I have a sewing room that's 10x14' w/a bay window & I get the sun on it most of the day. I shut off the heat vent, installed a short bladed ceiling fan, & put daylight led lites in it. This has seemed to solve most of my problems. I still need more room but I'm just happy to now have a dedicated sewing room.:cool: Although this morning it's -17 degrees so not sure about the heat vent being closed.

Can you pipe some of that warmth to southern Ohio?? With the wind chill it is -5 degrees! Even with wood burning and electric heat on it is still cold in my house! Oh, and my sexy outfit for today you ask?? Long johns, sweat suit, socks and crocs....Oh yeah, I'm sexxxxy! LOLOL

Yeah, mine gets warm, too, plus when you add in hot flashes, it's downright hot. I just open and case the window as needed. If you don't have a window, I'd get a fan.

I tend to be the warmest person in the room. So when I have 3 people in my sewing room, I use a tower fan under my sewing machine that blows directly on my legs. And if that's not enough, another fan on my face. I'm well past menopause but still get power surges. Also, I ask if anyone else is warm. If yes then on goes the ceiling fan (but if it's fast enough for me, it blows everying around).
The room's general lighting is floresent lights that are wired with a regular outlet plug. They have full spectrum bulbs. They're about 16 inches long and can sit on any flat surface or be hung on nails. They have a frosted cover over the light so it isn't a glaring light. I got them at Orchard Supply Hardware. Being portable, they can also be used for a light table.
Then for pressing: my big board is on a butcher's type shelving unit with castors. When there are friends over (or it's a hot day), it is moved into the hallway (very close to the thermostat-I wonder if that's the reason it helps so much) to get rid of a heat source and make more space in the room. If my project requires pressing after every seam, I use the Clover mini wand, it uses 1/60th the amount of power as a regular iron.
Today the outside temp is 68 F, so I open the window. Then there's ice tea. Staying hydrated helps. I usually wear cotton. No shoes or socks. And the most comfortable underware. Or a thin cotton loose fitting dress, with the fan blowing up my dress. These are desperation measures. Hubby won't let me lower the AC temp as low as I'd like- too much $. He says very little about $ spent on my hobby, so it's a small trade off.

Alison,

I laughed when I read your post! I read "Hot Craft Room Help" just the way it was intended......I must be getting OLD!

There was a day I would have seen it the way you did........lol

I have that problem in the summer and my ceiling fan works well. Now, in Wisconsin, my room is freezing!!! Yikes maybe I could ship you some cold air your way

I know what you mean, my ac vent blows right at my work area and it is open to the fullest. If you are in a cold climate where the heater is going you may want to partially close it when this occurs, or a small portable fan, I installed fluorescent bulbs which helped but usually the most machines I have going are 2 at a time, opening a window wouldn't help much in hot and humid Florida.
Pat

I had a similar problem in my basement studio (in Florida where it is hot most of the time). I had 4 ceiling fans and a dehumidifier (which adds heat when it runs but in Florida the humidity is high nearly all of the time). I had a window but that added heat and humidity when open so I finally got a window A/C unit that will keep my room under 80 most of the time. The fans do help and I also set a small fan in front of the A/C and pointed the fan up on an angle. That kept the cold air from blowing on me when I am at my Bernina right in front of it and cooled the air near my Pfaff and sergers. I keep my iron as far away as possible which also helps. Sometimes when I know I will be ironing large amounts, I put up my ironing board with a second iron in the adjacent room. I hope all the ideas you get here on the QB cool your room

It is the iron that warms up my room. I look forward to turning it on in the winter months but it is a bear in the summer months. I have my sewing sanctuary upstairs in a slanted ceiling farmhouse. The heat has nowhere to rise with pitched ceilings.

Sandy