Review: SewEzi Portable Table

For my trip to demo templates at the AQS show in Lancaster for Top Anchor Quilting Tools, I wanted a table that was at a comfortable height, sturdy enough to not bounce while free motion quilting, gave me a decent space to hold my samples, and was easy to carry into the convention center.

I decided to give the SewEzi Portable Table a try. I had seen another quilter using one at a meeting of the Virginia Consortium of Quilters. (Cool guild name, huh?) She said she loved it.

I didn't have much time to order the table and get it shipped to my house, but it came in plenty of time. I think it took less than a week to arrive along with the insert for my Janome 8200. There was a little assembly required to get the recessed platform for the machine put together, but it was easy enough to do.

SewEzi

There are handy handles at the top and along one side to make carrying easy. The case is constructed so that the handles aren't covered up.


At the bottom are these nifty wheels. They look like skateboard wheels and allow you to pull or push the table along from the top handle.


Above is a storage compartment in the case to take advantage of the space above the machine platform. Below, on the other side is a flat pocket for carrying the insert.


Everything folds up neatly. I found the locking mechanism for the legs very stiff and hard to lock and unlock, but a little WD40 may help with that. It's also an indication that they won't be too loose anytime soon.


My machine fit the table and insert nearly perfectly! I did adjust the platform a little lower than the directions specified for my machine. That was easily done using the various thickness of hard plastic washers included for the purpose.

SewEzi portable table and Janome 8200

The table's surface is nice and slick, though I did use my queen-sized Supreme Slider while quilting just to help where the insert and machine joined and to cover the two support screws to the left of the machine opening. The table is pretty small for using to quilt more than a table runner or topper. It's perfect for samples or piecing. Using regular tables against it to expand the surface should be useful for supporting a larger quilt. I also found it the perfect height for sitting in a regular chair at the quilt show. I had my own sewing chair in the car since I hate being too low or too high at the table while machine quilting, but I didn't need to use it.


There are all sorts of accessories for the table, including a tray for tools and such. I haven't bought any of those. There's a cross support on the left pair of legs that would be a great spot to make a hanging pocket for supplies.


A recessed area for a cup is at the right corner of the table. Perfect for my souvenir glass from the historic Revere Tavern. My Mom's cousin and his wife took me out to eat there while I was at Lancaster. It was begun by a relative of Paul Revere back in 1730. The food was excellent!



The SewEzi table was everything I hoped for. While not entirely wiggle-free, it was perfectly steady for sewing on. Before the show, I gave it a test run at high speeds and while it did shimmy a bit, it was at speeds above what I use for free motion quilting. If you were stitching long lines at high speeds, or are a speedy piecer, it might be a little bouncy. But I think that there's a good balance between sturdiness and portability.

There's a more heavy-duty table available, but it doesn't have the handy wheels. It's also quite outside my price range. The portable SewEzi table cost me $245 plus shipping which was an additional $35. I think it's money well spent. Now I will have a great table for teaching at different locations.

If you travel a bit with your machine, I can say I highly recommend the Sew Ezi portable table. These opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation or discount from the Sew Ezi company for this review.

18 comments:

  1. Great review, I enjoyed hearing about the quilt show and your trip, thanks for sharing.

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  2. So Amy, would you recommend the Sew Easy table purely for travel to shows and classes, or would it also work well at home for someone who could not afford a custom cabinet? My mom used to have a 1960s White sewing machine that was built into a wooden cabinet. Ever since she upgraded to a new Viking machine (over 10 years ago) she has just been lugging it in and out of the closet and setting it up on top of her dining room table when she wants to sew. Obviously the Sew Easy table is not a beautiful piece of furniture that you want out all the time in your formal rooms, but do you think this would be a good solution for her to leave set up in her guest room all the time and just put it away when company is coming? She was saying today that she loves sewing because it's so relaxing, but just getting everything set up and put away again takes more time than the sewing does. And of course it's not that big a deal if she's just hemming pants or something, but if she wants to do a project that takes longer than an afternoon she's having to pack it up and put it away every time they want to eat dinner!!

