How to Raise Your Cutting Table to Reduce Back Strain

HOW TO RAISE YOUR CUTTING TABLE TO REDUCE BACK STRAIN (Updated July 5, 2018)

When I worked as a graphic designer, I sat for long hours at the computer. It was easy to get lost in my work and not pay attention to my body. I paid the price, however, because this caused me to suffer from back pain for years. So, when I started quilting more, it became clear that I needed an ergonomically friendly cutting table. There were several options available to me, but I opted to buy the Linnmon/Finvard table from Ikea. This Ikea table height can be adjusted to several heights with a "peg-in-the-hole system." This table was a great buy, but there are other ways to get a raised table without putting out a lot of cash.

 

Linnmon/Finvard adjustable worktable from Ikea (Discontinued).

FIND THE CORRECT TABLE HEIGHT FOR YOU

Measure from the floor to about 6 inches below your elbow. This will give you the proper table height for your height.

TYPES OF RAISERS

1.  FOLD-AWAY TABLE AND PVC PIPE

You can make most any fold-away table ergonomically friendly using PVC pipe. You can buy PVC pipe in the plumbing section of any hardware store. This project uses 1.5 inch PVC pipe.

FIND THE LENGTH TO CUT THE FOUR PVC PIPES

1. Measure the original table height, e.g. 38 inches
2. Now, measure the table leg from the joint to the floor, e.g. 20 inches
3. Subtract the new table height needed from the original table height, e.g. 45" - 38" = 7 inches
4. Add measurement B to measurement C, e.g. 20" + 7" = 27 inches
5. Cut four PVC pipes 27 inches long. 
6. Slip the PVC pipes over the table leg as shown in Diagrams 1 & 2.

Diagram 1

Diagram 1

2.  BED RISERS

The next option for raising your table is a bed riser. Bed risers can be purchased online or at a hardware or furniture store. Bed risers range in heights from approximately 3 inches to 8 inches.

3.  WOOD SCREW-IN FINIAL

Lastly, if your table legs are wood, you can attach wooden screw-in finals to the bottom of them. Drill a hole into the bottom of the table leg the length of the end screw on the finial. Screw the finial into the leg. You could secure the finial with a little bit of very strong glue for extra support. Finials come in a variety of shapes and lengths.

How to Resize Quilt Blocks and Patterns

Quilt patterns can come in many sizes. But what if the size of the pattern isn't the size you want? Maybe you want a throw instead of a mini quilt or a baby quilt instead of a king-size. To resize your pattern or block, you need to know the percentage to reduce or enlarge the pattern templates. Read below to learn three easy ways to get the percentage you need to resize templates.

THREE METHODS FOR RESIZING YOUR QUILTS AND BLOCKS

1. DO THE MATH
Below is the very simple formula to get the percentage for reducing or enlarging.

ENLARGING:

Measure the shortest length of the original block size? e.g. 6 inches
What size do you want the new block to be? e.g. 8 inches
Divide the new size by the original size, e.g. 8 ÷ 6 = 1.33.
Move the decimal point two steps to the right to get your percentage = 133%.
Enter 133% into the copy machine to enlarge your 6-inch block to an 8-inch block. 

REDUCING:

Do the opposite of above.
Divide the small size (e.g. 6") by the large size (e.g. 8") to get your reduction
percentage, e.g. 6 ÷ 8 = 0.75 = 75% reduction. 

2. PROPORTIONAL SCALE
Proportional Scales may look a bit intimidating at first but they're easy to use.
You can buy a Proportional Scale for quilters HERE.



How To Use a Proportional Scale

1. On the bottom wheel, find the original size of your block (e.g. 6"), [Fig 1].
2. Line up this number with the new size (e.g. 8") on the top wheel, [Fig 1].
3. In the window, you'll see the percentage of the reduction or enlargement you need to resize your block, [Fig 2]. 

Note: The math formula and proportional scale results may be off a tiny bit. This is okay.


