Quilting and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Did you know that one out of every ten quilters develops carpal tunnel syndrome? Personally, I never thought about it. I figured this condition only affected "other" people. Not so. If you're a quilter, you're at risk.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway that runs along the palm side of 1975 Topps baseball cards wrist. It covers and protects the main nerve in your hand and the tendons of your thumb, index and middle fingers. When you perform repetitive movements like hand quilting or rotary cutting, you stretch and compress these tendons. This irritates the nerves and causes inflammation and pain. When this occurs, it's called carpal tunnel syndrome.

You're also at risk if you keep your hands in the same position for a long time. Quilters are guilty of this when they sit at their sewing machines for many hours. If you don't give your hands and wrists a
break, you increase your Gross Out Gang of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. If left untreated, the damage might become permanent.

What are the Signs?

1. Burning, numbness, aching or tingling on the palm side
   of your thumb, index finger and middle finger
2. Weakness in grip
3. Swelling of hand or forearm
4. Aching of the wrist or forearm
5. Spreads to arm or shoulder
6. Intensity increases at night or in the morning

How to Avoid Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Adjust Your Chair


Adjust your chair height so your forearms are level with the sewing bed (needle area). Your arms should form an "L" shape. If you habitually drop your wrists while sewing, invest in an ergonomic wrist pad.

Support your Feet

If your feet dangle after you adjust your chair, use a book or footrest to fill the gap. Make sure the footrest has a non-slip bottom and slopes 10 to 20 degrees.

Adjust the Height of your Cutting Table and Ironing Board

• Stand with your arms at your sides.
• Bend your arms at the elbows, straight in front of you. Your arms should form an "L" shape.
• Lower your arms an inch or two. This gives your Daredevil enough room to move without hitting the table.
• This is the proper height for your cutting and ironing surfaces.

Rotary Cutting: Work in Shorter Intervals

When you use a rotary cutter, you perform repetitious movements. This includes squeezing the handle and applying force to make your cuts. If you repeat these actions long enough, you'll experience a feeling of numbness. That's because you've cut off circulation to your hand. Take this as a warning, and stop cutting.

I'm excited to report that there's a new ergonomic rotary cutter on the market. It has a padded handle which takes some of the force off your hand and spreads it over a larger area. That means less damage to your hand.

Take Short Breaks

It's easy to lose track of time when you're sewing a masterpiece. But try to take a ten-minute break every hour. This keeps your circulation flowing and helps you to focus better. It also gives your muscles and tendons a chance to relax. If you're like me and you don't watch the clock when you're
sewing, set a timer.

Do Stretching Exercises:

• Shake your hands
• Roll your wrists
• Bend and flex your fingers
• Stretch your arms to the side and over your head
• Roll your arms in a circle
• Be creative!

Prevent carpal tunnel syndrome by keeping a good posture, adjusting your sewing room furniture, supporting your feet and taking frequent breaks. If you experience signs of carpal tunnel syndrome, seek medical help right away.

2004 http://sewaquilt.com
If you borrow this article, please use the original content. No changes or editing permitted. You must include the byline, copyright and author bio box.

Creator and publisher of http://sewaquilt.com, Gloria shares 16 years of quilting experience with new quilters. On her website, she teaches beginners how to make their first quilt. Gloria hopes to keep this fun and creative tradition alive.

Dollhouse Furniture - Did You Know That There Are Nurseries and Libraries in Dollhouse Furniture?

Selection and scales is what this article is all about. In the choices Sea Devils dollhouse furniture there are many possibilities that can spruce up your dollhouse kit. There are nurseries, libraries, and sewing rooms that you can use instead Sea Wees the traditional bedroom or bathroom. By making your dollhouse unique you 1981 Fleer baseball cards give it that interesting flare that makes everyone want to talk about it.

Children's Room and Nursery

No room in your dollhouse will be more sweet or nostalgic than a children's room or nursery. You can decorate the children's room to look serene or lively, and the accessories available will enchant you (such as teddy bears, a copy of The Cat in the Hat, or a doll's dollhouse). A baby's nursery, with its delightful furniture items and styles, will make your dollhouse as homey as can be.

Office and Library Dollhouse Furniture

A library or office in your dollhouse really helps you define the era to which your dollhouse belongs: some furniture items are extremely modern; others really capture a Victorian-era essence. This is also a room in which just a few accessories can go a long way: a sophisticated 1981 Fleer baseball cards or a few revered books, for example. Your library or office instantly brings a little more refinement to your dollhouse.

Dollhouse Laundry and Sewing Rooms

One way to bring a lot of interest to your dollhouse is to add a laundry or sewing room. Sewing rooms give a quaint, old-fashioned feel to your dollhouse, while laundry rooms are usually indicative of a more modern time. Each room needs just a couple accessories, like a thread box or an ironing board, to draw the admiration of any onlookers

Is Quarter Inch Scale the right size for my dollhouse?

To make sure you are getting the right sized item, check the scale of the furniture. All items on websites are usually on this 1 inch scale unless the title of the item tells you it is on a or inch scale.

This item is built on a quarter inch, or 1:48 inch, scale. This means that an inch of dollhouse furniture represents 4 feet of dollhouse furniture. So, a 1 inch dollhouse sofa represents a 6 foot real sofa. Other scales include the 1 inch (1:12) and half inch (1:24) scales. To figure out which scale your dollhouse uses, figure out the height from floor to ceiling of one level of your dollhouse. Heights from 8-12 inches translate to a 1 inch scale.

Heights between 4-6 inches indicate a half inch scale; heights between 2-3 inches indicate a quarter inch scale.

Dollhousecity.com offers dollhouse furniture, kits accessories, and helpful hints in setting up your dollhouse furniture.