I have read and heard many quilters say they can't sew in their sewing room when someone is sleeping in another room because it will wake them up. I don't understand that. If the bedroom door is shut how can anyone hear you sewing? None of my machines are loud enough to wake anyone. Cutting and pressing doesn't make any noise. Just curious why someone sleeping would stop me from sewing. A white noise machine works great to block all outside noise from a light sleeper.

My older Singer sounds like a machine gun. My Bernina is very quiet.

I have seven sewing machines - from antiques to 2008 - my Janome 1600P is the noisiest - especially the auto thread cutter - CHUNK - but you're right, a white noise machine (room air filtering) would work for drowning out any sewing noise drifting through the walls!

LOL........... I thought you meant how NOISY DO I GET when I am sewing. I hand sew so there is no machine noise but when something goes wrong you can hear me yelling all the way to Guam. Lets just say the words are not fix for young ears!!!!!!!!!

My machines are pretty quiet... I don't think anyone would hear them in another room or downstairs.

My DH doesn't seem to be bothered by my using my sewing machine (Brother CS-6000i), and certainly handwork or cutting are generally quiet activities, unless something goes wrong and one needs to vent :) (such as a bird landing on your head or a cat nudging your hand at a bad moment).

DH kept saying he could hear kitchen noise after he went to bed, cabinets opening, dishwasher, ice maker, microwave, etc. We replaced the bedroom door with a solid steel door with no gap under the doorway. It was like soundproofing the room. No sounds at all disturbs him now. My FIL used a white noise machine when he was here with us. He slept in the afternoons when the house was full of kids/pets/visitors and no sounds bothered him with the machine on.

If I forget to oil my machine regularly it gets pretty loud because it's getting some wear on it. The new one is pretty quiet, but I sew fast so it makes extra noise. No one's complained about it though. I don't know that it would do them any good to complain. I'd probably just say, "I put up with everything you do so deal with it."

I love the idea of changing out bedroom doors. Great. I wonder if that adds to firebreaking as well.

I have several loud machines and two quiet(er) ones. The loudest is a Brother. The quietest is either a Bernina or a Janome made machine.

I've sewn right next to someone watching TV (had the machine on the coffee table) and didn't hear any complaints about it. I think some people are just sensitive to machine noise. I can relate because noisy fridges and vacuums drive me bonkers.

We live in an apartment that I would swear has no insulation in the walls. We can hear everything that goes on in the building so I keep my sewing to the day light hours.

My machine is quiet - but my cursing when the flipping thing doesn't work will wake the dead. lol

I like to listen to TV and be free to rattle around my space at will. So when honey had to sleep during off hours, I would generally not be in the sewing room.

My DH sleeps thru anything!! I sew with and play music til all hours and he doesn't hear a thing. The only thing that wakes the dog is opening the refrigerator door--I think he's upstairs asleep and look down there he is!!

My cat sleeps just fine with all the noise. :)
I crank up the tunes while I am in my sewing room. My sewing machine isn't any louder that the industrial one I used to use.

I use my machines on different floors from where my hubby is - so no problem

My treadles are sorta quiet, not that noisy but the clickity-clack of the vibrating shuttle and the occasional squeak and clunk of the treadle its self. But all of the sounds are very soothing when put together.

Now when I am in my studio I usually have the surround sound rocking. My neighbors are okay with me working with the tunes cranked because I have been working in my garage with the doors up all night long and never had the first complaint but I am on an acre of land and I am tucked away behind the house.

Billy

ME TOO!

Mine is on a wooden table and when I sew fast it sounds like a hammer banging :roll: And since my son sleeps in the basement under me.. when he sleeps I don't sew :cry:

The old Kenmore is LOUD!!! The new brother is quiet. I bought a role of the mesh you line your kitchen drawers with. I cut a piece to fit under my machine. It helps with that machine gun sound and the machine doesn't move either.

For, it's not my machines..... it's the radio, or better yet ( or, worse, depending on who you ask...) is my singing! I never close the door, my dog is hyper attached, and whines if she can't see me, she doesn't come into the sewing room, she doesn't like the wood floor, so stands at the door and watches...

