Do you get up from your sewing machine fuzzy and off-balance? Working too long and too hard, too often goes with being self-employed. Fortunately, there are some reasonable fixes to keep us healthier (and saner, a bonus to family/ friends).

We tend to curl into close work at our machines, for hand sewing, etc. (my relaxation is reading and knitting, which doesn’t help). This is hard on our backs and necks, and that tension brings arm and hand aches. Aim for positions that encourage good posture with joints at 90° angles.

Moving around is good. I used to think setting up my sewing machine, serger, and press so I could work by swiveling my chair would be more efficient. I’m in better shape when I have to get up and move several feet from one work area to the next. If your balance is good enough, stand to sew or serge.

There are commercial tables that will angle your machine.

A couple of honking big doorstops (not dainty standard ones) will do the same and can do double-duty for your tablet or computer keyboard. The optimal angle is 11-12°.

As I don’t need computerized and/or industrial machines, I sew on a late-50s Singer 411G - gear drive, built-in stitches, double-needle capacity. I converted it from an electric back to a treadle (the first thing I did was rewire the light) and ergonomically-engineered its cabinet. I get exercise while I sew and have superb control! There’s more power in my (formerly thunder-) thigh muscles than in a motor that will fit in any home machine head.

If you’re interested in a treadle conversion, you must have the head that was cast with a belt slot. There are still a few around. They’re beloved by Amish communities and folks who cope with third-world conditions.

Alternately, you may have inherited or been lucky enough to find an old straight-stitch treadle machine. (my mom taught me to sew on one when I was seven). It’s possible to put lumber under the back legs to tip it to that 11-12°, but rock it a little to be sure it’s stable.

My studio has color-balanced fluorescent lights, and I haven’t had SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) in the winter since I started using them.

See the plants? They clean the air as well as turn my used breath into oxygen.

When you know you’re headed into an intense project, set a kitchen timer to remind you to stop and gently stretch every 20-30 minutes. Stay hydrated! If you drink a glass of water whenever you get up, your body will remind you of your next break. Notice where you’re carrying tension and shake it out. Think what you might alter.

Don’t eat at your machine. Take time to sit somewhere else and relax. If possible, go for a walk. You’ll more than make up the time “wasted” by greater energy and an increased attention span.

If moving around is difficult for you, at least gently stretch and do range-of-motion exercises with your arms and hands.

Think about what you could fix right now, and ponder how you could reset your routines or your studio down the road. You’ll be less apt to get up and fall on your face after a marathon project.

Written by Carol Kimball