Originally Posted by Sewnoma

I have a tendency to hunch my shoulders up while I sew, which gives me a lot of back & shoulder pain and cuts my sewing sessions short, so I've been trying different seats to see if that would help.

I bought one of those saddle-seat stools where you sort of straddle the stool. The seat is tilted forward a bit and so it forces me to lean back a bit, which helps keep my shoulders down and my back straight. It feels GREAT on my back but unfortunately presses uncomfortably on the hip socket I had replaced a few years back, so I couldn't stick with it. (Now it's my DH's stool for playing drums on our Rock Band game, LOL)

Now I have a balance ball and I sure wish I'd bought this first! (Cost me about $25, as opposed to about $200 for the saddle stool.) The one I bought is a tiny bit too low for my sewing station but I want to use it a little longer before I buy a second, larger one (and they do come in various sizes so I can get the next size up no problem). It's surprisingly comfortable to sit on, and it also forces me to sit with my shoulders back to keep my balance, so I can sew longer with less shoulder fatigue. I do sort of miss having a back rest because I was in the habit of leaning back on it while lining up fabrics in my hands, but I think I needed to lean back just because I was sore. I'm not sore now but the habit is still there and I've about tipped myself off backwards a couple times because of it, LOL. It's kind of fun to sit on, I catch myself absent-mindedly bouncing myself up and down on it if I pause in my sewing to think a bit, which is a good thing, every little bit of exercise helps and I think the extra movement helps keep me from getting stiff and sore. I catch myself starting to slouch all the time; the ball just doesn't allow that to happen without messing up my balance and forcing me to pay attention to and correct how I'm sitting.

I haven't done any "marathon" sewing sessions since I got it - I want to spend a couple long days on it and see how I feel. If it works as well as it seems it will, I'll buy one the next size up for my sewing station and move the one I have upstairs to be my office "chair" for my computer & drawing desk.

I should probably mention I'm rather heavy, so I bought a ball that's rated for 2,000 lbs!! I don't weigh nearly THAT much, and that way I can plop down on it and bounce around on it fearlessly. And if I ever decide to actually exercise with it, I can do that too without any worries about popping it. It came deflated, with a foot-pump that is designed to prevent over-inflation; I haven't had to add more air since I first inflated it. I've had it about a month so far.

Plus it rolls right under my sewing table - takes up far less room than my chair does, which is another benefit.

Originally Posted by GEMRM

I have to second this opinion - the ball is the best thing I have ever used to sit at a sewing machine. And when you stand up, it rolls a little ways away, out of the way, so I can move to the cutting board or ironing board easily.

Originally Posted by NoraB

I've seen some pictures of folks' sewing room organization and was wondering what that "disc" is. It is blue and looks like it sets upon a chair seat.....kind of like a half ball........what is it called and how do you like it? I've seen the exercise balls and this kind of sounds like it does the same thing.......which do you like?

I tend to raise my shoulders when I sew....so you know at the end of the day, I feel like I need someone to press down on my shoulder blades ....have you seen this device that you wear (it has a weight around the lower back)........does anyone use it and does it seem to help? I don't want to end up "stooped"...but between sewing and the computer...it seems like I always have my shoulders "up"! Thanks -- Nora