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Writer's pictureMingMakes

Cutting table and work surface

As much as I would love a dedicated sewing studio, we just don’t have the room to spare and I like the social aspect of being in the lounge with the rest of the family as I work on a project. I had been using a sideboard but the work surface is only just bigger than my A1 cutting mat making tracing and cutting fiddly.

Oak wooden sideboard with A1 cutting mat on top, lamp, overlocker machine, copper wire basket containing sewing books, with white Ikea Skadia pegboards on the wall holding various sewing tools

I was preparing to use the dining table instead when hubby remembered we had a large old disassembled Ikea desk propped up behind the sofa. We don’t quite have the space for a desk to be permanently up in the lounge and I was not prepared to keep assembling and dismantling the table to use it. Then we started thinking of ways to prop up the table top that would be simpler to put up. We ended up buying two of these metal trestles from Screwfix.

Metal height adjustable trestle from Screwfix

The appeal with these was that they were adjustable. I wanted them higher than desk or dining table height as I would be using it standing up and didn’t want to lean over. I think I heard Sarah Veblen say that elbow height was ideal. The photo below shows them set up at a height of 1m. The table top is 1.6m x 0.8m.

Large Ikea table top on two height adjustable metal trestles from Screwfix providing a large fabric cutting table and work surface for sewing, with height set at 1m

I put a rubber mat (used for putting under rugs to stop them slipping) over each trestle to help stop the table top from sliding on them. The whole set up feels very sturdy, and the trestle legs fold together for storage.

View of underside of large Ikea table top on two height adjustable metal trestles from Screwfix providing a large fabric cutting table and work surface for sewing, showing rubber mat in place to stop the tabletop from slipping during use

The table is such a great size for tracing and cutting, and the height of it means no back pain. Having done several projects requiring cutting on the floor, it’s also going to save my knees. It’s a great height for working on the project, pinning etc. It’s such an incredibly useful work surface for all sorts of things, we’re thinking of keeping it up semi-permanently now.


And the cat has given it a seal of approval :)



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I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.


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Hello and welcome!

I'm Kay, and welcome to my blog where I share tales of my sewing journey, complete with mishaps, mistakes and solutions to help make your journey a smoother one.

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