Sewing Cabinets

From LoveToKnow Crafts

Sewing cabinets are the ultimate sewing machine accessory. You can keep all of your sewing materials in the same place, allowing you to work more efficiently and creatively. What follows are some tips for choosing a sewing cabinet.

Do I Need a Sewing Cabinet?

Sewing cabinets are great time and space savers. They allow you to keep all of your sewing supplies togetherone central location. When you have a sewing cabinet, it’s a lot faster to get to work on a sewing project. It eliminates having to clear off the table, set up your machine then gather your supplies.

You might be surprised how much space all that organization costs you. For example, this Arrow sewing credenza is 36 inches long when folded up, but expands to a whopping 71 inches, almost six feet, when all the drop-leaf attachments are expanded. I don’t know about you, but in my home it would be easy to find three feet of space, but much harder to find six feet.

Still, sewing machine cabinets are wonderful if you have the space for them and can afford them. I truly believe that organization can make you more creative because it allows you to see and find all the great things you have in your stash. A sewing cabinet can help you get more organized, if you buy one that is large enough to hold a lot of stuff.

Choosing a Sewing Cabinet

The major considerations when shopping for sewing cabinets, then, are the space you have free, the features you want and the price you can pay. Sewing cabinets are major pieces of furniture, and they might cost more than you expect. The prices go up as you add more features, of course.

The most basic sewing machine cabinet that I could find was this one from Delta. My grandmother had a sewing cabinet just like this. The top of the table flips open and the machine lifts up from inside. The drawer pull is decorative; there is no storage other than for the machine itself.

On the other end, there are beautiful and extremely function sewing cabinets that incorporate bins, drawers, spindles, cutting tables, extensions for sergers and more. It’s relatively easy to pay $500 or more for a sewing cabinet, and that’s not even custom made for your machine or space.

Once you pick a price range and have measured your space, you can start thinking about what options you would like. Make a list of your dream accoutrements and then decide which ones are must haves and what you can live with out. Options might include:

  • Drop-leaf cutting surface
  • Storage bins
  • Drawers
  • Holders for patterns
  • Organizers for notions such as thread spool holders
  • Rolling cart for a serger or second machine
  • Ironing space
  • Shelves
  • Large work space
  • Locking wheels
  • Locking doors
  • Piano hinges for extra strength

Think also about the color you would like. Many sewing cabinets come in a couple of colors of wood-grain, black and white.

Another important consideration is whether you will frequently want to move your sewing cabinet. If you are planning to buy something that needs to be stored in one place but rolled out to expand to its full length, pay attention to the weight of the cabinets. Many sewing cabinets weigh more than 100 pounds, and that’s before you load it up with a machine, notions, fabric and books. Make sure the wheels can support all the weight you will have in it and that you will be able to move it easily. This is one reason it pays to show for sewing cabinets at your local sewing machine shop. They probably have assembled models that you can push around the store.

Resources for Sewing Cabinets

If you can’t find what you’re looking for at your local store, or you don’t live near any place where sewing cabinets are sold, there are many great places to research and shop on the Internet.

Once you do your research, you can seek out local suppliers of the brands you like to get a closer look. Or head to Ebay and see if you can find a deal.


 


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