[dubhels2003]

It is lovely looking at all the pictures of beautiful craft rooms online, but I have been reflecting that having a comfortable space with table and chair at the right height is massively more important than a beautiful vintage office chair (sigh, the beautiful 150s one will just have to stay lusted over on ebay!). I currently sew at the dining table and that is definitely too low and hurts my back, and I can create my space so this doesn’t happen.

I can’t imagine sewing standing up! When I get the chance I’m going to try that…

[Violaisabelle]

That’s correct, Heidi! This is definitely higher than elbow height for me. 🙂

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Violaisabelle.

[cybele727]

This brings up a really good point. I wonder what the proper ergonomics are for standing and sitting sewing.

[Nicole]

I tried ironing, sitting down, when I was heavily pregnant. I prefer to stand for that.
I like the activity of getting up and down.
It reminds of my husband, in his shearing days, telling me about an overzealous farmer dragging out the next sheep for him.
He got a crick in his back because he wasn’t standing up and having that quick stretch as he grabbed his next sheep.

[Violaisabelle]

In the past few years, there have been more articles written about the health benefits of standing and working and how sitting for long periods of time is actually detrimental to our overall health.

We need to not only consider muscular, but skeletal reasons for altering the height. Muscular alterations are sometimes easily adjusted to; whereas, skeletal alterations may not be. Having our heads down for long periods of time is not healthy. Ideally, having what we are looking at, more at eye level, is far more healthy for our neck and spines.

Looking at our sewing work, as machines are designed today, we are always looking down trying to get a good view of what we are sewing. Imagine having that line of sight, way higher, just think of how that alters your body position. 🙂

I was recently thinking of antique machines that were designed with a much larger space between the base of the machine and the top of it, they were also narrower. You had an easier time of seeing what you were sewing, especially if you put that up higher than desk height. Sewing machines are getting larger, heavier and bulkier…making it so we have to get far more creative in how to place our machines.

If you have the opportunity to at least play with the idea of sewing from a standing position, I highly recommend it. It might take a little getting used to because it’s different, but I bet your body will appreciate it more. 🙂

[Tamara]

Yes there was a story on a current affairs program regarding the health benefits of standing up here just recently.

A height adjustable chair is always handy – one of those ergonomic ones! We had the height adjustable bar stools in the home economic rooms at school.

I like sitting to sew and standing to cut, iron and pleat. Sometimes those activities take longer than the actual sewing!

[Sarvi]

I’ve had to sew standing up and my body disliked it immensely. I suppose one could stand while knitting, too.

[lattemama]

I used to stand with the serger and sit with the sewing machine. It took a while to get used to but I sort of miss it now.

I have read about tread mill desks and I think I could get used to them for work when I type on my computer a lot, but not for sewing.

[dubhels2003]

Sorry to come back to this one again, my room is decorated and my loaned table and chair arrive tomorrow… I have LOVED putting some fabric into my cupboard today!

Anyways, what do you do about lighting? I think I want to get either a natural daylight lamp or natural daylight bulb in a lamp on my table. I envision it being for generally increasing the lighting around my machine area.

I’m not sure whether to get a long light like this:- https://uk.daylightcompany.com/more/browse-by-sector/craft-and-needlecraft/twist-portable-lamp-white.html

Or more of an angle poise one like this:- http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/daylight-easel-lamp/591283-1000

I’m not thinking those particular models, just using them as examples.

What do you folk use and what do you recommend?

Thank you! Helena

[Nicole]

I love that first one!

I had a an expensive but pretty useless fluro light put in above my machines so I will be reading this with interest. I am pretty lucky to have a window in my sewing area but through most of summer I must have the blind down as it is too hot.

I have a bendable light over my overlocker I use for unpicking navy on navy.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/motherof5/5514310011/in/set-72157625309800074 I have seen similar on eBay.

[Justine J]

I’d definitely get a daylight lamp of some description, but as to which one, it would depend on which would suit your room best 🙂 (have you posted pics?)

