January 2009 - Posts

• What Makes Us Different – How Our Furniture is Designed

  Until now, I’ve talked about the things we use in our furniture such as the hardware, the sewing machine lift, and even the dowels and glue we use to put it all together.  But that comes after the cabinet comes off the drawing board and proceeds to construction.   Other than things that set us apart from other cabinet makers, it’s our design that sets us apart as well.   We design our cabinets so most sewers and quilters are able to sit in front of the needle.  This is an ergonomic necessity for anyone that sits at a sewing machine for any length of time.   When we designed our quilting cabinets such as the 1520, we made sure that the area behind the machine extends out to support those bulky fabrics or quilts that are being quilted.   This extension can fold down, out of the way if desired.  Some other brands of cabinets are designed so this extension folds on top of the sewing surface when not used.  Not Sylvia.  We designed these cabinets so they are able to be used, or folded away and still used.    Cabinets fold away to protect the machine.  Lower the machine into the cabinet and close the doors.  The gate leg (on those models that have it) and all leaves and supports fold away neat and tidy.  It really does look like a nice piece of handsome furniture.   As a woodworker, not a sewer or quilter, I depend on customers to offer suggestions as to how to improve our design.  One of those suggestions came from a quilter who noted that while quilting there was much bulk at her left elbow that needed support at the height of the cabinet surface.  We then designed what we now call the #1570 Quilter’s Extension.  This collapsible extension to the 1520, the 810 or the 810Q is sturdy enough to support quilts and keep them out of the lap or off the shoulder of the quilter.    Most of our furniture is designed to be modular.  Adding other pieces over time is an easy and affordable way to make your furniture “larger”.  By adding the 490 Drawer Stack to the 1600, for example, you add more storage, drawers and surface area.  When you add the 490 to a cabinet like this, you need to also order a Connecting Top.  This secures to the cabinet with cam locks and makes the 490 flush with the top of the cabinet. Look at the photos of the cabinets.  You see the original 1600, but look at how much stuff can be stored and organized by adding more drawer stacks!  By adding one stack to the left front of the cabinet, you have a “Quilters Extension” of sorts.  Support you need where you need it.  And storage to boot!   As you can see, we try and design specifically for sewers and quilters’ needs and wants.  By doing this, I think it makes Sylvia the best there is.  And don’t you deserve the best?   Until next time, Horst Posted Jan 17 2009, 08:43 AM by TeamSylvia with 6 comment(s) Filed under: sylvia sewing cabinets, modular, design, furniture

• What Makes Our Furniture Different – The Hardware We Use

  Quality Made Sylvia Sewing Furniture Our commitment to quality extends to, what some might consider, even the most mundane items.  I’m talking about the hardware we use in all of Sylvia’s sewing furniture.  In the past few blog posts, I’ve talked about how we assemble our furniture and the sewing machine lift we use in those cabinets that the machine is lowered when you fold up the cabinet.  So when we designed some of the cabinets with drawers, we knew we wanted the quality to extend here as well. Our early design of the drawers in our sewing cabinets were merely drawer glides on the side of a wooden “box-type” design.  Very basic.  While the drawer opened and closed fine, it was just “acceptable”.  At Sylvia, we strive to be the best so we redesigned the drawers.  Gone were wooden “boxes” and “in” are metal drawer sides that are very strong and have a fluid sliding movement.  The fluidity of motion is due to the use of a roller slide system.  Further, the epoxy paint on the drawer slides make for quiet operation.  The drawers are designed to handle the load of almost anything you want to put inside of it.  Even when the drawer is open the overall appearance of the drawer is improved by these sleek metal drawer sides. On every drawer we have gone through a number of handle designs.  Why?  We simply want best quality on our furniture.  The handles we use now are a glossy black metal.  We don’t use plastic and believe that the color black best compliments all the color finishes we use.  Except of course those cabinets that are finished in white - those drawer handles are glossy white metal.  On our older models we used a utilitarian-type of handle.  Functional? Yes.  Attractive?  Questionable.  The ones we use now are more stylish and more fitting to the overall look of Sylvia.  Flush mounted hinges are used by Sylvia.  Why?  Simply, they are better.  When this type hinge is used, fabric or large quilts will never snag.  Nothing sticks up or protrudes with this hinge.   The way these hinges are designed, they are attached to the face of the wood, not the end.  Why does this matter?  Because when a screw is attached to the face or surface, it is stronger and more secure.  Putting screws in the end of a piece of wood, especially particle board, is weaker and with use will loosen the screws securing the hinge to the wood.  This is precisely why we don’t use this type of hinge.  What we use costs us a bit more and requires a bit more work, but it goes to the Sylvia overall commitment to quality. We have a specialty hinge on the door of our model 1520.  This cabinet has a door that opens from right to left and it is the support provided by the door that allows the handy little shelf on the right.  But listening to customers’ comments, we improved this hinge and now use one that allows the door to swing almost all the way to the back.  This provides better support and takes up less room. It’s this type of commitment to quality that makes Sylvia different.  Quality, right down literally to the very nuts and bolts we use. Until next time, Horst Posted Jan 09 2009, 08:03 AM by TeamSylvia with 2 comment(s) Filed under: sylvia sewing cabinets, craftsmanship, cabinet hinges, drawer handles