My challenge for the next few weeks ...

I have housed my sewing studio at my mother's home, 10 miles away for the last 4 ish years. It has worked well for me to have a dedicated area to sew, but it's also had drawbacks. With a 2 year old, 7 years, one year old basset hounds, a husband and house to take care of, really finding enough time to get there and get enough done is hard. So, we are finally cleaning out the large bedroom we've used for a storage area since we moved into this house about 11 years ago. That room will be for our 2 girls and their multitude of toys. Then their current room will become my new sewing space. It's a 9'x13' room with some wall storage. I will move most all of my storage shelves and my desk as well as ALL of my supplies. It will be a challenge just to get the rooms all moved and then to get my sewing space arranged. Phew.... well since I am sharing with you all my life adjusting to RA, this is part of it too. So here are my before pictures.
*WARNING graphic messy bedrooms, storage areas & sewing disaster areas to follow*
Here is my current sewing area at my mom's -

And here is our large storage "room" that will become the girls new bedroom -

And finally, this will be my new sewing studio -

Now to get at it....

The Right Angle: Proper Ergonomics for Sewing Tables

This article on Craftsy is a great resource when shopping for a sewing table. It's basic information but it reminds us that what works great for one sewer may not work for another. Simple buying a "sewing table" does not necessarily provide a perfect fit for you.
I myself use a desk originally designed as a computer work space. It's large and fits into a corner, and it's the perfect height for me to sit comfortably at. It also is large and accommodates my 3 different machines I use all the time, therefore eliminating the need to have to set up & take down machines for different functions.
Finding a chair that had height adjustment may also be the answer to making your table work to the proper height for you. For me it's also important to have a separate cutting table at approximately waist height. I often cut several patterns out at one time. I also often am cutting from bolts of fabric vs. small pieces of fabric. Therefore trying to cut on a shorter table (for instance a dining room table) would cause a big increase in stress to my back & neck from bending over to cut for a long period of time.
With RA working in an ergonomic environment is so important. Keeping our hands, wrists, shoulders & neck from additional strain & potential damage to joints is so important.
I am currently revamping my sewing space and as I set it up, I will be thinking in depth about my comfort and ergonomics of how i do my work.
I will share some before and after shots of my space. At this point progress is slow, thanks to an increase in pain with the cold temps here, but I hope to make a bit of progress every day and soon be back to sewing.

Sarah