Ideas from Unlikely Sources

One of the things that I have always given relatively short shrift to in my sewing equipment is seating. I tend to perch on just about anything, and really paid it no mind because I am up and down so much to iron, I thought that what I was sitting on didn't really have much impact on me or my sewing.

That is one of the reasons that I was happily using the bench that came along with my 401 when I purchased it:


For one, it was the proper height to fit under the desk and still operate the knee control. On the other hand, it was as hard as a rock and had no back support.

Last year, after getting a little bit too obsessed with sewing, I noticed that my back was beginning to hurt on occasion. I assumed that it was my choice in seating, and decided to change my seating in the sewing room.

I tried standard office-type chairs, but even on their lowest setting were too tall to fit under the desk properly and still operate the knee control. I tried folding chairs, but they were too wide to pull up under the desk. Really, pretty much every chair in the house was in the sewing room at one time or another. But nothing really worked all that well or made sewing more comfortable.

Until....my husband asked me what I was up to with all the chairs in the sewing room and I explained to him that my sewing stool was making my back hurt.

My husband is a professional jazz musician, and many of his explanations of ANYTHING are tied to his experience as a musician. He pointed out that when I sat at the sewing machine, I sat like a drummer. Feet planted, leaning forward slightly, and low to the ground. So what I needed was a "drum throne." (He also pointed out that sometimes I stick my tongue out when I am concentrating really hard, just like his friend Joe, a drummer. But that was just pure meanness and immaterial to my search for proper seating!!)

While I liked the idea of my needing a throne, I had no clue what a "drum throne" was, or what it looked like. Here it is:


My husband got me a Roc-n-Soc and I have to say that it is EXACTLY what I needed. It sits low enough to the ground that I can operate the knee lever without feeling crowded. Because the seat spins, I can push the knee lever by just turning the seat slightly. It is well-padded, so it is comfortable to sit in. And, the seat is compact enough that it fits under the desk without forcing me to sit off-center from the machine needle. The best addition of all is the back support that my little stool did not have.

I know that lots of you also struggle with good seating in the sewing room, and with the many hours we spend in front of our machines, the last thing that we want is to settle for something that may or may not be the most comfortable, or the best for backs and shoulders. That is why I thought I would like to share my discovery (well, my husband's discovery).

So, if you are looking for good, comfortable seating in your sewing space, pop into your local music store and ask to take a look at their drum thrones!