Figure 1


Figure 2

3. PROPORTIONAL MEASUREMENT CHART

1. Download my enlargement and reduction charts to find the percentages you need at a glance. Download PDF
2. Find the original measurement on the left side of the chart.
3. Go along that row until you get to the measurement you want on the top row.
4. The number in the intersecting box is the percentage you'll need to reduce or enlarge your block

Three DIY Pin Cushion Ideas with Tutorials and Free pattern

1. How to Make a Vintage Planter Pin Cushion

Pin cushions are an absolute necessity in any sewing studio. You usually don't realize this until you don't have one around when you need it. If you go online or on Pinterest, you'll see hundreds of different variations of a pin cushion. There was, however, one pin cushion I fell in love with. It's the vintage planter pin cushion.

I came across these little cuties at Lovely Little Handmaids and knew I had to make one. I picked up a vintage planter at the flower shop and, in no time, I made this adorable little pin cushion. See the instructions below to make your own. I think they would make great gifts for your sewing friends.

INSTRUCTIONS

You can probably find one of these little planters at a thrift shop or rummage sale for a few cents. You may also want to check out your local florist shop to see if they have any kicking around from days gone by. That's where I found mine.

Step One 

To give the pin cushion extra weight, glue pebbles to the bottom of the container with a glue gun.

Step Two

Measure the diameter of the opening of the container and cut a circular piece of fabric two inches larger than this measurement.

Step Three

With a strong thread, stitch around the edge of the fabric. Pull the thread to gather the fabric leaving an opening large enough to insert the filler.

Step Four

Stuff the fabric with lots of filler then tighten the thread and secure it with a knot.

Step Five

With a glue gun, apply hot glue around the inner edge of the container. Place the "fabric ball" into the container making sure it adheres to the glue.

2. How to Make a Juki 2010Q Wrap-Around Pin Cushion

I recently made this pin cushion for my new Juki 2010Q. I can't work unless this is wrapped around my machine. Don't you love the thread spools fabric? It's from the Cute As a Button fabric line by Delphine Cubitt. NOTE: This pattern can be customized to fit any sewing machine by adjusting the length of the end straps.

MATERIALS

• [2] 4" x 24" strips of fabric of your choice.
• [2] 1" pieces of hook and loop tape (Velcro®).
• Toy stuffing or leftover quilt batting.

Download pin cushion pattern HERE

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Layer the two fabrics and fold in half at the center.

2. Pin the pattern on the fold and cut out the pieces.

3. With right sides facing, stitch a 1/4 inch seam from end to end as seen below. Leave the ends open, and leave a 3 inch opening on one side.

4. Turn stitched piece right side out and press.

5. Fold the piece in half vertically and place the template on it.

6. With a fabric marker or pencil, mark on the fabric the vertical lines on the template.

7. Stitch both vertical lines.

8. Stuff the pin cushion tightly with filler then hand or machine stitch closed. 

9. Fold in both ends 1/4 inch and stitch closed.

10. Stitch on the hook and loop tape at each end.

3. The Classic Mason Jar Pin Cushion

This is my go-to pin cushion for small mending jobs. The Mason jar (mine is a Gem jar) pin cushion is an all-time classic. You can find hundreds of these on Pinterest. There's that cute thread spool fabric again. Here's a great tutorial from The Seasoned Homemaker.

 

4. How to Make a Picture Frame Pin Cushion

Here is another pin cushion idea I used for my Pfaff machine. If you don't have any buttons on the front of your sewing machine, this pin cushion works great and looks ultra stylish.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Get a small pretty frame and remove the backing and glass.
2. Cut a piece of thin cardboard the size of the backing.
3. Cut a piece of fabric one inch larger than the cardboard piece.
4. Glue some stuffing to the cardboard.
5. Wrap and glue the fabric edges 3/4 of the way around the stuffing and the cardboard and let dry.
6. Add more stuffing as needed and finish gluing fabric edges to the cardboard.
7. Put the stuffed cardboard through the frame.
8. Re-attach the frame backing to hold cushion in place.
9. Use sticky-back Velcro® to adhere the finished pin cushion to the front of the sewing machine.

