I know, I know. Y'all are wondering why I'm STILL not sewing! Hey I feel the same way...so much so it's affecting my mood! But my amazingly wonderful sewing room feels like a sauna when I'm up there for more than an hour or two.
Y'all I've tried everything but an air conditioning unit which I can't do because
1. I rent
2. The amazing windows are on the far side of the loft, as in the living room, and the windows don't open. Plus I think I signed something in my lease about not having air conditioning units in my windows.
o I bought fans both to clip onto my sewing machine table and a large floor version, plus the upright fan I already owned.
o I closed the heating vent over my sewing machines to stop the heat from flowing onto my head.
None of this worked. I mean the fans cooled the room down for a few hours but after awhile I had a sweaty sheen covering me. Also, the best time to work in the room was morning/early afternoon. After 4pm all bets were off. Which is fine when I have a group of days off but doesn't really fit my sewing style since I sew in the evenings and later at night.
I began to dread heading up the stairs to my dream sewing room. Because I knew I would end up feeling like a turkey baking in the oven before Christmas dinner. YET my sewing desire was strong...so strong it was starting to choke me. I put it off by crocheting on my last blanket, reading a couple of books and immersing myself in Bridgerton.
However, my sewing desire would not be denied so I gave up and moved some things to my dining room. My dining room which had previously been a junk space because there were bins of fabric that needed a home and I hadn't decided what to do with them prior to my surgery.
The dining room is much smaller than my sewing loft, probably half the size, so I settled with the cutting table against the wall. Better to cut than not to cut at all!
The bins were moved upstairs to replace my cutting table and will be moved to my storage unit before I head back upstairs for spring, summer and fall sewing. This allows me to sew and work a little. In reality I mostly work from home on my laptop on a tray from the sofa and in front of my TV...but I can blog and surf the internet if I don't want to be on the sofa in the livingroom.
Now all of my supplies ~ zippers, buttons, threads and trims will remain upstairs. It's easy enough to go upstairs and pull items I need for projects. All cutting, ironing/pressing and sewing will happen in the Winter Sewing Room. These are the first pictures taken of the space. A video tour of the finished room for now, is on my IG page.
And now that I'm not sweating to death to sew...I've finally started cutting out the Mildred Jumpsuit.
Right now my plan is to head back to the Sewing Loft when I turn the heat off in late March/April. Beyond that I have no idea what I'm doing. But then we have no idea what the world is going to look like since the pandemic is still raging and here in the US only 3% of the population has been vaccinated so far. I think I'm going to be home alone for quite a bit longer.
...as always more later!
Good on you. A solution is better than no solution, and I like the seasonal thinking to this! "Migrating round the house". You could have different artwork in each room as well.
ReplyDeleteKatie - I haven't decided if I want to put art on the walls yet or not. I will see. I'm just happy to have a place to sew in comfort!
DeleteI am so glad to see you sewing and I look forward to seeing your jumpsuit. My sewing attic is the opposite - July and August it averages about 95°.
ReplyDeleteThere are indoor AC units that aren't window mount. Check with Home Depot. They are very helpful if you share your problem with them. Good luck! (from a Texan who can's live without her A/C!
ReplyDeleteRebecca - the ones I've seen need a vent. My loft doesn't have a window in it. My window is on the living room wall that faces the loft. Also as I stated, my lease states that I can't put any air conditioning units/fans/vents in the windows. So unless they make a floor version of a ventless air conditioning unit that isn't an option.
DeleteCarolyn search ventless portable room air conditioner. They do exist. They are portable on casters and simple -no venting required.
DeleteOh, I am so pleased you have moved to the dining room. By the time I read that you dreaded going up the stairs, I thought 'you have to move to your dining room'; because that is what I have to do during the heat of our Summer when the sewing room is impossibly hot - and I have air-con in the dining room. We don't eat there while I am installed for a few weeks/month and use a tiny table in another room for meals. Fortunately my husband is very understanding of my desire to sew. You will love making the jumpsuit, I can't wait to see it :)
ReplyDeleteGood for you for making it work. Who says we have to use rooms for how they are 'labeled'? It's your space! My 'formal living room' was our home gym for a number of years. And one of the spare bedrooms was our granddaughters playroom until she outgrew having so many toys. We made what we had into what we needed....and I would do it again.
ReplyDeletegarnet128 - right! Rooms in our home should work for our needs not the other way around. I'm thrilled that I can sew and create in comfort!
