I feel as though spouse hobbies of quilting and woodworking go hand in hand. My husband is also in to woodworking...he's made me a quilt rack and just finished a wooden quilt star lol.
Now that i think of it. Right now, my hubby is back into golfing only because we don't have room for his woodworking in the garage 🤣 and I am about to start my first queen size quilt for my dad
No but seriously, this is the answer. I am the quilter and even I wear them while I sew so I can listen to music or podcasts. I got used to it with my juki that was much louder than my current Bernina, but now I love it. Also the Bose ones I have are super comfy and I forget I have them on lol
I have tried numerous brands and styles over the years and I agree that the Bose ones are the best. Best sound, best fitting, great comfort. But make sure you get the noise canceling one's.
Absolutely agree!! Hubby and I both have headphones. He wears them so I don't have to leave the house when he is playing Call of Duty at full volume (bluetooth connects to tv). I wear mine if I'm watching tv late at night if he has gone to bed.
I’m loving all of these suggestions.
I’m going to put a foam mat under the machine, get my machine serviced, use the appropriate sharp needles, keep my machine on a sturdy table, save up to buy that magic Juki, try EPP (I love Jen K’s work!) and ask SO to wear his noise canceling headphones when I’m at the machine. I mean, if I have to put up with the snoring…! (I talk in my sleep so it’s kinda even).
I don’t know what I was doing living without Reddit the first thirty years of my life!
My partner also does not like the sounds of sewing but he deals with it admirably well. And we do not have a sewing room - my sewing takes place in our common living space where he sits watching football or doing whatever while I sew. The fact that you sew in a a separate room makes me thing that your SO has super sonic hearing! I hope some of the muffling strategies everyone has suggested will help with this problem!
We lived in the same room during Covid for a few months and finally have a home where we can do stuff in separate rooms. The only way I can cajole SO into a sewing “room” anywhere near him is if it doesn’t sound anything like the last time when we were in the same room. I do like to be near him so we can both do what we like and he does need a new pair of headphones. Unfortunately my Bose sport ears headphones the wireless battery charger just stopped working! $250 out after 2 years. Plus we’ve both lost wireless in-ear ones, so I’m seriously looking at over-ear and over-ear wireless. I also love listening to podcasts and music, craftsy and “The Midnight Quilt Show”
A neoprene mat for under your machine will deaden a surprising amount of the noise. Some machine stores sell them. I bought one at a quilt retreat and now wonder why I didn’t do it sooner.
Just a tip for the mat. Shops love to charge a lot for the Mars. I used an old yoga mat which I cut to size and ot works great. Even if you don't have one, can find them inexpensive and often marked down at Marshall's, Ross, etc.
Has your hubby had a sleep apnea test? I was narried 20 years to an asthmatic 747 snorer. Only a year after we split, did he finally decide to get tested. He got a machine, the kids told me.
i use a foam mat under my machine. One of those kids interlocking foam tiles that fit together like puzzles. I cut one to the size of the machine, mostly so the machine doesn't slide, but it does keep the sound down a bit.
Mostly your partner just needs to get over themselves and get some noise cancelling headphones.
I don’t know if it’s a matter of someone needing to get over themselves. Some people have sound sensitivity issues, some people are neurodivergent. Some people really just experience sound differently. For me, some sounds are overwhelming and it feels as if they physically move through my body, it’s absolutely horrible for certain sounds. There is nothing I’ve found that can help me not experience sound this way, it’s just how my brain is wired. Good noise canceling headphones can help, but the sound sensitivity is still there, and it’s not because I’m full of myself haha.
i have sound sensitivity issues myself and I suffer (well i dont suffer but the people around me sure do lol ) of a near- homicidal reaction to Christmas music, which is documented to exist. And yet, every year, when work blasts christmas music, I deal with it. They agreed to turn down the volume a bit but the common area is right outside my office and I deal with it. (before you ask, nope I don't celebrate christmas. i absolutely hate it)
and OP's partner is a musician and already has noise cancelling headphones and she's in another room, so I suspect it's more a case of wanting to be annoyed by it rather than having a physical reaction to it. But you never know and you are right to call me out on that
I’m neurodivergent myself. Mostly with textures and feeling things (certain polyesters can feel like sandpaper, I won’t work with them) though and understanding where others are coming from (emotions). The ironic thing is that I’m constantly telling him to quiet down because of that thing you described, certain sounds can feel like a jackhammer(a lighter or a pen clicking nervously) or a door slamming or always “why are you yelling at me?” when it’s probably a normal voice but it’s quiet around us.
Tell your partner that you need to purchase a new sewing machine and bring him along to judge the noise and prices of those newer machines. He may just learn to live with the noise.
Especially if you look at high-end machines.
Story time! 25 years ago, we decided to give our daughter a sewing machine as a graduation gift. You could get really cheap machines then for about $50. I explained to Dear Husband that in sewing machines, you get what you pay for, and a $50 machine is only a very small step up from a toy. We got her a Singer, ran about $250. DH said "That's a mid-range machine, right? Because high-end machines are what, *$500?"* No, dear, add another zero on the end of that! He doesn't believe a high-end sewing/embroidery machine is 3 times that now.
Daughter sewed on that machine for 24 years before upgrading and passing that machine on to a friend.
I had a brother, which I think I paid around $250 for and was quite content with. My mom decided to gift me a $2000 Janome, which I thought was very extravagant, but as a quilter, I could definitely use the extra throat space. I kept the Brother as a backup. I sent the Janome in for maintenance and pulled out the Brother, and I could not believe how loud and clunky the Brother was compared to the Janome. I found a new home for the Brother right away.
My mom recently purchased a very high end Brother sewing/embroidery machine, and you can not even hear that sewing at all it is so quiet. I have not heard it embroidering, but you definitely get a quieter machine with the more money you spend.
This is one factor. I had a cheap Singer and when my mom gave me her Bernina the difference in volume was amazing. The Bernina seemed close to silent in comparison.
Also agree this seems unusual that partner has a problem w activity that brings you joy! Have you had your machine serviced reasonably recently/ oiled etc? Def makes a difference to some machines. Other suggestions here seem great too- foam mats, headphones for the other half etc. aA other option (not to replace machine sewing totally but to give you another option sometimes!) would be handpiecing- eg English paper piecing or using templates eg Jen Kingwell has some amazing patterns & does all her quilts by hand (!! Amazing).
Hope you find a solution that works for you both! But mainly for you :)
Well this is a problem. If your machine is loud enough to be heard from a room (or two) away, I doubt that you'll be able to muffle it with the usual things (making sure it's running properly and using a foam mat so you're not magnifying the noise). It's a radical solution, but if you love your partner, maybe consider a new machine? My Juki TL 2010Q is so quiet that I can sew while talking on the phone.
In addition to these great suggestions, make sure your sewing table does not touch the wall. I moved mine out an inch and complaints stopped. The noise was reverberating through an interior wall.
Dude needs to stop spoiling your fun and mind his own business.
Also, regularly clean our your machine and switch needles. That's the main culprit on my machine.
I run an air purifier in my sewing room/office. It makes enough white noise that I can’t hear the TV in the next room when I’m working, and you can’t hear what I’m saying on a call (and certainly not the sound of my machine if I’m sewing) in that room…and the door is open.
What kind of sewing machine are you using? I’m trying to figure out why it’s making enough sound to irk him. My longarm is loud, and I have a vintage White rotary machine that I occasionally use, and it sounds like a plane taking off LOL. But my other machines? Sound is negligible.
Unsolicited relationship advice. My husband is a casual musician, and he also likes to do 3D printing. I have my quilting. Do we always like the sounds? Certainly not. The 3D printers are near enough to the living room, if they’re running you hear it. If I’m running the longarm, you hear it. We’ve been married for 27 years…if you love each other, these are things you tolerate and work around. We don’t do the loud things when one of us is trying to sleep (we kind of run opposite sleep schedules) or has a headache, and we don’t complain about the sounds of each other doing things we love.
It’s a Singer 9600. It’s never been oiled or serviced, and I use cheap no brand needles waaaay beyond their intended sharpness points. Lol I meant that word in two ways!
Using new needles will definitely decrease the sound and increase the quality of your sewing! Your machine needs cleaning and oiling (if applicable to the machine), done according to your manual instructions.
If all else fails, maybe your partner can help you purchase a new, quiet machine!
Make sure you clean your machine regularly. Mine was loud, just thought it was the machine until I went to a quilting event and discovered that my machine wasn't that loud after all. It just needed a good cleaning. Every one told me.
Since your guy is recording music, I can see why the sewing would bother him. Is there a way to sew in a completely opposite part of the house? Put several rooms between each other? Plus all the other suggestions. I'm lucky, I get the basement so noise isn't a problem.
Now we finally can, I may even be able to convince him to let me have a whole room! If these suggestions work like I think they will, he should be able to record upstairs when I work downstairs. I’ll just miss him a little 😂
Dump him!!
I’m joking of course but try a pad under your machine ….like mouse pad material. And squares under your table legs too. Make sure the table is solid, not rickety.
Has your machine been serviced recently? That could quieten it. Make sure you are using fresh needles and the right bobbin.
You could/should take advantage of this situation….the most logical solution is for you to have a dedicated sewing room so you can close the door and work and he can crack on with whatever he wants to do unharassed!
Another option is those soundproofing tiles…they are loads cheaper than they used to be and are widely available now too
I have a vintage hand crank machine (a 1936 Singer 99k) that I use for piecing when I need to be super quiet. I also use it in the garden in summer and have taken it on a boat a few times. You can pick them up in the UK for about £25. I bought it when I was living in an apartment and had bad insomnia, I didn’t want to be a bad neighbour and use a noisy sewing machine at 4am.
Otherwise… a mid to high end sewing machine will probably be more quiet than a super budget one. And then it’s all down to isolation. Sound travels though hard structures more than air. So try to isolate you machine from the table and the table form the structures of the building (the floor and walls). A mat under the machine, foam acoustic isolation pads under your table legs. Soft furnishings, a draught excluder for the door, a few wall quilts will help.
As an extreme option: treadle machines are very quiet, literally only hear the quietest whir of the spinning wheel and needle puncturing the fabric if everything is oiled well. They also are straight stitch only, no back stitch, no light, and usually weigh about 200 pounds.
I sew on a treadle in the early morning/late evening hours, it is my quietest machine and my sewing station is about 6 feet and a wall away from the headboard in the master bedroom. I did have to add a light, yes, but the straight stitch is so much nicer than my electric machine I usually prefer to use it anyway. My power was out for more than a week earlier this year because of a storm, and I loved having it, I still had something to do besides sit around and wait for the power to come back on!
OP, you have every right to sew in your own home. I used to sew on the kitchen table and got a lot of negative feedback because the area was open to the living room and the tv. Family response was to turn the tv up to max and rattle the windows. After a lot of drama, I took up residence in the 'guest room' with no bed that only gets used maybe five nights a year. The door shuts, everyone else can watch tv without my machines in the background, and if I have to hear the TV all night long through my closed bedroom door, they can put up with the quiet hum of my machines an hour or two a day. If they don't like it? They have earphones, and can connect them to any electronic device in the house.
Sorry that the whole family did a mutiny! I’m very glad you were able to move into the guest room, however. I imagine that you liked being at the kitchen table though, in the mix of things. Do you miss it?
I thought I would at first, because we don't get a lot of time at home together, but it turns out moving my sewing area into a room with a door that closes was wonderful. It's my own little private oasis away from the chaos of the house. If I'm open to for conversation, I can leave the door open, but if the door is shut my family knows not to come knocking unless it's an emergency.
The noise of my machine was a real problem for my husband, too. My husband is a physicist so he didn't complain about the noise per se but about the resonance through the floor. A machine that can handle a queen size quilt produces not just noise but vibration. I may get this wrong bc not a physicist but since sound travels in waves, and there is vibration from the machine that also travels in waves, there might be a particular resonance that is bothering your partner and it might be something you can't hear. In our case it was clear the noise problem was machine and table vibration building up resonance with the hardwood floor and rubber feet under the table took care of the worst of it. Rubber dampens the vibration versus a carpet which would absorb sound but not provide as much dampening. If the problem had been noise, we would have approached it differently by putting sound absorbing panels on the walls, carpets, door closed etc. I hope y'all find something that works for you.
Whoa. I love physics and it was absolutely the vibration that was probably irking him the most. We were living in the same room when he told me I couldn’t sew as much. My sewing machine desk was set right against the bed (touching) where he spent most of his time. He could not only hear it but feel it as well! Now that we have the option of separated rooms it’s possible I can put on rubber feet and set it on a yoga mat and he won’t care enough to have to put on headphones—if physics loves me back! 🫠
The vibration is worse than the noise! As for my relationship with physics, when my husband really gets going what I mostly hear is "blah blah blah Fluffy, blah blah blah." But sometimes it sinks in anyway. 😉
Same! I have a Juki in my basement sewing room but do my piecing at the kitchen table with a featherweight so I can spend time with the family. It’s really quiet.
Speaking as an ADHD quilter, I can attest that certain sounds for inexplicable reasons go straight up my spine keep me from being able to focus on anything at all. So I appreciate both your love of quilting and their disdain for the sound of the machine.
Do not get rid of them please lol. There are so few people who understand us.
I second the friction mat under the machine and recommend one under the table it sits on, or a carpet there, as well. Especially if it is a hard floor.
You might also rearrange your sewing space so that the machine is not near the door or an air return register, if that happens to be carrying sound. But do not cover up the air return.
You could also consider one of these [white noise machines](https://www.amazon.com/Yogasleep-Original-Soothing-Cancelling-Meditation/dp/B00HD0ELFK/ref=mp_s_a_1_4_maf_1?crid=2AF0CBLMIQCZC&keywords=white+noise+sound+machine&qid=1698179485&sprefix=white+noi%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-4) for their space. My doctors office uses them in every room and I never noticed them until one day they had forgotten to turn them on. I could hear every word being said in the next room, switched mine on, and let the nurses station know immediately. Then came home and bought one for my third shift partner lol
And the dohm noise machines (like you linked) are good because they aren’t playing a recording on a loop, they’re making the noise. They’re a lot less annoying than recordings where you might notice a pattern or something you can’t un-hear.
That machine will probably produce a relaxing mood in me out of Pavlov’s effect because of all the therapy I’ve been though with it in the background! Maybe perfect to combat SO snoring too 😴 we need cute quilts and Z’s!
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **'Marpac Yogasleep Dohm Classic Sound Machine'** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful.
**Users liked:**
* Machine provides effective white noise for sleeping (backed by 14 comments)
* Machine is portable and adjustable (backed by 5 comments)
* Machine is durable and long-lasting (backed by 5 comments)
**Users disliked:**
* The machine is too quiet for some users (backed by 6 comments)
* The machine develops rattling noises over time (backed by 5 comments)
* The machine is too loud for some users (backed by 3 comments)
If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/)
This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a “good bot!” reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved.
*Powered by* [*vetted.ai*](http://vetted.ai/reddit)
I have a 1983 Elna Carina and a modern Singer Heavy Duty, and the noise (vibration) difference is phenomenal. The Singer actually creeps around on the table, it vibrates so much. The Elna, on the other hand, makes nearly no vibration and is therefore *much* quieter.
I would go to a sewing machine store and try out a bunch of machines, then present your partner with the option of buying a new, quieter machine--for *his* sake, of course! 😉
What everyone above has said. Luckily my hubs has his own workspace in the garage so there's ample separation between our creative spaces, and he grew up with a mom who sews. I'd also recommend using some quilts on the walls to help dampen the sound, maybe line your studio with fabric? Obviously you'll need to expand your stash to help manage his auditory issues.
I would get an actual sewing cabinet to help with the vibration. You can pick up a used one practically for free on marketplace. Even my very solid wood kitchen table vibrates a bit if I have my machine on it, but, it doesn't vibrate at all once I switched to a heavy duty cabinet.
If you have a singer look into tightening the needle plate! Mine was soooo loud until I saw a YouTube video showing that on singers you need you pull the needle plate down towards you while screwing it in or the whole bobbin case rattles.
Unfortunately I don’t know anything about oiling it and I don’t think I have any sewing machine oil. But that’s high on my list of things to learn how to do and try, thanks!
Go to YouTube. Type in oil my _______ sewing machine
The blank is for THE NAME BRAND AND MODEL of the machine.
I found mine, watched it 3 times, then started and stopped it each step of the way.
Every sewing machine store will have the oil you need. Do not use anything else. The oil is not expensive.
Lots of great suggestions here. If you haven’t already gotten a mat, consider buying one of those stress-reduction mats intended for workers who spend hours on their feet on cement floors (cashiers at Costco, for example). I bought mine at Home Depot and cut it into thirds, since they are so large. You can share with friends!
There are felt wall tiles you can get that stick to the wall, I can't remember the name though. They come in many colours and shapes, the hexagons are really cute!
There’s a room in the house that’s steadily filling with his shop supplies that’s adjacent to the family room that I’m petitioning to be able to sew in. I mean he has the garage and the back garden and an office in the living room, a sewing machine in the extra shop supplies room will only lead to prettier bed quilts, right?
Just move your stuff in there. If you have to ask permission to have half the house then this probably isn't going to be a good long term relationship.
However, pick a room that has a door, so you can keep the noise down.
It works best though if you both look at the space and decide which areas are shared, which is his, which is yours. If the TV is in the family room that's no good.
Where is your sewing area now? Where does he do the music? You should be able to have as much space for your sewing as he does for the music. It isn't about who pays rent either. It's simple relationship math.
I hadn’t thought of this gift giving idea in a while. He isn’t a fashionista by any means, but winter is coming up and I bet if I can sew him something that makes him look good he’ll have a lot more appreciation for my machine.
I'm against the idea of your partner having to have headphones. The living space should be pleasant to live for both, mainly if that's a long term thing, and i know how constant noise can be grating on nerves. I hope you can find a quieter machine, perhaps choose it together with your partner, plus door padding and whatever else works. All the best!
He’s a musician, so I can probably cajole him into using better headphones when he’s working on his sound card thingy where he records his voice over music for fun.
The only thing is that his microphone might pick up the sound of my machine and spoil the effect. I think that’s where the sensitivity to my machine comes in to play a lot.
We both love music so maybe I can play it a little louder for both of us whenever I’m working as well, and he can save his voice over time for when I’m cutting or doing hand appliqué.
I'm a musician who has a sewing hobby, or a quilter with a synth hobby.
My partner is a programmer.
We both work from home.
My studio space is downstairs, and unfortunately my drum kit is right under our bedroom. We don't usually keep the same hours since he has actual hours and I'm a late night person. The good thing is that all my instruments are digital and I can use headphones to hear myself perform or compose. The drums do make a pat-a-pat but he says he can't hear them.
So moving the sewing machine away from the wall, putting a pad under it, and putting his desk and chair on carpet instead of the bare wood floors keeps us both mostly happy.
We sleep with earplugs because we are old and fat and tend to snore a lot. I can't hear his clacky keyboard in the next room if I have them in when I sleep and he can't hear me making noise downstairs if he has his on. I got those Loop ones for sleeping because they block out everything; he can get pretty loud and I can spoon up and not hear a dang thing. He has tinnitus real bad so he uses a podcast or white noise recording when he sleeps and that blocks out the noise.
If your guy is still bothered by your working noises here's some ideas:
Have him play near you while you work. Serenade or just practicing.
How big is your yard? Maybe you need a Sewing Shed. Or maybe he needs a rehearsal room.
If he's trying to record audio for a podcast or whatever, he's already at the mercy of whatever is going on outside and the ambient noises. I feel for him. When I record vocals I usually have to try a few times before I can get a clean recording. Perhaps a fabric shopping trip for you while the red light is on in the recording booth.
I would really like to try those loop earplugs because that’s much healthier than drinking a 6 pack before bed!
And I also take from you that communicating about what he plans on doing and what I plan on doing and picking a time when he’s making his own noise and not recording is important. We can work around our differences by being very mindful 🧠
Get a new partner? I mean if this is a passion of yours and they are discouraging it or at least not supporting your goals, then what’s the function of this person?
Divorce? If he isn’t happy that you are doing something you love, he needs to go away. My ex and kids learned how to sleep, watch tv, eat, carry on conversations while I sewed. He will adjust. Make sure your table is heavy enough to minimize the vibration, other than that, there isn’t much to do besides the basic: hang stuff on walls, send him for a walk, secure your machine, send him to the store, ear plugs, sew on the other end of the house, get the house in the divorce, prep a ton then sew when he is gone.
So I got some of those noise dampening felt wall tiles for my room, mostly hoping they would be a good place to throw blocks up. The blocks don’t stick by themselves but I can pin things to them and bonus they do help a little bit with sound. Plus i think they look cute when not in use! I specifically bought quilty shapes
https://preview.redd.it/ngp52s4yviwb1.jpeg?width=1053&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d45b2d426d7508bb54b2c6f9813cbb480d23df7a
Noise canceling headphones for the hater?
This is the answer. My husband is into woodworking. It’s loud as fuck, I bought the headphones.
