Marguerita McManus - Sew and Quilt in Comfort

What Quilters Are Saying

Thank you so much for sharing. Ive been wracking my brain trying to think of a way to make the surface of the sewing table my husband built more slick. The vinyl is an inspiration. Rose Kirwan.

Thank you! Ive been racking my brain for years trying to think of a way to do this without cutting into a table, then having to raise it to the right height, THIS IS PERFECT! Ill be saving my money to get the table you use tooThe vinyl is a great answer to the dragging of the fabric too. I love this! I understood everything very well, thank you so much for sharing. This has (driven) me crazy for years! You have no idea how happy youve made me. Susie

I put this together 2 nights ago and within one day I went from Free Motion Beginner to Free Motion Advanced. Thank You so much!!! If possible I would love to mail you a Fat Quarter to show my gratitude. KlueDesigns

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new quilting table. I spent many months trying to find the just right table. (I) decided to try it and couldnt be more pleased. I had trouble with the vinyl sliding but placed a few of those velcro dots in strategic places. No more stress on my shoulders and upper arms. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful idea.

Thank you for the great idea. Its so easy and inexpensive. I love it and cant wait to try it. I am going to try quilting my own quilts now. Windy

I have been worried how can I quilt this very large quilt I just made. Then I saw your suggestionMy husband went to the building supply and came home with the foam and I cut it. I now am half finished with the quilting on my very large quilt. I havent struggled with it except for when I change the bobbin. Would be great to have a top loading bobbin. I had to stop quilting and tell you. Thank you for being so cleaver and sharing! Claudia

Thank you for the great idea!!! My husband and I built one for our daughter and she just loves it. I am still waiting for mine! Annie

This is a great idea!! I want to explore machine quilting without a huge investment. Your idea is cheaper than a plexiglass extension that I saw problems with from the start. And if I determine Im not a machine quilter I have a table to use for anything, some insulation & a vinyl cover that can be put to some good use somewhere. Thank you for sharing!! Bev

Oh my gosh Marguerita, You are AMAZING! I found your (tips) today when looking for a way to machine quilt a large quilt. I then found this table. It is right up my alley to do it cheaper and better than anything you can buy. What a nice lady you are to share your knowledge in such an easy and pleasant mannerThanks again, Maudie

Fantastic! Wish I had seen this before spending over $100 for an adjustable plastic extension. Your idea offers even more workable space than the commercial extension, can be stored almost anywhere, is light weight and even can feature the children and grandchildren. Thanks for sharing this brilliant project. Linda

Thank you for the instructions. My husband and I got all the materials in a couple of hours. Mostly at Lowes and the table at Sams Club and I had the table ready to go in 15 to 20 minutes for just about $60.00. A table with that capability would go from $150.00 and up, trust me I researched it and had given up What a God send. My machine ended up being 3 so I bought 3 pieces of foam. A 2 , a , and a . I also had to anchor the foam to my table with blue painters tape which wont stick and comes up easy. Weekend Quilter

Loose Fibers Media

PO Box 1508

Seward, Alaska 99664

www.loosefibers.com

2010 Loose Fibers Media

All rights reserved

Third Electronic Edition

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher, except in the context of reviews or for personal use by the purchaser.

ISBN 13: 978-1-936826-02-5

ISBN 10: 1936826025

The information in this book is presented in good faith, however due to differing conditions, materials, tools, individual skills, creativity, and health conditions, the publisher cannot be responsible for any injuries, losses, and other damages which may result from the use of the information in this book and no results are guaranteed.

Styrofoam is a registered trademark of The Dow Chemical Company

FoamulaR is a registered trademark of Owens Corning

Goo Gone is a registered trademark of Magic American

Lego is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies

Scotch Transparent Tape is a registered trademark of 3M

Special Thanks

To Margie Wallace , owner of the

Is this book for you?

This book describes how to take easily obtained, inexpensive materials and, without power tools, create a custom fitted sewing table and then it shows how to adjust that table to make working with a large project, such as machine quilting a large quilt, easy and comfortable.

If you have any stress, fear, or hesitation about becoming a machine quilter, it is my greatest hope that this book will help you. The information presented in this book is intended to make sewing and quilting as easy and as comfortable as sitting in your favorite chair and reading a book.

However, this book is not for someone who is unwilling to rethink their environment, nor is it for someone who must have a gorgeously finished showroom type of sewing area.

My suggestions are based on comfort and efficiency, not looks, and I am completely budget minded. I believe in what Ive learned from quilting for fifteen years and from teaching quilting for twelve years. I am confident in my experience over any furniture salesmans and I am all about sewing painlessly over looking like it came out of a magazine.

Lastly, I think one size fits all is the funniest joke Ive ever heard. It doesnt work with clothes or shoes and it certainly isnt true of sewing tables. A quilter who is 52 is not going to fit comfortably at the same sewing table of a quilter who is 511 and it is my firmest belief that we all deserve to sew in comfort, in an area fitted perfectly to each of us, and thats why Ive written this book.

The Story

In 2006, I received a call that I had longed to hear for years. Your book has been accepted for publication! I was ecstatic for about two minutes and then panic set in.

The publisher wanted to fast track the release of our quilting book, Crazy Shortcut Quilts, and all I had was a proposal, chapter outline and three of the 12 quilts completed. I had three months to write a book and make seven quilts in addition to my day job! Thank goodness the quilts were easy to make and I love to write. Luckily for me, my daughter, Sarah Raffuse, was my co-author. Even though she was in her last trimester of her first pregnancy, and working, she was able to help make the quilts and edit my directions.

As I worked on my quilts, I discovered that my sewing area was ergonomically bad for my body (I was in pain). Additionally, the quality of my quilting was suffering due to the lack of a flat surface for the quilt to lie on as I quilted it.

Throughout my 12 years of professional quilting and teaching, I have known that a flat surface to quilt on makes a tremendous difference. Having used several types of sewing tables, including one I had custom designed just for me, I found they were never wonderful, just okay, and none were adjustable. This time, I was determined to quilt in comfort. I wanted a table that I could adjust as my sewing and quilting needs changed from simple straight sewing to machine quilting a queen-size quilt with decorative stitches.

I didnt have much money to spend, so I decided to design my own table. I started with an inexpensive card table. I shortened the legs with a hacksaw to lower the height and taped some strong cardboard boxes together to place around my machine to create a flat surface. But my quilts were too heavy and the quilts didnt glide very well over the cardboard. Eventually, the card table sagged under the weight of my sewing machine.