FMQ - Shoulders go up & tight
 

Hey Y'all,

I just spent the entire day FMQ a baby quilt. I noticed that I have to constantly remind myself to relax my shoulders. They just seem to naturally go Up when I'm quilting. Not comfortable! I tried raising my chair up a bit, but I'm 5 ft tall and have to put a box lid underneath the machine cabinet to reach the floor now. hahaha! Any thoughts or advise on how to keep them down & relaxed? I'm pretty experienced doing the FMQ, so it's not a tension over that. I really enjoy the quilting! But oh my aching back...

Thanks!
Donna Mc

I have all the same problem and issues you have. It all describes me perfectly. I want to cut a hole into the desk that I use for my machine. I think that if the machine was lower, it would take away some of the stress and tension of the neck, shoulders and back.

I too have this problem. My husband lowered my table so that I'm up a little higher and it really helps. I'm short and have my chair the highest as well.

i have that problem, too. sure wish i could have a cabinet with a recessed machine.

Have you tried standing up to see if that gives you enough height? I'm 5'2", so I know what you mean. Or sit on a telephone book to see if a higher chair would help.

I found that placing my machine on my cutting table so I could quilt standing up got rid of that problem for me. Dh made a styrofoam surround for my machine so I would have a large flat surface for the quilt. The styrofoam is very light; I store it upright between the wall and my regular sewing machine cabinet.

I just got a Babylock Sashiko machine a couple of days ago, and I am doing the same thing, a bit less since I started sitting on two pillows on the chair to raise myself up. The machine ontop of the dining room table is too high for the height of the dining room chair, which forced me to work with my arms up high.

I find my shoulders get less tired if I raise my chair. I do sometimes put a box on the floor for my feet as they barely reach the floor with my chair that high. Also the Machinger gloves and Supreme Slider help me a lot. Around here the LQS don't carry the larger Supreme slider. It was well worth the money.

Definitely the importance of getting the chair up, and/or machine down.
Likewise machingers.

Another to have a flat surface out from the machine bed.
Otherwise, the quilt draping down off will create drag, which in effect,
causes you to work harder to keep it in place for you to continue FMQing.
Thus, shoulder problems.

Then consider how you are "looking" at what you are doing.
That's my problem, as I have the above figured out.
I tend to scrunch my head down/forward to see where I am laying those stitches.
In effect, I am scrunching those shoulders .... and yowzers!

Biggest solution for all .... take breaks regularly!!
But gee ... when I get in the zone and am FMQ/zooming along, I love the sense of it ....
............ and do not want to stop! :)