What is best sized table for my room?

[nursecec]

I am planning on ordering a Millie and putting it in my guest bedroom which is 14'x10'.  I need to know what would be the "best" sized table.

I sew in another room so I would have the long arm and small cabinetry or closet for supplies, thread, etc.   I plan to get the Quilt Path so don't know how much I would use back side for pantographs.  I have never done them and all of this is pretty new to me.  

The suggestion was to go with the 12' table ("Get the longest one that you can fit in the space" seems to be the universal answer) and use the 2 extra feet to be able to move from front to back.  I heard that the fabric advance adds about 8" to the length of the table.  According to tat additional information I  would have about 16" to move around the table.  This seems quite cramped to me. 

Right now I am not planning on opening a business but would be up to doing quilts for other people or having them come try out the machine.  Also what is the largest size quilts that can be done on a 10" table and a 12" table. 

I am also considering the feeling of the room and generally I like the feel of openness and not feeling jammed into a space.  Will a 12' table make me feel to cramped?

 

I would love all the opinions I can get.  Thanks in advance.

[Plumpurple]

Hi, My opinion/experience would be to buy a 12 ft table and then maybe angle it a little bit to fit in the room better.  I haven't seen the room setup as in doors or closets, but I'll bet you could accommodate a 12 foot table.  I used to have a different quilting machine on a 10 ft table and found that to be limiting.  I know 10 ft is 120 inches but you can't quilt the full 120 inches and where is the machine when loading the quilt except "in the way".  Sooo if you were asking me I would say get the 12 foot.  

Sharon

[sewingpup]

I too had a 10 foot table...and it was limiting...I had problems with a couple of quilts.....I love my 12 foot table....if I had too chose between a fabric advance and a 12 foot table...I would pick the 12 foot table.....with Millie's 26 inch throat....you do not have to advance the quilt all that much.....I have my 26 inch lucey set up in a 16 foot by 10.5 foot...and there is not much extra space....I forgot to account for the space taken up by an oil tank...so I guess I have about 14 feet...I use one end to get behind lucey….and I can use both sides...not much space but doable...I actually keep very little in the room....spare needles, tools, bobbin winder...air compressor….rulers...I keep all but the thread I am working with upstairs where my sewing room is...it is easy to select the thread up there and bring just what I need downstairs....I do have a six foot table set up in the basement outside this room...and I use that for cutting my backing to size and for trimming the quilt...I have an extra ruler and rotary cutter to keep down there so I don't have to climb stairs to get them....batting is actually kept up in the attic...yep....but I have rigged a batting cutting station by placing an unused shower curtain rod between two ladder backed chairs....I put the batting role on it like a roll of toilet paper...I use my 120 tape measure to measure out the length I need being careful to not stretch it and usually add a few more inches for good measure.....then I take a wooden strip I have and place it against one of the chairback supports and use my chalk marker to mark the cutting line....simply...and it works...If I have a couple of quilts I am gong to be doing with the same batting...I cut them at the same time...I do have a couple of kinds of batting on a roll and it is easy to change them out...I really like using batting on a roll as it is much easier to work  without all the folds and stretched parts...oh...I found two very small tables at thrift shops for about $7 a piece to keep the bobbin winder, ect on....

[MaryQuiltsTx]

I guess the question really is...what size quilts do you make most often. I personally do not have a king size bed. No one in my family does so I do not make king size quilts so a 10 ft table is all I need. I would indeed feel cramped with a 12 ft table in a 14ft room but that is just me. Angling it would make the room seem even smaller to me. This really comes down to personal preference. Set up two chairs or tables at the width of a 12 ft table.  Or spread out a sheet on the floor and fold it to the dimensions of the 12' versus the 10' table. See how much floor space it takes up. There are thread cabinets that fit under the table that will save additional floor space so that won't be too big a factor. The chances of doing a panto from the back may be slim if you are using Quilt Path but you still need to be able to get back there for maintenance and general cleaning. Map it out so you can physically see what you will be dealing with.

[jimerickson]

If the door to the room is on one of the short walls, think about setting the machine up so the end is adjacent to the door opening.  That way extra passage room will be provided by the doorway.  I really wouldn't want to limit myself to a ten foot table if I could avoid it in any way.  Keep in mind that the backing of every quilt needs to be larger than the finished quilt, so when you take off the length for machine clearance , and the extra length for the backing, you probably can't quilt more than 100 inch width.  I don't do a lot of quilts wider than that, but I've done quite a few.  Hope this helps.  Jim

[nursecec]

Thank you for the replies.  I wish I could click and reply to each comment under your comment but I cannot see an option to do that.  So...

MaryQuiltsTx the largest quilt I have made to date is 88x98 with a prepared backing of 98x114.  Mostly, it seems like I make twin-large twin.  But there is always the possibility that a friend might want me to try a larger quilt. 

PlumPurple and others--what would be the size quilt you can actually quilt on either a 10 ft or 12 ft table?

The general concensus from you and others is to go with the larger table.  According to Kevin at APQS and some others, one could shorted the rails if needed.  "No problem" they say but I doubt it would actually be that easy!  I was able to actually see a 12' table in a 14x10 foot room of a friend.  It is cramped, of course, but I think doable.  I am lucky to  have a window with good light exposure so that should also help.

At any rate, thanks for the replies.  I opted for the 12' and have place my order for the Millie.

[LisaC]

You chose wisely! A 10' table would seriously "cramp" my quilts; my 12' table does at times! I would rather have cramped space to walk in than cramped space to quilt upon.