I love this site and I need some help/advice. I recently broke my chair that I sit in to sew. I bought a new chair and thought it would be okay. However, it isn't high enough. I have it adjusted as high as I can get it to go and I have two chair pads in the seat part to boost me up. I'm still too low. The counter where I sew is not a high counter, it is lower than a bathroom counter. Anyway, can any one help me?? I picked several different chairs and none went high enuf to boost me up. I'm 5'2" tall so I'm not that short. Please help or suggest something I can try. I used a phone book until I fell trying to sit down in the chair, chair rolled and I fell. Thanks for any help you can give. nancy11442

This makes me laugh because as someone who's 5' 10", I'm always having the opposite problem :)

If you have a non-rolling chair, you could put it on bed risers. Figure out how much higher the chair needs to be, then find bed risers that are that height. A chair is one of our most important tools as quilters.

I was thinking about getting a lower surface for the machine.

Do they still make typewriter stands/tables? I find that to be about the perfect height for a machine.

Some work tables (from office furniture stores) can be adjusted for height, too.

I didn't read all of this to find out how expensive it is, but it sure would be handy if more than one person is using the equipment

http://www.anthro.com/furniture.aspx...FQPsKgodWU8RfA

I am 5'1" and this is always a problem for me. I purchased two banquet type tables from Wal Mart and had a friend cut off the legs with a pipe cutter, about 3-4" to make them low enough for my machines to be at the correct height. Your chair has to be low enough for you to reach the foot pedal comfortably, so raising the chair would not be a good solution.

What about a wheelchair thick foam cushion. I'm in a wheelchair, and also 5'2", and I have to take that out in order to sew. I have a microfiber pillowcase on it, and it doesn't slide around much at all. Nothing like a phone book would.

Thank you all so much. I'll try the wheelchair pad. My chair rolls, so bed risers isn't an option. I, too, have a "table" @ my MI house for the sewing machine. However, this is a counter-top that runs the width of my room and is fastened to the wall, so there's no moving that or raising it or lowering it. The chair I had before, could be raised higher than this chair. It's an office chair and much more expensive than the one I broke. Maybe I'll go buy a cheap chair!! Sorry, bad joke. Thanks again....I love the caring people on this sight!!

Have your ever considered standing while sewing? I do. Someone told me she stands because her back hurts. I don't have any back problems, but if I sit too long, my feet swell. I put bed risers under my sewing table and I stand while sewing.

I have this on my computer chair and it definitely makes me taller in the chair.
http://www.isokineticsinc.com/mm5/me...Category_Code=

You might find a cheap chair at a store that has second hand office furniture. I got a big plastic carpet protector there too.

You might be able to fix your good chair. They make replacement parts for nuematic types. I am sure that is not spelled right. I have a very expencive chair that My husband bought at the Relax the Back store. Over the years the part that makes it go up and down has lost all its oomph. I did a google search and there are parts out there for them. Another clever fix I found when searching was to use PVC or something that can be put in when the chair is the height you want it. I think they cut it in half or something then used pipe clamps to put it back together. Might be an idea.

Let me know if that wheelchair pad works. My poor butt would be real sore if I didn't use it. So might even make your quilting comfortable on the tushie. LOL

I am tall, but I use my dining room table for sewing so I too had to raise up my chair height. Part of my problem is if I sit too low, my knees are up in the air! Not very good ergonomically speaking. It makes it hard to get up, out of the chair.
I found some pillow forms at my fabric store that are about 15" square and 4" thick. They are quite firm. I put 2 together and made a zippered cover to hold them together. The fabric I used is upholstery grade.
Now I'm considering bringing my "pillow" to church too!

I found a piano bench at a furniture resale shop. It works well with the table I keep my sewing machine.

One of the ladies in my quilting group brings her covered square/pillow with her wherever she goes.

Oh, I just bought a chair at Office Depot this weekend for 79.00, the chair raises to 22.5 inches. I am 5'1" and have been having terrible neck pain.

It must be me, but when I free motion quilt on my Janome 1600DBX I find that I am really pushing down on the table to get the quilt to "move". I use a slider, gloves and have the table that is made for this sewing machine. The height of the table is 29.5 inches. Does anyone else find themselves doing this?

Guess I am short in the britches.
JulieM