DeleteDid you know you can buy a portable room air conditioning unit that just has a small vent you put in the window! They are fabulous and you will be cool in no time! Just a thought!
ReplyDeleteBaking @ KHS - My loft doesn't have a window in it. My window is on the living room wall that faces the loft. Also as I stated, my lease states that I can't put any air conditioning units/fans/vents in the windows. So unless they make a floor version of a ventless air conditioning unit that isn't an option.
DeleteI saw at Wallymart 2 yrs ago this little like air conditioner. that you put cold water into & put on & it was suppose to cool the room, I thought about getting 1 or 2 for the bedrooms upstairs but when I went back the next day they were sold out. We have an air conditioner. portable that you just put in a 6 in vent in window & it's on wheels you can go room to room with. In the winter here in Cleveland it can get pretty cold I keep the temp. in the house at 68 because heat rises & our upstairs gets to be 72 & can be uncomfortable to sleep. Summer I don't want to go there. Check into that little air cooler. There has to be something on the internet that you can buy for your comfort. And keep sewing & blogging.
ReplyDeleteFuzzluven - My loft doesn't have a window in it. My window is on the living room wall that faces the loft. Also as I stated, my lease states that I can't put any air conditioning units/fans/vents in the windows. So unless they make a floor version of a ventless air conditioning unit that isn't an option.
DeleteI see that BAKING already mentioned this, but I was going to suggest this. I'd planned to buy a portable A/C to solve the same problem in my bonus room. I had to sell the house, or I would have. You can place the portable A/C on a table near the window, out of view, so that gravity will move the water from the hose right out a little crack in the window. Your HOA will not notice. You might find one affordably priced in the dead of winter.
ReplyDeleteSusanVindy - My loft doesn't have a window in it. My window is on the living room wall that faces the loft. Also as I stated, my lease states that I can't put any air conditioning units/fans/vents in the windows. So unless they make a floor version of a ventless air conditioning unit that isn't an option. Also, why would I void my lease and risk having it not renewed?
DeleteGo with the flow as "they" say! I've been taking a full size copy machine apart and removing it piece by piece from my sewing loft. (Used to be my husband's office.) There are only 2 pieces left and one is REALLY BIG & HEAVY. Uh oh. Problem. I can't wait to get the room rearranged, so I feel your pain!
ReplyDeleteHoping you are happy with your new set up - whatever it may be, and that we get to see your sewing soon!
Lodi - I cut out in it last night and I will sew tonight. So yes, I'm thrilled that I can work without having to wear the least amount of clothing and not sweat! LOL!
DeleteEven though you are renting, you might consider contacting a HVAC person and asking about putting a diverter in the vent going to that area to reduce the heat going into that room. Some of the diverters are the kind that you can switch back for AC. Might be worth just a consult to try to see if there are any other alternatives. Your sewing loft is an amazing place and I'm sure you feel better when you are in there.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you've found a 'work around' I know you are less then thrilled with the loft right now, but I think, given time, you'll figure it all out. Plus - sewing is good for the soul. g
ReplyDeleteThanks g! And you know I need some good for my soul right now!
DeleteWow. Good idea but I hope you did not move this stuff yourself so soon after surgery. I know you feel healed but maybe insides need a little more time.
ReplyDeletePat - My daughter helped me and did most of the heavy lifting. Thanks for thinking of me!
DeleteDining rooms are highly over-rated, adjunct sewing rooms are far more useful. I have the opposite problem. My dining room is far too cold to use in the winter and that is where I do most of my quilting. I can piece and do walking foot quilting in my sewing room; but, must wait for a "warm" winter day with loads of sunshine to get it warm enough to free motion and ruler quilt. The thing is, we just figure it out and work with it, we don't stop sewing!
ReplyDeleteWe creatives are nothing if not ... well ... creative! Adjusting our lives and surroundings as the need arises is just our "thing." Sew on, Carolyn!
ReplyDeleteSending you some cool thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Solar Flair: Dining rooms are highly over-rated especially as compared to sewing rooms.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I did a google search for ventless portable air conditioners and a few came up. I have a vague recollection that a family member had one that she moved with her around the house. I think the big drawback was that, like a dehumidifier, it had to be emptied of water.
I think what some of the other commenters are talking about is called a "swamp cooler" or evaporative coolers. They use water but don't need a vent to the outside. Some also have an air purifier. We used them in the bank I worked at while they were working on the HVAC one summer.
ReplyDeleteI feel you. My entire house is hot. I have to turn off the heat to let the house cool off. I came in from work and changed into a tee shirt and shorts. turned on the ceiling fan and a wind machine. Now I can turn on the iron while I sew.
ReplyDeleteHow about one of these?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.morealis.co/products/portable-air-conditioner-adjustable-touch-pad-travel-ac-room-cooler-unit-for-bedroom?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImYe865if7gIVgobACh0fBAacEAQYASABEgJC_fD_BwE
Whew. Glad you found a solution that works, at least for now. Seasonal sewing is a thing, not just for temperature but for light. My own new sewing room gets a lot of morning light, which is sad since I too like to sew at night. I have been working on adding shelves so I can put more into the closet, and that's been great. But actually my favorite improvement has been the 3ft extension cord which means that the big standing lamp comes on when I flip the switch by the door. Small things, big pleasures ��
ReplyDeleteThere are little air conditioning cubes that sit on a table top that cost about $50. Search online to see if that would work for you. Good luck. No one likes to be sweaty when they're sewing.
ReplyDeleteYour setup looks great! Super functional for now, and you can do all the necessary things. And you've basically got an upstairs haberdashery/sewing store, which is also super great for when you need to access materials sometimes but don't need to use them all the time. Enjoy your winter sewing space!
ReplyDeleteDoctor T - You're right. I've only been sewing in the Winter Sewing Room for a few days (already loving it so much!) and it's cool to just go upstairs and get something. I'm seriously thinking that when I move stuff back upstairs that I might put the cutting table of my dreams in the dining room with some shelving for pattern storage. I don't really throw a lot of dinner parties! ;)
DeleteMy sympathies about the limitations of your sewing space. I used my dining room for a long while as I didn't have a dining table. One of my gifts to myself in moving on from unsuccessful fertility treatment was double glazing the window of my spare room and putting in decent craft storage. The room fronts onto my apartment complex courtyard and was just too noisy to be useable as a creative space. As Solar Flair says, we just figure it out. I wish I could send you my portable air-con!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you've got quite a few suggestions for portable cooling units. Yay! I have the opposite problem. I have to have a space heater blasting in my basement sewing room, especially in winter, and I have to wear slippers because my feet get too cold in socks alone. Moving around is a great solution--do the sewing locomotion.
ReplyDeleteSew Sew Heidi - I sewed in the basement for 9 years so I know how you feel. At one point I had two space heaters going - one underneath the sewing machine table and one in the space for warmth. I think that's why the loft was so attractive - airy, light and with a lot of room!
DeleteDang. On needing to move the sewing machine and cutting table. And the temperature in the loft. And my realizing just now, that the thermostat is probably downstairs. And heat rises. And it just dawned on me that with your fans set the way they are, you're moving hot air around up there. I wonder, while pondering portable no-vent needed air conditioners mentioned by others, put one fan downstairs pointing up, set another fan upstairs pointing down, maybe a 3rd fan directing air between them. That way you'd be circulating cooler air up to the loft. Maybe turn the thermostat down when you have a long sewing session in mind? It's worth a shot, and if it works, more $ for fabric and patterns.
ReplyDeleteAs ever, Carolyn, you are so very clever. Good for you to figure out a solution. Glad that you have the energy to go again. Shalom
ReplyDeleteIt seems you found a workable solution. When I was working we had to buy indoor A/C that was mounted on the wall, did not require a vent. I am not sure where our maintenance staff purchased it but was necessary for room that had 10 or 12 people in it daily do various activities. We ended up putting another indoor A/C unit on another wall. The room was large and had high ceilings and no windows. I wish I could point you to what we had. At least you can go back to your sewing loft when you can turn off the heat.
ReplyDeleteLinda - the loft is fine when the air conditioning is running or when there is no heat on. It's just when the heat is on that it's a bit much!
DeleteGlad you’re making it work! Sewing anywhere is better than no sewing!
ReplyDeleteThinking of you today as President Biden and VP Harris are inaugurated. Hope springing eternal here and I hope for you. Better times ahead. I would make the attic room fabric storage and move sewing to the dining room permanently!
ReplyDeleteThey make portable air conditioners that sit in the room and not a window....
ReplyDeleteI was thinking that also..ac unit it for the window or a portable ac...you love sewing to much to stop... I love seeing what you have made...
ReplyDeleteHi Carolyn glad to have found your blog again. I am returning to sewing clothing and hoping to fulfill my dream of making a coat. You have been so inspiring.
ReplyDelete