I am currently doing my sewing in a small bedroom upstairs (1 1/2 story house) that is on the Southwest side of the house. It gets unbearable in that room by early afternoon. I am thinking about moving everything to the basement where it is much cooler. I run a dehumidifier down there all the time. Do you think it will harm my machines to be in the basement full time?

I sewed in my basement for years. Never had any dehumdifier at all. Never had any machine problems.

not if you keep the dehumidifier going

We dont have basements in texas!!!

I never had problems...you should be fine

I sew in the basement with no problems

I moved to the basement last year. It's great. My previous sewing room was so incredibly unbearable in the summer that I wouldn't sew from June to September.

Now dh has the room as a computer room and loves the heat. Strange people-might be that I have a whole lot more insulation. I outweigh him be ~45 pounds.

I've been sewing in the basement for 10 years--I have 6 machines down there and no problems with any of them. I don't run a dehumidifier, but mine is a walkout basement and it's heated and air conditioned. I love it, especially in the summer!

My sewing room for years was the entire finished basement. Sometimes we used a dehumidifier and sometimes we didn't. I never had a problem. Last summer I moved upstairs to a spare bedroom that faces north. I am so much happier now that I am upstairs. I didn't like not having windows or being isolated downstairs. My space has been drastically reduced, but it is so worth it. Maybe you could put blinds up to reduce the heat. Just make sure it is really what you want. It is a lot of work moving everything. Good luck in whatever you decide.

I would make sure that all your fABRIC is up off the floor and if there is no storage, make sure to have it in Rubbermaid totes with their lids closed tight if your in a flooding area. :)

Do you have heat in the basement? My sewing room is in the basement
but too cold to sew in the winter.

Thanks everyone! My basement is not finished (downside!). However it is very dry and I have access to the TV down there (upside). We are putting our house on the market and at least I won't have that mess in that bedroom. I did have a blind on the window, but the house should have had two a/c installed to handle that load. I know it is going to be like moving day when we move everything down there. My fabric will be in totes, just because I don't want anything to happen to it and don't want any "basement" smell to affect the fabric either. I will really get jealous when I see all the pretty sewing rooms that people have! But since we want to sell the house, I don't want to finish the basement either.

If your washing machine is down there, I would store everything up a ways off of the floor, just in case :wink: :D:D:D

We have a finished closet down there that I can put everything in totes and put on the shelves. I will just have to mark the totes so that I don't have to move everything when I want to find a particular fabric.

Another question, when I store fabric in totes should I use those moisture control thingys with the fabric? I save them from my asthma medicines and have a lot.

Me too

Can you leave your stash upstairs? Just have what you currently need in the basement. My sewing room is also on the 2nd floor, and TOO warm. I'm thinking of just moving my machine to the dining room (unused unless we have company) for the summer. Not as convenient, but at least I'll be able to sew past 1pm.

I sewing a sub basement... we run a dehumidifier part time, as needed...

I doubt u will have a problem.....
come on DOWN to the BASEMENT baby!!!!

I have one in Lubbock. But I don't sew in it. That's dh's mancave. :-D :-D

I love my basement sewing room, it is soooo much cooler. With the iron on( its always surprising how much heat accumulates) its just too hot for a upstairs bedroom. Lots of room , plus when I 'm done I just walk away and the rest of the house still looks "normal".
I do run a dehumidifier this time of year. But in the winter I have a space heater that supliments the regular heating system. But beleive it or not the iron being on in the winter ... its not long before its warmed up.

All my craft and sewing area is downstairs and I love it. It is a dry basement but we still run a dehumidifier. Also...... while it is not finished, I painted the walls a cheery yellow AND painted the floor (much easier to clean).... and have made it a very cute place to be. I LOVE it and highly recommend painting at least the walls..... it made a HUGELY Beautiful difference!

My sewing room is in the basement. We keep a dehumidifier running. The only thing I miss is the natural sunlight...no windows.