Recycle your Batting Scraps

Over time, like most quilters, I end up with a lot of spare quilt batting pieces in all kinds of sizes. I don't throw any of these bits and pieces out, however. I keep them in a batting scrap box until I'm ready to recycle them. Here are three ways I recycle batting scraps. I hope this tutorial will encourage you to save your batting scraps and find a use for them.

USES FOR BATTING SCRAPS

• stuffed toys
• pin cushions
• zipper bag stabilizer
• bag straps
• post cards
• quilted coasters
• One of the best ways to reuse batting scraps is to join them to make larger sheets of batting for your quilting projects. Below are two simple ways to do this.

ZIG-ZAG STITCH TOGETHER

1. Trim the rough edges of the batting.

2. Butt the trimmed edges together. Do not overlap them.

3. Join the two pieces with a wide zigzag stitch.


FUSE TOGETHER
I normally zig-zagged my pieces together but in a rush one day, I used a quicker method that I now prefer. I now recycle my batting bits by joining them together with fusible interfacing. It's so much faster than stitching them together, and they hold together very well this way.

YOU WILL NEED

• batting chunks you want to join
• rotary cutter
• quilting ruler or regular ruler
• strips of fusible interfacing. (I used Pellon Sheerweight interfacing, but a medium weight interfacing will work just as well. I'm also pretty sure there is such a thing as batting tape but the interfacing does the trick).

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Get your batting pieces and check if they are jagged on the edge or not (these are pretty jagged).



2. If the batting edges are jagged, trim a little off to make both edges straight.



3. Butt the two edges together as shown; don't overlap them.



4. Following the manufacture's instructions press the fusible interfacing securely to the batting.



5. This is something like what your batting will look like. Any puckers are not an issue because you won't see them once you sandwich your quilt.

CELTIC TWIST Quilt Block | Step-by-Step Tutorial

This tutorial is for the 17" x 17" Celtic twist block shown above. It may look complicated, but it's simple to put together. There are no Y-seams and no templates to worry about. The block consists of two 6 inch units (one is a snowball block) and two different sized triangle units; that's it! You can make one block or add more units to make a quilt or table runner. I love this block for showcasing big prints.

These are the four units to make the block.

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR ONE BLOCK
(All measurements include a 1/4 inch seam allowance)

Unit 1 - Makes 4
[8] 5" x 2" dark print
[8] 5" x 2" light print
[4] 3½" x 3½" medium print

Unit 2 - Makes 4
[1] 7¼" solid

Unit 3 - Makes 4
[2] 7" solid
[4] 2" x 2" dark print

Unit 4 - Makes 1
[1] 6½" x 6½" large print
[4] 2" x 2" light print

UNIT 1 - Make 4

1. Arrange your fabric pieces to ensure you have the correct colour placement. You'll need [2] 5" x 2" dark print; [2] 5" x 2" light print; and [1] 3½" square medium print to make one 6" block.



2. Place the square and first piece right sides facing and start stitching 1 inch from the top of the square.



3. Flip and press the first piece. Place the next piece right sides facing and stitch to end.



4. Flip and press the last piece you stitched. Place the next piece right sides facing and stitch to end.



5. Flip and press the last stitch pieced. Pull back and pine the first piece sewn on and pin back. Place the last piece right sides facing and stitch to end. Flip back and press.



6. Fold back the first piece as shown and stitch to just past the starting point of your first stitches.



7. Press completed block.




UNIT 2 (One square makes four triangles)

1. Cut [1] 7¼ solid colour square.
2. Cut the square diagonally to each corner to make four triangles.



UNIT 3 - Make 4

1. Pin one [1] 2" dark print square with right sides facing on opposite corners of the 7" solid colour square and stitch as shown. Cut a 1/4 inch seam allowance from each corner square, flip and press back.

2. Cut from corner to corner parallel to stitched corners to make two triangles.

UNIT 4 - Make 1

1. Cut [1] 6½ inch large print square and [4] 2" light print squares. Pin one 2" square with right sides facing on each corner of the larger square as shown.



2. Cut a corner inch seam allowance from each corner square, flip back, and press.

BLOCK ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM