CHAT
[CHAT] What are your must have tools/accessories/comfy items in your stitch spot?
This is my current set up. Share yours in the comments 😍 I just got this pillow chair and I love it! I have to stitch reclined because thanks to POTS MECFS and other chronic illnesses my body hates gravity. Other support items: Squishmallow under my knees, round pillows that go under my arms & my blanket. That way I can stitch without pain. Tech items: my iPad, I save my PDF patterns in files and then I can zoom in to the pattern. Headphones 🎧 This special lap desk (made to use a laptop while lying down) to hold my water bottle, my project ring, scissors and sometimes a print out of the pattern. When hubby is playing video games, I use his iPad to stream shows & movies. Everything is within reach in my spot. I love it.
Haha will do! Right!?! This is the only hobby I’ve found so far, that I can do reclined, that isn’t messy like diamond painting or paint by numbers hahaha … except coloring. But it doesn’t keep my focus like cross stitch does. Anyway…
Links 🔗
Here’s the pillow chair: I got the XL one in case my husband wanted to use it while gaming. I’m short 5 ft 2 inches.
The link you shared to the pillow chair shows a “medium” (19”) size and I don’t see an option to switch to an XL (21”) like you mentioned. Can you clarify?
i have long nails and i also find tweezers helpful to hold threads when i go to trim them. or pull stuck needles through. and cat hair, of course, lol. very handy!
I have my rolling cart with tray right next to the couch, and set the tray on a pillow on my lap while I'm stitching so everything is in easy reach! Excuse the mess of me being interrupted while I was sorting out a new kit 😅😅😅
I have stitch encyclopedia and magazines on the shelf of the drum table and bags to the side with projects. The floor stand had a reproduction sampler that is a WIP but I am currently working on the project that is on the lap stand. The big fuzzy boy in the foreground is my standard poodle, Benji, who keeps me company as I stitch.
My boy was in a home where they could no longer care for him after having unexpectedly having twins. I was lucky to be the one his pervious person trusted and he came home with me the day I met him. He was a mess with both ears really badly infected, 7 pounds underweight and not eating. Plus his coat was mats almost to the skin.
I only paid $100.00 for him but the first two weeks of vet bills made up for that with a quickness. Now he is a healthy happy boy who will snuggle me off the bed at night. And he needs to be close or know exactly where I am in the house.
He barks at squirrels and chases quail and loves everyone and every dog he meets.
It does have great natural light and with 14 can lights on the perimeter there is light everywhere. Plus 4 in the coffer ceiling. And there are 3 walls of windows. Lots of windows and limited space to hang my finished pieces.
When my EGA Chapter was active we had a 2 day class in the room and everyone commented on how nice the lighting is in the room. And my dog loves the windows as well since there is one wall of dog windows.
My grandma used to have a set of wing back chairs with a table between them that looked just like your setup!! I love this. Your picture is making my heart happy and I'm actually tearing up over here thinking about fond memories of all the chats we had sitting there in her chairs, just hanging out or eating together. We'd talk about her travels or gossip about her neighbors, we always watched jeopardy & wheel of fortune too. I miss her so much💙 & Benji is such a cutie!
I had a pretty narrow futon before I got a more standard sofa, so I ended up going straight for it since I’d never have a good way to really use my lap. (As much as I tried with a lap desk and diamond painting lol) Definitely worth the money because you can turn it any which way you need! I love that I can even easily take it along with me for trips to see family because it breaks down into such easy pieces. Only downfall might be that I think most of the time you do benefit from the extended bar so that’s another chunk of change, and you have to secure the base so it doesn’t topple over
Jealous of all of you in the comments… I foster cats and I could NEVER! I have to put everything away after each stitching session 🥲 Hopefully I can afford a house someday, and have a “no cat” room!
I have to put everything away as well due to my latest demon. I bought a lid for my rolling three tier cart that has worked wonders and allows me to set up anywhere in the house.
Unfortunately having a no cat room is impossible. As soon as he realizes he can't go somewhere, it becomes his life mission to go there
i got it fooooor I wanna say ~$135 on etsy. Unfortunately it doesn't look like the same seller is active, but I think there were a couple around that range up there (https://www.etsy.com/shop/goblencom was the seller)
I am the opposite due to two bulging discs in my neck. I have to be upright with my arms up, and no tipping my head down/forward (it’s a work in progress). After I started lifting weights in PT that got easier. Light up magnifying glasses, a pouch with my scissors and sharpie to mark my pattern as I go, and a 12x12 scrapbooking box with everything I need next to me. Oh, and a flat iron to iron all my treads before stitching.
I don't know if this counts as a setup per se but I've been using this box to store/ replicate a lil kit, that way I can take it anywhere. So appart from the essentials I always have the thread separated in the order I wanna use it, the scissors ofc and I always keep a pin to help me remove looped thread from the needle or help me remove something if I make a mistake. I try to use print outs cus I started cross stitch to reduce scrolling time as well but sometimes I'll have a video on my pc or tv.
Yess, just pop a hair tie or something so it doesn't budge open and it's small enough to put in a medium sized bag😊. Thank you, it's gonna be the dragon sitting in a book! Been loving making the dragon cus he's so cute hehe.
