to combine my sewing surface and my cutting surface, which was a second-hand drafting table. At Ikea, we purchased 2 KALLAX shelving units, and just to enhance their usability, 2 sets of drawer inserts (4 drawers total), and a set of SKUBB boxes. On the way home, we stopped by the local plywood store, where we happened to know the owner. Lucky us, he had a variety of random sheets of plywood that he was willing to cut to size, and we chose one 3/4" thick with birch laminate. Our original idea had been to use a hollow-core door (they measure 32"x80"), but we decided we liked the plywood option better, and had it cut to the same size.

You've probably guessed where I'm going with this . . . the Ikea units became 'legs' for the long table. A roll of veneer edging finished off the edges nicely, and super-strength double-stick tape keeps things aligned. Time will tell if a couple of metal angle brackets are needed, but whatever, I've moved on in. A new chair is in order, but otherwise, I'm more than pleased with my new set up. And there's some storage space at each end - bonus!

On a side note, without grandma's sewing cabinet, I lost my drawers that had held my immediate sewing supplies - bobbins, machine needles, etc. So I joined the RÅSKOG club and will use this utility cart to keep those items and more at easy reach.

It's been a year since I posted Where I Sew and since then there's been several studio updates:

• Ironing Board Cover
• Design Wall
• Mailing Supplies
• Storing Quilts

We actually accomplished one more improvement yesterday, so I'll post about that soon. But meanwhile, I'll keep testing out my new space. And so far, definitely so good!