No, you may put them in a bag and hang it up. It will draw the moisture out of the air. You may have to dump the water out. Ask me how I know this. :roll:

I also sew in my basement, but I don't have any dampness problem. I would keep the dehumidifier going and cover the machine when not in use.

I sew in my basement -- but then it is finished and there are other finished rooms down there. I don't have issues with dampness in this house, but I did in the house we lived in before (I was also in the basement). If you have dampness I would make sure to run the dehumidifier. In my previous house, even the totes got a smell and I had to pitch a bunch of fabric.

I am a basement dweller and love it. The boys have their man cave on one side and I have the girl cave on the other. that's what my gd calls it. It is not finished, , painted cinderblock walls and a cement floor, put down some area rugs from walmart, we run a dehumidifier, more in the summer than the winter. Temp is great in summer a little cold in winter, but only need a sweatshirt cold. I have three machines, down there and all my stash, havent' had an issue yet. I keep fabric on wood bookcases with curtains to keep out as much dust as possible. I do keep my machines covered when not in use to keep down the dust also. Thought about putting it upstairs but have more room in the basement and everyone forgets I am down there and leaves me alone. Perfect.

Lots of us basement folks!!! I LOVE my studio, in walkout basement no problem with humidity, but if you do or think you might I would keep that dehumidifier running. But you will enjoy the experience!!

I would think the moisture control thingys wouldn't hurt. But if the basement is dry you should be ok. I sew in the basement and have had no problems with my machines or fabric.

It sounds like a super duper idea to me.


debra

really? but you have tornadoes! :shock:

I used to sew in the basement in a little corner of my small laundry area. I didn't quilt then, but I did do a lot of sewing. It was great in the summer- nice and cool and my laundry was always done! But when my son moved out I took his bedroom. So much more space and I can just shut the door. But in the summer it gets TOO hot up there. I would sew in the morning before it got too bad. If I was piecing, I could turn the fan on me to keep cool. Now that I have a FW, I can take it somewhere cooler to sew and I take projects to the lake house and sew a lot there in the evenings or when the weather is not good outside. I wouldn't move my stuff back to the same spot in the basement on a bet! The space is
Waaaay too small now!

My sewing studio is in the basement. I run a dehumidifer constantly and when my neighbor came in the other day she said, "Wow! Your basement is so nice and cool and not musty smelling like mine." She said she runs a dehumidifier too, but I don't think she is vigilent about it. Just don't store things on the floor if it is cement. I have a laminate floor and love it. No cardboard allowed or anything like that which could absorb moisture.

Always lived in Fl or Al. so never had a basement, but several people have posted pics of their basement sewing rooms.

My sewing room is in my basement too and it is nice and cozy and cool there when the summer weather gets warm... although these days we are dealing with nasty rain/drizzle/fog..RDF... sigh..... peasoup fog at that.. although today, despite the overcast day it is actually warm out there.

I sew in the basement now and don't have a problem. I gave me more room to work and I love it. Especially in the summer heat.

My sewing room was in the basement for years and so was my washer and dryer. It made it easy to wash fabric and do laundry and not forget them. Loved it down there.

Thanks, you just wrote exactly what my words would have been...
I love it down there... cool and wonderful walk-out with a patio and lots of sun coming in for the early morning....
Proud of my Hubby, putting up walls to create a great sewing room for me>>>

If you keep it warm and dry and have enough light I don't see any reason that you can't work in the basement.

I am in the basement and have had no problems. I do have a few humid days in the summer but does not seem to affect my machines.

I've had my sewing room in both the basement and upstairs.

I liked the basement for the summertime (and it was a HUGE room), but the rest of the year I like upstairs (in a much smaller room). I like the sun's natural light when I'm working. The basement was just too darned dark.

So my room is now back upstairs. Probably will always stay here even though it's so much smaller.

We're arid here (Idaho) so never had a need for a humidifier. I love our weather!

yup that is where mine is in the basement.. 1/4 of my basement is finished, but that is the kids play room, my laundry room is being finished as we speak, I am in a room that will be come a bedroom some time in the future....
Never have a problem, have heat and air down there.