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    1. This worked for my Viking that was about 10 years old beautifully.

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    2. I have 2 of the Sew Ezi tables, one for going to retreats or sewing days elsewhere, and one that stays set up in my sewing room. I find them great to work on.

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    3. I have a Sew Ezi for my Juki in place of a cabinet. It works beautifully and was easy to assemble. It stays up all the time.

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    4. I think they'd be a great choice in place of a more expensive cabinet! Granted, the sewing surface is probably smaller, but you're correct---lugging it all out and putting it away again would be a hassle if she's using the dining room table. And the recessed height is so much more comfortable.

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  3. I've had my Sew Ezi for 3 years now and still love it! I upgraded my machine this past Christmas, and had no problem getting an updated insert for the machine. They did require a cross brace support bar for my new machine which may help you with the wiggles you experienced. I'm building a new quilt room and plan to use it has my quilting table, not just for travel. Love it!

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  4. I also am a proud owner of the SewEzi table. I purchased it to back and shoulder aches. No more aches. The machine fits perfectly. Just recently took a class at my Janome store. The second classs i took the table with me. What a difference. Recenly I had surgery on my left foot and hubby brought the table down to the living room so I could sew. It works out fine. Amy enjoy your post. Anxious to use the rulers for quilting but still trying to conquer fmq fears.

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    1. Definitely easier on the upper back, neck and shoulders than having the machine on top of a table!

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  5. I find my Sew Ezi table is perfect for taking to retreats. I will set it up at home sometimes, if I've got quilting spread all over my regular table and want to do some piecing. It works great. The only downside is its size - I would like a larger surface. There is a bigger one now, but it wasn't available when I bought mine.

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  6. Good review. A friend of mine has one she swears by but she keeps it at home. Good to know it travels well.

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  7. I have the Sew-Ezi and really like it. I set it up for using in our RV in the summer time, it's awesome as it doesn't take up a lot of space. I got tired of putting the machine away constantly and we park our RV permanently on a lakeside lot. In the winter I use it at home if I need an extra machine for piecing. I've also taken it to retreats and friends homes for sewing get togethers. I have the accessories tray, which works great for all the machine supplies, snips etc. well worth the purchase price, but I did pay a bit more in Canada for it...

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  8. I meant to mention that I also ordered the solid wood insert which is really handy as I can use the table as an additional table for cutting or my serger. It has come in very handy, was an extra $45 at the time.

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  9. I'm glad you posted about this table and that you liked it. I love mine. I use it for my Juki and FMQ. So glad I got it. Come on over and link to WIPs Be Gone and share this post. I want others to know what a great table this is.

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  10. Amy - nice chatting with my late night blogger at the show. The demo answered my questions about how the 'rulers' work. Much easier than I thought. First up will be finding the foot for my Janome. They were not available at the show nor the next week at Mountain Quiltfest in Pigeon Forge that we attended. I did buy a light box at the Janome booth in Lancaster at what seemed like a very good price. I do lots of applique (woolie) so that appealed to me for tracing. Their floor and table lighting seemed to be a big seller too. I was tempted but didn't. Nice meeting you!!

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    1. It was nice meeting you too! I hope you lay your hands on the ruler foot combo soon as it's a lot of fun! I eyed those light tables while at the show---nice.

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  11. You wrote a very nice and thorough review of the Sew-Ezi. I considered this one before buying the Gidget II, a slightly larger table, from the looks of the Sew-Ezi. I use mine at home and away, and like it for the same reasons you like your Sew-Ezi. Happily, I bought mine locally, so paid less due to no shipping charges.

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  12. I looked at the Gidget II also and it looks to be a great table as well, but it looked as if the machine was more centered in the Gidget II. I knew I wanted as much surface on the left of my machine as possible. Either way, it's so nice to have a table that lets the machine be set into it.

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