For the last few weeks, while I've been FMQing, my neck and shoulders have been sooo tight and stiff. I just got back from the chiropractor and man what a difference!!! He adjusted both sides of my neck, left shoulder, and mid thoracic.

He asked me "what the heck have you been doing to cause this tightness!!". I said quilting.

He said "you mean like little old ladies do?"

"Watch it buster!! I resemble that remark!!"

I really need to fix my quilting setup. My machine is far too high. I just raised my chair and tried a few lines and it's not good enough.

Yeah, I know about this problem. I had my machine on top of the cabinet for another machine, but it was way too high. We moved the cabinet out of the sewing room and moved a gate leg table in, which is much lower. Gone is the shoulder and neck pain!!

Oh you poor thing. I ended up putting a firm pillow on my chair seat in order to get it high enough. I also have an RX for muscle relaxants (LOL)

Massage therapist just told me to quick hunching over my work. I've made a concious effort to sit up straight, shoulders back when piecing and it's really helping.

I usually just end up with very sore thumb joints

I feel your pain, literally!! I have been asked the same question by 2 different chiropractors... what are you doing to cause this much damage to your body??? Can you limit the time you sew to maybe just 30- 45 mins.... As I am ROFLOL at the last remark.. I am certain, he hasn't met many quilters lately!!!

My chair is as high as it can go and is very comfortable and supportive, I use 2 heavy duty banquet tables for my sewing tables, and I love all the room they afford. Both chair and table are pefect... but not for me!!
Problem:Banquet tables are too high, the amount that could be cut off the legs isn't going to help me much. I can't drop the machines into the table because of the leg structure underneath. I have been searching everywhere for the 'perfect' table height but so far haven't found one that works for me. I love all the room on my banquet tables and love my chair.... gee, obviously the problem is ME! :lol:
I am watching this topic with interest... hope someone has a great idea on how to match, chair to table, to machine to person!:lol: Hope that makes sense!

A student's backpack with two pound weights in it has made my thoracic region much happier while FMQ. I had the weights, otherwise I'd gone outside and picked up some rocks. The backpack was 25 cents at a garage sale.

I have my machine up high! Put it there because hunching over a lower machine really hurt my upper back and neck and shoulders. My seat is low and my machine high. A side benefit is when I'm doing complex quilting and standing helps me keep the bulk of the fabric in the right place I can do so easily.

I used a ball to sit on while sewing for years after a roll over in an RV and a sacrum injury. It keeps you a bit lighter all around (think it would be different, but....).

Also, we have hand rails on both sides going up to our apartment and I use those to do a stretch a massage therapist told me to do.... put one foot up a few steps, lean forward against that upper leg and push forward and up and around to standing, stretching my chest out as I go. It is a wonderful way to relieve that ache caused by leaning forward so much. You can do the same using a door, but the stairs work better.

Well, when I demonstrated (sans machine, quilt or table - kinda like "air guitar" quilting) he told me that wants my hands to be a height somewhere between my belly button and my last rib. Right now my hands are about even with my arm pits. MUCH too high.

I know this sounds stupid (to him - perhaps not to you guys) but I'm almost done quilting this quilt. I don't want to make any changes to my set up now. My "muscle memory" is there.

as soon as I'm done though I'm getting out the jig saw!!

I've thought of using one of those. I've seen the weighted harnesses before and figured a back pack would work just as well.

I think this will help me keep my back straight and my shoulders up and back - but I still need to adjust the height of the machine. I'm only 5' tall and I have a machine sitting on the top of a 30" table. What I need is a bar stool!!