And now we come to the third and final installment in our series on ergonomics for quilters and sewists. In our first article we examined how to properly adjust your cutting table, sewing table, and sewing chair to keep your hips, back and neck in proper alignment and prevent fatigue and pain. In the second installment, Larkin Van Horn offered exercizes to stretch and strengthen stitch-cramped hands and fingers, and we introduced a new DVD from the folks who brought us the film Stitched, called Stretching for Quilters. Today, we’re going to look at some specific products out there that are made to give you and all your aching parts (or at least the ones you sew with) a break.
There are literally tons of ergonomic tools on the market that can assist in safe sewing efforts. And not all tools are equal in their abilities to cure the aches and pains. Here is a sampling of a few of our favorites, tested and tried several times over. Of course every person’s needs and bodies are unique and what works for us may not for you. As we always, always say: At the end of the day, it’s all about what does work for YOU.
Olisso Smart Iron. Jake’s been using this one for years and can attest to its remarkable ability to ease the pressure on her wrists and arms. Jake has had carpal tunnel syndrome for years–not enough to keep her from stitching–but every little trick helps keep her at the machine. The reason the Olisso works so well for her is that it has a sensor in the grip that tells the iron when you’re using it. This iron sits soleplate down on the surface and when you’re not touching its grip, its risers lift it about a half inch from the surface. When you touch the grip, the iron lowers onto the surface and you press away. This eliminates the need to constantly raise and lower a heavy iron for your work. It does take some getting used to; our instinct it to lift it all of the time. But you’ll get it. Prices range from $129.99 to $199.99 depending on the model.
TrueCut My Comfort Cutter by The Grace Company. At a full-on test session earlier this year with our former magazine endeavor, we played with many versions of ergonomic rotary cutters and this one came out ahead of the pack for safety and ease of use. My Comfort Cutter has a funky shaped handle which will allow your wrist and hand to sit in a natural position while cutting. When you pair it with Grace’s Quilting Rulers, it’s a dynamite combo because the rulers and cutter are designed to work together. The cutter has a special lip which grips the raised edge of the ruler. The cutter can be used with any other ruler, but when locked along the edge of its partner, the cutter won’t shift. If you’re prone to the shakes, use too much pressure to cut, or maybe if you’re allowing your youngling to try her/his hand at cutting, this might be the answer. My Comfort Cutter starts at $24.99 and comes in several sizes.
Score Ergonomic Sewing Chair by the Reliable Corporation. Possibly the MOST important ergonomic item to invest in is your sewing chair. A bad chair can ruin your back in no time flat. A good chair allows for many adjustments and offers comfort into long hours of sewing. This one fits the bill. At $199.99 it’s a good buy and there’s a more portable model priced at $99.99.
The Sit Upon by The Gypsy Quilter. Lanette Edens, owner of the Gypsy Quilter, comes by her ideas from hard won experience. In this case, a weekend quilting retreat where she struggled with comfort in a metal folding chair caught the attention of a stitching neighbor who happened to be an physical therapist. This gal was sitting on a rubber cushion similar to The Sit Upon and loaned it to Lanette, who sailed through the rest of the weekend in glorious comfort. Turns out the PT used this cushion for her patients to help improve their posture and ability to sit for long periods. $28.95 from Lanette’s website.
Tiltable Sewing Set by Ergonomic Advantage. When you think about it, ergonomics is all about angles. The most natural angle relieves the need to twist and contort in painful ways. So with these products, which mount under your sewing machine and foot pedal, you can work at a correct angle for hand manipulation and vision. Voila! No more stress. The complete system (machine and foot pedal) costs $99.99. Both are available separately as well.
Connecting Threads Ergonomic Quilting Tools. Online and mail-order retailer Connecting Threads has a page on their website devoted to ergonomic tools for quilters, including the TrueCut My Comfort Cutter described above. In addition, they have two kinds of seam rippers, wrist and elbow support gloves and straps, and a microwaveable heat pack made especially for shoulders (which we are giving Megan for Christmas, since she has a bad habit of hunching her shoulders when she’s stressed).
So, TELL US: What ergonomic tools have you tried and which ones have worked for you?
COMMENT #1
Thank you for this series of posts, if I’m being honest the most I had thought about sewing ergonomics was blackmailing my man for a shoulder rub once I’d finished! I now know better….think I’ll still try for the shoulder rubs though.
COMMENT #
Oh yes…never give up on those neck rubs. Icing on the cake, we think!
COMMENT #2
I haven’t tried any of these, but I’m about to go out and buy them all!
COMMENT #3
I think using that rotary cutter would take more getting used to than the Oliso!
I’m an Oliso girl, though. It’s hard to transition back to other irons after getting used to the automatic lift. I want to mention that I have mine set to NOT use the grip sensor. Instead, mine raises after 10 seconds. It’s raiser to press binding and applique, to get the next piece or section ready without having to have a hand on the iron.
I do have a specific sewing chair, but not that one. Mine is by Heavenly Seating and costs more, but they are soooo nice!
COMMENT #4
Finally, an honest review of products that are not gimmicks! I use my Gypsy Sit Upon all the time — it’s great for those that sit at a computer all day too. The Oliso Iron and TrueCut system deliver everything promised as well. I really appreciate any little trick or tool that allows me to enjoy my craft more.
COMMENT #5
I am tall so working at my dining room table is the right height for me. My best investment in ergonomic tools are: 1. a high quality office chair on wheels to which I still added a cushion to raise the seat even higher, and 2. My June Taylor ShapeCut ruler. It’s the one that has a groove every 1/2 ” so I don’t have to use as much pressure with my rotary cutter because it’s like using training wheels – you can’t go off track.
COMMENT #6
The Sit Upon looks very interesting – I’ll have to go check that out. Lucky for me, one of my dining room chairs is the right height for my sewing machine. I have a pad under my foot pedal to keep it from walking around. I did try tilting my sewing machine, but then I found myself hunched over to put my eyes in the same relative position they were when it was flat! Go figure.
COMMENT #7
When I started quilting, I realized quite quickly that my old, worn-out chair wouldn’t be good for me at all. After an accident at work about 8 years ago, I have had big problems with my back anyway (and I’m only about to turn 29 – ouch!) so I needed to do something about it.
I went out to buy a new chair the next day, but couldn’t find one I felt comfy with for quite a few days. I actually ended up finding a chair for me at IKEA.
I added something similar like the Sit Upon to it and now, there are on problems with my back even when I’m sewing for half a day without any rest period.
I didn’t try anything else yet since I never had problems while cutting or pressing – but I think I might give the rotary cutter a try.
Thanks for this great series abput workroom ergonomics. I guess ewery quilter (or sewer/seamstress) will get to know something new to try out for themselves!
Greetings from Germany.
COMMENT #8
read all 3 installments. great tips! to those I would add the following:
-a sharp blade requires less effort. change it more often
-find a way to stabilize your machine pedal so that you are not straining to keep it in place. makes a huge difference.
-do not sit on chair with wheels. you will be straining to keep it in place.
-wear rubber tipped quilting gloves when quilting to alleviate strain on your hands. I also wear just one on my left
hand when i’m sewing large pieces of cloth together. it’ll require less effort to keep the weight if the cloth from pulling everything down.
-good task lighting!! prevents eye strain and headaches.