janjanq, I had the same issues. My husband built me a wooden platform that I put the foot pedal on. This allows me to raise the chair to the correct height. I also have short legs and they were not long enough to bend at the knees. My original chair, a Bernina, had a seat that was 19" deep. I could not sit back to sew. I purchased a Koala chair at a recent quilt show. It measures 17" deep. That 2 inches made a world of difference. I can now sew with no lower back pain. I am 5'2".