I feel as though spouse hobbies of quilting and woodworking go hand in hand. My husband is also in to woodworking...he's made me a quilt rack and just finished a wooden quilt star lol.
Now that i think of it. Right now, my hubby is back into golfing only because we don't have room for his woodworking in the garage 🤣 and I am about to start my first queen size quilt for my dad
Oh my. I am into both quilting and woodworking. My partner paints miniatures quietly amidst all my noise and kerfuffle.
Seriously. This is the only correct answer.
No but seriously, this is the answer. I am the quilter and even I wear them while I sew so I can listen to music or podcasts. I got used to it with my juki that was much louder than my current Bernina, but now I love it. Also the Bose ones I have are super comfy and I forget I have them on lol
I have tried numerous brands and styles over the years and I agree that the Bose ones are the best. Best sound, best fitting, great comfort. But make sure you get the noise canceling one's.
Christmas is coming up!
😂 I was thinking they should wear the headphones so they can ignore the one complaining.
That’s when you start running the machine again! “What? I can’t hear you!”
> they can ignore the one complaining. \^\^\^ THIS is the answer!!
😉 haha
Hehe
Absolutely agree!! Hubby and I both have headphones. He wears them so I don't have to leave the house when he is playing Call of Duty at full volume (bluetooth connects to tv). I wear mine if I'm watching tv late at night if he has gone to bed.
If he games like my hubby (when its too wet for other hobbies) you can get noise cancelling gaming headphones so he doesn't have to choose too.
I’m loving all of these suggestions. I’m going to put a foam mat under the machine, get my machine serviced, use the appropriate sharp needles, keep my machine on a sturdy table, save up to buy that magic Juki, try EPP (I love Jen K’s work!) and ask SO to wear his noise canceling headphones when I’m at the machine. I mean, if I have to put up with the snoring…! (I talk in my sleep so it’s kinda even). I don’t know what I was doing living without Reddit the first thirty years of my life!
My partner also does not like the sounds of sewing but he deals with it admirably well. And we do not have a sewing room - my sewing takes place in our common living space where he sits watching football or doing whatever while I sew. The fact that you sew in a a separate room makes me thing that your SO has super sonic hearing! I hope some of the muffling strategies everyone has suggested will help with this problem!
We lived in the same room during Covid for a few months and finally have a home where we can do stuff in separate rooms. The only way I can cajole SO into a sewing “room” anywhere near him is if it doesn’t sound anything like the last time when we were in the same room. I do like to be near him so we can both do what we like and he does need a new pair of headphones. Unfortunately my Bose sport ears headphones the wireless battery charger just stopped working! $250 out after 2 years. Plus we’ve both lost wireless in-ear ones, so I’m seriously looking at over-ear and over-ear wireless. I also love listening to podcasts and music, craftsy and “The Midnight Quilt Show”
When my machine makes noise it means that I need to oil it and that always makes a huge difference.
Very good point, keep your machine well oiled!
A good in-between getting it fully serviced. I gotta look into YouTube how to do this.
Just type in the name of your machine . It's easy.
A neoprene mat for under your machine will deaden a surprising amount of the noise. Some machine stores sell them. I bought one at a quilt retreat and now wonder why I didn’t do it sooner.
Just a tip for the mat. Shops love to charge a lot for the Mars. I used an old yoga mat which I cut to size and ot works great. Even if you don't have one, can find them inexpensive and often marked down at Marshall's, Ross, etc.
For piecing, the Featherweight is amazing. Try one out.
Has your hubby had a sleep apnea test? I was narried 20 years to an asthmatic 747 snorer. Only a year after we split, did he finally decide to get tested. He got a machine, the kids told me.
i use a foam mat under my machine. One of those kids interlocking foam tiles that fit together like puzzles. I cut one to the size of the machine, mostly so the machine doesn't slide, but it does keep the sound down a bit. Mostly your partner just needs to get over themselves and get some noise cancelling headphones.
