Class Today

What I've got on tap today, I've been waiting for for a LONG time. (Did that grammar make you cringe as much as it did me?) I've considered this class repeatedly, whether offered at Asilomar or Road to CA. My only concern was whether I'd want to spend a week doing nothing but handwork. The solution to my dilemma came, via Valley Oak Quilt Guild. yay!!! Today I have a 6 hour class with none other than Nancy Brown.

You may not recognize her name, but surely you will recognize her work. She's a master of hand-appliqued, hand-quilted animal quilts. I'll post pictures after today's class. I forgot my camera yesterday. Believe me, I kicked myself repeatedly. ;)

Brenda asked about my sewing table. Is it retail? Or is it custom? My current table is custom, but it was based on the dimensions of my previous table, which was a Koala table.

Here is a picture of my old table:

It has a slot for the machine to sit snugly down onto an adjustable shelf which holds it in place. The sewing surface opens out to offer a large wonderful place to quilt. I was delighted with it, until I spent hours sitting at it.

The problems I encountered were, #1, it was too short. I would bend myself into a pretzel, trying to see what was happening at the needle. I bought bed-risers, which helped a lot, but it wasn't very pretty to look at.

The second problem was that the dividing line between the area for my knees and the shelf hit right where my left knee should be. I had to sit to the right of the needle, again giving me that pretzel feeling. At this point I should probably mention that I am 5'10", and not petite. I've never heard anyone else complain of either problem, so I'm guessing that those unhappy with this table are those who are generously proportioned...and we're in the minority.

My third issue with the table was all of the wasted space. The back half of the table would fold down for "easy storage." I don't know about you, but once that table was up, it never went down again. It was always called into action. I tried using the space to store batting and things that I rarely used. Once they were back there, it was a major event to get them out again.

When I redid the studio, I wanted the same table, only different. I wanted the space below the table top to be as useful as the top itself. This is what my carpenter built:

The table top is about 3" higher than the old one. The space for my knees allows me to sit in front of my needle. The cabinet to the left goes all the way to the wall, with roll-out drawers making all of the contents easily accessible. Beneath the desk area, you can see a door that is slightly ajar. That is my secret stash area, that holds my extra batting. It is VERY accessible, requiring no superhuman efforts to get to its contents.

The only "complaint" I've had about this table is the bobbin access. The lip of the formica curves around, making it impossible for my hand to remove the bobbin from under the table. Instead, I have to remove the plastic around the machine (it's on the table, behind the machine in this picture), tip the machine back, and work with the bobbin. It was a nuisance for the first couple of weeks, but I quickly adjusted. I absolutely LOVE every other feature of this table.

Oh. I should probably mention that it came into the room in two pieces, and was assembled while inside. Moving it out will be an event, at the very least. More than once I've wished that I replaced the carpet before moving it in, but that's a bridge we'll cross on another day.

That's all for now, folks! I'm off to my applique class!!!