Sew Steady Table - Product Review
An in-depth product review of the Sew Steady acrylic sewing machine table. This review will go into many details to help you discover if this product will be a great addition to your quilt room.
Sew Steady has many custom sewing machine tables made in the USA. For this review, we will be discussing the size 24” x 18” table.
Purpose of the Product
The Sew Steady acrylic sewing machine table is a custom-made extended sewing machine bed. The purpose of extending the sewing machine bed is to allow for more control of your sewing project while under the needle.
Product Cost
The cost of this product will depend on the local sewing machine dealer in your area. Sew Steady sells through local retailers. If you are unsure if there is a local retailer in your area, click the link below to find a retailer near you.
The cost for my table at the time was (based on my foggy memory) $139.99. This was due to a Christmas special that was in effect at the time. With this special, it also came with additional accessories that will be mentioned below.
Product Packaging
The Christmas Special at the time meant that my sewing machine table came with a fabric travel bag. This bag has an additional zippered pouch for the legs under the table or any of the smaller accessories for this table.
Additional Accessories
Depending on your quilting needs, you may want additional accessories to pair with your Sew Steady table. The Sew Steady Light Stick allows for the table to used as a light box. This is a great addition for quilters who enjoy appliqué.
Sew Steady Grid Glider creates a smooth sewing surface. The gridded lines of the mat include 1/4”, 1/2”, and 5/8” seam allowances, which is great for piecing.
To learn about all the accessories and find the one that would be best for you, talk to a local retailer in your area.
Sew Steady Table Setup
The Sew Steady table is custom-made to your machine, so setup is easy. The 24” x 18” extended table comes with one movable leg. This leg can be moved around to find the best spot to create a sturdy sewing surface.
The rest of the legs of the table can be twisted to adjust the sewing machine bed to a level surface. Once all of this is done setup is complete.
Quality Control
The sewing machine tables are made with clear acrylic and are about 1/4” in thickness. The edges are smoother and rounded for larger sewing projects to easily glide onto the top of the table.
The legs of the table have a rubber bottom. This will keep the table from scratching any surface you place it on. I have had my table for 8 years and have had no issues with damage or defects with this product.
Apples to Apples
Some sewing machine brands offer extended sewing machine tables for certain sewing machine models. This is usually at an additional cost to the sewing machine. For this reason, I am unable to give a direct apples-to-apples comparison, as this will highly depend on the brand of your sewing machine and whether it offers an extended table.
With that said, there are no other products on the market quite like the Sew Steady Tables. The quality, the amount of the extended surface, and the fact that the table is custom-made for your sewing machine are unmatched on the market.
Pros
High Quality Sewing Table
Extends sewing surface
Custom made to any machine
Easier control of your sewing project
Cons
Additional cost over and above the initial sewing machine
The movable leg can get lost
Final Thoughts
The couple of cons on the list above can be easily resolved. The first one is the additional cost of the sewing machine table. If you know that your current sewing machine is the one that you will be using for many years to come, then this would be worth the additional cost.
Secondly, with this particular Sew Steady Table, the loss of the movable leg only becomes an issue if you plan on transporting the extended table. Even this is minimized by the travel case that comes with the table.
Some quilters may still look at this product and decide that this is only for quilters looking to do free-motion quilting. I rarely do my own quilting, and I still have found this product extremely helpful.
When piecing blocks together, your project is usually small, and the extended table seems pointless. As your project grows into a much bigger project, the difficulty of holding your project steady under the sewing needle increases. For this reason, I feel this product isn’t relegated to only free-motion quilters.
What do you think about the Sew Steady Table. Do you already have one? Let me know in the comments below. If you found this helpful, please share this with a friend.
