When I bought my Juki in 2016, the acrylic table insert I had for my previous machine no longer fit, so I've been sewing these past two years with the over-sized table the Juki came with, and overall it's worked out pretty well. Trouble is, I'm very short, and my hands were a lot higher than my elbows when sewing. Because of the depth of the table, I couldn't raise my chair any higher and still fit my legs underneath the table.
A few weeks ago, I decided to get an acrylic insert for my table, and oh my, what a difference it has made! The machine is now flush with the table top, and my arms are parallel to the floor. It's so much more comfortable, and I can't believe I put up with sewing uncomfortably for so long. If you're having shoulder or neck strain with sewing, maybe having your machine inset would help.
My DH drilled the hole so I can still use the knee lift - an absolute must! If your machine has a knee lift and you don't use it, by all means, get it out this very day! It saves so much time sewing without having to lift the presser foot by hand. This feature and the automatic thread cutter are two fantastic features of my Juki machine which I ♥♥, along with the fact that this machine is a workhorse that didn't break the bank!
If your table doesn't have a cutout for a machine yet, here is a tutorial for that, and you wouldn't need an insert with this method. The Sew Steady insert is for making a table with a generic cutout fit the exact contours of your machine. I purchased my Sew Steady insert from Allbrands.
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3 comments :
Yay! I love my sewing machine flat with my table. To me that is must have. I have a knee bar and I've tried to use it, but I am so programmed to use my hands that I kept stepping on the pedal before I got the fabric ready!
I invested in a Horne table eighteen months ago, it makes such a difference with an insert and I would advise any quilter to go for it if they have room for one, I didn't before. I never used the knee lift on my previous machine but as my new one has a button to raise the foot, which isn't as convenient as the lever I had on the last one, I finally started using it. Wow, why didn't I persevere and get used to it before, wonderful. I also invested in an ergonomic craft chair too, fantastic and well worth the investment. Yes I did have a big splash out, it was an early retirement present to myself and worth every penny.
Yeah for you! Love that tutorial - I used it to hack an Ikea table into my sewing table, and love it!
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