Yup that's me too. My machine is quiet, so if the door is closed the most you will hear is a little hum. MIL has to have COMPLETE darkness to sleep not even a bit of light around the door. We had to remove her bedroom door so the wheelchair would fit, so once she goes to bed, I have to go back up stairs.

I make too much noise!
My sewing room is off the master bedroom through an arch. This room is considered a retreat or office and here isn't a door. The light and noise bothers DH so I have to quit when he goes to bed.

It wasn't my original sewing room. The switch happened when we brought the Grace frame home. There is a sliding glass door and it was the easiest place to put the frame. (I bought it used so it was mostly together and too large to move easily). Little by little my sewing got brought in because it was handier to have it all together.

I have a bedroom at the other end of the house that I was my craft room. I would like to make it back into my sewing room. I just have to find the time and energy to move all the stuff.

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have really old Singers, but my kids actually like to hear the sewing machines. My 6-year old begs me to stay in the sewing room while she goes to sleep- a comfort sound I guess? It's tough, but I try to comply!! ;-)

Awwww. That's cute. :)

I sew after my DGD goes to bed and it doesn't keep her awake.

I use a 301A at guild and it is easily the quietest machine in the room. Much quieter than any of the new machines and I can still hear most of the conversations going on in the room. For the last 30 years my dogs and cats have never voiced an opinion.

I have never had any complaints - hope you find a solution

My machine noise is moderate, but I do talk to myself....

Yup that's me too. My machine is quiet, so if the door is closed the most you will hear is a little hum. MIL has to have COMPLETE darkness to sleep not even a bit of light around the door. We had to remove her bedroom door so the wheelchair would fit, so once she goes to bed, I have to go back up stairs.[/quote]


Could you put a heavy curtain over the door when your MIL goes to sleep that keep her in the dark but doesn't force you upstairs?

My Singer 6022 is sooo oisy (150 from walmart years ago) but when I got my Janome 8077 from Hancocks my daughter was VERY happy. I can sew and she can still hear the TV. My 1600 P-QC is in the front room (we have 2 living rooms one is front room and other has tv we call living room) and doesn't bother anyone.

I'm so glad this was brought up. We are just finishing a master bedroom addition, and my craft/sewing room was to be the room right next to the bedroom. Now I am having second thoughts about that. I often have sleep issues and would not be able to sew at night if I had my room right there next to the bedroom. There is no door. I'll have to give this some serious thought. Thanks for this eye-opening discussion.

Do you sew in your sleep?

The last house we built, the bathrooms were on the other side of the wall from our Family Room, we had the entire wall insulated so the shower running would not interfere with my husband's TV watching. It worked great. Just a thought.

Good for you Raptureready! I keep the door shut when I sew and no one complains. The only issue my husband has is if I leave my door open and the light bothers him if the bedroom door is open too.

Fortunately, my DH can sleep through anything once he goes to sleep! Also, it's nice that the sewing room isn't close to the bedrooms!

Yes, that's what I was going to say. Except for the salty language, sewing with my Janome MC4800 is very quiet. However, the mini-Janome I got so I could piece blocks and keep DH company before TV drowns out the TV.

That mesh does help...you can even get it at the dollar store...I have it under my embroidery machine and it does cut down the sound. It is also under the Juki, but it is hard to tell...if I'm running it at normal speed, it's fine but at high speed...it's industrial...and the thread cutter does make a kinda loud noise...

My machine isn't too bad, so it doesn't seem to bother anyone.

My DH used to tool leather after I went to bed, and I got used to that pounding and could sleep right thru it.

I put thick rubber computer mouse pads under my machines. Muffles the noise and keeps them from "walking" all over my sewing areas!

My machine is downstairs, so it doesn't bother anyone. My son, on the other hand keeps me up playing video games in his room. I keep a fan on low and just that little bit of white noise gives my ears something to concentrate on so I'm not awakened by him. Works like a charm!

i bought my machines. i pay the mortgage.

i sew whenever i darn well please.

however, when the dustbunnies are asleep, i very politely wait to do dishes so all the rattle and clatter doesn't disturb them.

ain't i a sweetie-pie? :mrgreen: