Health & Safety

Do you get a headache or "hay fever" when you have been working in your sewing room?

There is a school of thought that suggests that an accumulation of new unwashed fabrics in an enclosed space can give off fumes that are not good "buy more fabric pheromones" but rather they are toxic formaldehydes. These can form from the fillers and excess dyes that sit on the surface of some fabrics and can be removed by washing the fabric.

So, in addition to preventing dyes running, or fabric shrinking, there may be another valid reason for washing fabric before putting it away, especially if you have a large stash stored in an airtight or enclosed area.

As with any toxin, it is possible to build up an allergic reaction to the fabric fumes if exposed to high levels, or over a long period.

It would be a sad day for your stitching passion to find that you had become allergic to fabric, so be sure to store them in a well ventilated space and/or wash fabric before it is put away.

If you prefer to work with fabric that has that new, slightly stiffer feeling, it is always possible to return this to the fabric with a light starching before cutting.

If you find that large pieces of fabric tangle and crease badly during washing try this hint: 

Stitch the cut edges of the fabric together with a narrow seam to make a tube. Once the fabric is dry simply cut away the seam and press the yardage.

To remember which pieces of fabric have been washed simply snip a small diagonal corner off one edge. Doing this on small pieces also has the benefit of minimising the unravelling of the threads on the cut edge.

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When you are stitching, whether it be piecing a quilt, quilting or embroidering a design, it is so easy to get caught up in the moment and forget to take care of your health. It is important to take regular breaks, to change your body position, look up from close work to a more distant view and stretch your muscles.

Over the past few months I've been complaining about an odd feeling in my foot and a persistent ache in my leg. I thought the problem was a side effect of an old ankle injury but, after some x-rays recently that showed that there wasn't any physical damage in my foot, the verdict was that it was most likely a sciatic or lower back problem. I know that I both stand to quilt, & sit at the computer, for too long at one time and do not do adequate stretching exercises to counter these bad habits.                 

In future I am going to be much more careful to change pace and move more frequently during the working day.

In addition to some stretching exercises I am going to allow time in my day to actually do more walking to boost my metabolism. I know I feel better after regular gentle exercise but so often I convince myself that I am too busy to allow time for a half hour walk. After all it is only half an hour, so how difficult can that be to do each day!

There are many simple stretches that counteract the repetitive movements that we use when stitching so, if you have a similar problem, consult a massage therapist or physiotherapist to find the exercises that will work for you.