Switching to the Sew Steady Versa Table! (video demo too)

I have to be honest here. While I LOVE my Tula Pink Bernina 770QE, I really dislike the extension table that came with it. For the price of this sewing machine, I feel like it should come with an excellent sewing surface.

Almost immediately after my new machine arrived (see the unboxing video), I started looking for an alternative extension table.

The white slide on table that came with it is difficult to install just because it’s easy to think that it is on properly when it is not. You have to really shove it over to the right to make it lock in, and it doesn’t make a locking sound so I would often think it was on all the way when it wasn’t. Why is that important? Well, the guidelines in front of the needle would then be off about 1/8’’ – 1/16’’. That’s a big deal when you are trying to sew accurate and straight seams.

It’s wobbly. Heavy projects like quilts and big bags push down on the front and back.

And It’s just not very big. Which also makes quilting big (or small) quilts more difficult than it needs to be.

So that’s why I was so excited when my friends at Sew Steady offered to send me their newest acrylic sewing machine extension table – the Versa Table.

I have acrylic tables for all of my sewing machines (and my serger) and I love them. They are so easy to use – and easy to remove if you need to use the free arm.

Keep in mind that each acrylic table from Sew Steady is custom cut for a particular sewing machine. If you try to borrow a friend’s it most likely won’t fit your machine.

The unique thing about this newest table (the Versa) is that if you are sewing in a smaller space or for some reason you don’t want to use the full 27’’ long table – you can break it down and make it half size (13 1/2’’ long).

I was also surprised and happy that my Versa table came with the Sew Steady Grid Glider. The Grid Glider is a thin vinyl mat that sticks to the surface of your sewing machine and table, making an ultra smooth surface for quilting and sewing.

And the guide lines are excellent! They are so much better than the guidelines that were on my Bernina extension table – even when I had it properly installed.

Just a side comparison – I also have the Supreme Slider. The Grid Glider works just as well at making my fabric ‘glide’ for free motion quilting. Unlike the Supreme Slider, I decided to leave it on all the time because I love using the guidelines. I also did a quick cost comparison and the 12’’x20’’ Grid Glider is currently $25, while the comparably sized Supreme Slider runs about $45.

I made a quick 5 minute video showing you how I took the Versa Table apart and put it back together and how I put on the Grid Glider. If it doesn’t start automatically on this blog page, you can see it on my YouTube channel.

Are you happy with the set up of your sewing machine extension table? Did you buy anything extra to improve it? Tell us in the comments!

xoxo,