I have a set of French doors in my sewing room, which faces east, but my desk is on the opposite wall and the table lamp I use is not good enough – I’ve got a daylight lamp on my wish list too.

And since I failed to link my sewing room here before (linked it in the pattern organisation thread), here it is:

[vothgirl]

My sewing room is not very well-lit at all, even after my husband installed a ceiling light for me. I do most of my productive sewing either before 8am or after 10pm (yay for small kids haha!), and with the days growing shorter I was really struggling to see – I needed a solution badly! I got this type of lamp (this brand and style, not sure if it’s this exact model):
http://www.joann.com/ottlite-high-definition-craft-plus-floor-lamp/7615412.html#prefn1=prod_type&prefn2=sales_channel&q=ottlite&prefv2=Available+in+Store&prefv1=Product&start=1
and it helps a LOT!

I also got this: http://www.amazon.com/CHRISTMAS-LED-illuminates-installation-embroidery/dp/B00GKTPUBE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1416693758&sr=8-2&keywords=sewing+machine+led+lighting+kit
and it’s amazing how much of a difference it makes. Newer sewing machines may have brighter lights, but my Janome MC is ~15 years old and the light just isn’t very bright, so this lighting strip is really great.

Both of those lights have made a huge difference to my ability to see what I’m sewing. Now if only I can figure out how to light the other half of the room so I can see what I’m ironing…

French doors in a sewing room sounds wonderful, I’m adding that idea (and a mountain view out of them!) to my dream home mental list 😉

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by vothgirl.

[katybellabug]

I have a daylight lamp similar to this one, just an older model

http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/daylight-floor-table-led-magnificent-lamp/591281-1000

The magnifying glass is a godsend for working on dark fabrics.

[Tamara]

My sewing room (I can officially call it that now) has four windows and a glass sliding door so there is no shortage of natural light. Unfortunately it gets very very hot in there so the air con goes on the majority of the time except in deep winter when I can give it a rest, either rug up or sit under a window to warm up.

I need curtains because my storage cupboard faces the windows and the sliding doors will not both go on (the alignement of the ceiling doesn’t give enough room). The thought there is to just put up a curtain rod on the cupboard and run curtains along it to protect the fabric. I think my sister is making the curtains for the windows for me – once I send her the measurements.

Where the table is at the moment is great for a winter position to sew – its right under a window. But now that it has warmed up, I have lots of glare blocking my vision so it is time to swap the table to a more permanent position at the other end.

I have a daylight lamp but it is getting old and the kids have played with it that much the light part falls off it you are not careful. It is now out of reach of children and I use it when stitching for feet up time or at night watching telly in the bedroom – it is very handy because the lighting in this house is just shocking at night!

A table daylight would be wonderful. I would sit it on a table next to the couch in the sewing room so that I don’t carry mess into other areas of the house.

This is also another downside to having the table where it is. It is directly opposite the door into the hallway so I am continually vacuuming uo bits of thread that carry into that area with me.

I have another table on my wish list for my birthday so that I can finally sew with the coverstitch without having to move it into position. That and cube storage for under the big window.

Both will be perfect and will finish off the decoration nicely I think. Then it is just a matter of concentration on what creations to display.

[cybele727]

While back I got demoted from DR to basement. I started eeking myself back up to DR. Oh I will just be up here for this project. Oh I am starting a new one. Oh I am mid project. LOL

Basement is bad for several reasons: light, temperature, and dirt.

For temp, we have a space heater for my toes.

For light, I have overhead fluro and an ottlite at the table. I’d copy the link but for some reason, I can’t get links to work on the forum. It is the craft caddy ottlite and I do like the light.

What I want though is a lite that really really is out of the way but illuminates the sewing and magnifies it. These eyes are getting old.

We solved the dirt problem with stapling plastic to the “ceiling”/floor jousts. Yay me. 🙁 Now when people walk over head if it rains 100 year old dirt, it gets caught by the plastic.

The first room that gets free in my house will become my sewing room, even if I have to kill to make it happen. 😉

So post your beautiful rooms and suggestions, because I will be stealing all your creative ideas and style when it comes time.