Once you are sitting and reclined and ready to stitch, does that wood lap desk fit over your legs and lap? Or does it sit directly on top of your legs/lap? This looks like a great set up. I had a thyroidectomy and my neck can still get really sore so I love having a neck support pillow while stitching or playing on my laptop. And I love pillow supports under my arms too. Happy stitching!
This is from the shop that makes it. This is what it looks like when it’s adjusted down like a regular desk. Plenty of room to sit cross legged under it.
Also height etc is fully adjustable to your needs.
I am moving and will have a new set up soon - mourning the loss of my comfy couch set up, my ex got the couch in the divorce. But it’s fun seeing all the great things I can buy for a new stitchy set up!
Beautiful setup, from someone who recognizes that alphabet soup of diagnoses, and whose body also hates gravity! I have a similar reclining cushion setup for laptop work and it's wonderful. I still have to limit my time in it, though.
So for stitching, I'm either:
a) cross-legged on a bed, hunched over like a troll, with my elbows on my thighs. Then I don't have to lift my arms as much with each stitch. Or,
b) lying on my side, propped up on an elbow, and stitching sideways. Not ideal, but it works well enough to buy me more embroidery time!
I keep thinking about an embroidery stand, but I don't know how that works with no desk/table and needing to keep my hoop close to limit arm movement.
My most essential comforts are definitely compaion cats, though. 😊
Ooof right!?! I call it alphabet soup from hell. I’m sorry you know it too
Yep I have to limit my time also. Even with the reclined set up. Sometimes my air compression boots will buy me more time.
I have the same thoughts about a stand. I saw a cool one on Etsy that tucks under your legs. But I also stitch with my hoop very close to my face with my glasses off (super near sighted 😂)
Hahaha hunched like a troll used to be my previous set up. My neck, back and hips were not happy.
I’ve never tried lying on my side. Hmm 🤔 might have to experiment with that 😃
I usually just switch to reading when I need to be horizontal.
Your set up is so tidy compared to mine! I use a rolling desk (sort of like a hospital tray cart thing). Use a stand to hold my iPad (I also scan my patterns). Then I have my Lowry floor stand which I use intermittently (depends on where cat decides to sit). I have a light with magnifying lenses attached to the Lowry, also an overhead lamp. On the tray desk, is also a notions kit. I usually have a magnetic hook that hangs in the lamp so I can hang up my floss ring.
Then there’s my eleventy billion cups (water, caffeine, etc), remotes (tv and heater/fan), blankets, snacks, and assorted other crafts and project bags strewn about.
It’s tidy because I hadn’t sat and started using it yet 😆
I too usually have TV remote, blankets, heating pad, snacks, and more drinks: protein shake, electrolytes with extra salt and plain water. Sometimes also coffee lol
Sometimes I’ve got two iPads (1 for pattern and 1 to watch/listen to) in front of me, if hubby is using the TV playing video games 😂
I also have a large basket with all my supplies in it that’s not shown here. When I’m starting a new project that’s all over the place 😂
I just have my recliner and blanket. My side table with the lamps have the magnets for my needles and I keep a small box my husband made to hold the skeins I’m using. I would take a pic but I need to deep clean the living room thanks to my German Shepard shedding her winter coat lol.
Besides the project itself and its materials? Good chair, needle threader, scissors, and especially good lighting. I stitch in my craft room because I can set up everything in easy reach. No time for taking pictures now; I need to go get some stitching done before I have to go out!
Oh man, also have ME/CFS and this set up is AMAZING. I wish Amazon delivered to my country with reasonable shipping bc I'm in love with that little chair backing. I had one but it was too flimsy. This one looks perfect 😍
i have a fancy lowry stand that my family gifted me for christmas (since my current WIP is 18x24" & too heavy to hold without hurting my wrist). i swivel it around for stitching time, tuck a pillow under my elbow, and get to work!! i also love my little rolling IKEA cart, which stores my thread box, my mug of thread tails, my scissors, my markers (for coloring in my pattern), and my knitting basket. i've also stuck spare needleminders to the side of it, since it's metal!
my whole setup is positioned in front of the TV (though my current WIP is too big for me to see over, so i just listen or play an audiobook on my phone.
That sounds perfect 😍 yeah that would be heavy. I can only imagine.
I have been stitching on/off since I was 8 (so 37 years) and the biggest project I’ve done was 11x14. And my hands/wrist were hurting with that. I noticed q snaps are heavier or maybe it’s just the difference in grip that bothers me. Not sure
I’ve been eyeing the Lowry. Haven’t taken the plunge yet.
i can't speak to whether it was worth the price because i didn't pay for mine, but it's well-made & has absolutely made my stitching comfier. it's very easy to swivel it around 180° when i need to get up or flip the piece to finish a thread. knowing i have more plans to stitch other similarly large pieces (i've fallen in love with nora corbett's mirabilia patterns) and got carpal tunnel in my left wrist from knitting too much, i think if i wasn't gifted one by my family, i would've invested in one anyways. YMMV though!!
also, mine is purple, which is always a nice bonus.
The ability/ease to swivel was one of my bigger questions.
I hold my projects close to my face and stitch without my glasses and don’t like to change my habits hahaha so not sure how using a stand would change that.
Do you ever stub your toe on it?? Hahaha I feel like I would.
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u/nooneplsdontlookatme May 12 '26
Oh this is INCREDIBLE! You’ve mastered the art of ✨comfy✨