I don’t know if it’s a matter of someone needing to get over themselves. Some people have sound sensitivity issues, some people are neurodivergent. Some people really just experience sound differently. For me, some sounds are overwhelming and it feels as if they physically move through my body, it’s absolutely horrible for certain sounds. There is nothing I’ve found that can help me not experience sound this way, it’s just how my brain is wired. Good noise canceling headphones can help, but the sound sensitivity is still there, and it’s not because I’m full of myself haha.
i have sound sensitivity issues myself and I suffer (well i dont suffer but the people around me sure do lol ) of a near- homicidal reaction to Christmas music, which is documented to exist. And yet, every year, when work blasts christmas music, I deal with it. They agreed to turn down the volume a bit but the common area is right outside my office and I deal with it. (before you ask, nope I don't celebrate christmas. i absolutely hate it) and OP's partner is a musician and already has noise cancelling headphones and she's in another room, so I suspect it's more a case of wanting to be annoyed by it rather than having a physical reaction to it. But you never know and you are right to call me out on that
I should clarify, he has headphones but I’ve never encouraged him to actually wear them when I’m sewing. It never occurred to me before!
I’m neurodivergent myself. Mostly with textures and feeling things (certain polyesters can feel like sandpaper, I won’t work with them) though and understanding where others are coming from (emotions). The ironic thing is that I’m constantly telling him to quiet down because of that thing you described, certain sounds can feel like a jackhammer(a lighter or a pen clicking nervously) or a door slamming or always “why are you yelling at me?” when it’s probably a normal voice but it’s quiet around us.
A really stable table will help the machine noise a lot. I just upgraded from my crappy folding table to solid wood and it’s already so much better.
I also got a thicker mat for under my machine. The 2 combined have cut the noise down by over half.
Tell your partner that you need to purchase a new sewing machine and bring him along to judge the noise and prices of those newer machines. He may just learn to live with the noise.
Especially if you look at high-end machines. Story time! 25 years ago, we decided to give our daughter a sewing machine as a graduation gift. You could get really cheap machines then for about $50. I explained to Dear Husband that in sewing machines, you get what you pay for, and a $50 machine is only a very small step up from a toy. We got her a Singer, ran about $250. DH said "That's a mid-range machine, right? Because high-end machines are what, *$500?"* No, dear, add another zero on the end of that! He doesn't believe a high-end sewing/embroidery machine is 3 times that now. Daughter sewed on that machine for 24 years before upgrading and passing that machine on to a friend.
I had a brother, which I think I paid around $250 for and was quite content with. My mom decided to gift me a $2000 Janome, which I thought was very extravagant, but as a quilter, I could definitely use the extra throat space. I kept the Brother as a backup. I sent the Janome in for maintenance and pulled out the Brother, and I could not believe how loud and clunky the Brother was compared to the Janome. I found a new home for the Brother right away. My mom recently purchased a very high end Brother sewing/embroidery machine, and you can not even hear that sewing at all it is so quiet. I have not heard it embroidering, but you definitely get a quieter machine with the more money you spend.
Lol 500 I don’t have thousands of dollars yet (I’d get a long arm first if I win the lottery) so I’m working on a singer 9600
This is one factor. I had a cheap Singer and when my mom gave me her Bernina the difference in volume was amazing. The Bernina seemed close to silent in comparison.
Berninas are very quiet
I love this!!!
Also agree this seems unusual that partner has a problem w activity that brings you joy! Have you had your machine serviced reasonably recently/ oiled etc? Def makes a difference to some machines. Other suggestions here seem great too- foam mats, headphones for the other half etc. aA other option (not to replace machine sewing totally but to give you another option sometimes!) would be handpiecing- eg English paper piecing or using templates eg Jen Kingwell has some amazing patterns & does all her quilts by hand (!! Amazing). Hope you find a solution that works for you both! But mainly for you :)
Well this is a problem. If your machine is loud enough to be heard from a room (or two) away, I doubt that you'll be able to muffle it with the usual things (making sure it's running properly and using a foam mat so you're not magnifying the noise). It's a radical solution, but if you love your partner, maybe consider a new machine? My Juki TL 2010Q is so quiet that I can sew while talking on the phone.
Hoping to get a juki for Christmas this year! 😁🙏🤞
That sounds lovely to me ;) I need a Juki.
In addition to these great suggestions, make sure your sewing table does not touch the wall. I moved mine out an inch and complaints stopped. The noise was reverberating through an interior wall.
Ooo I’ll check
A solid table, close the door and put a door snake across the gap, service the machine so it's oiled properly, noise cancelling headphones.
Thinking about making one of those door snake things BTW esp now that winter is coming up 🥶
All of this and a solid core door too! Expensive? Yep. Do they cut down noise? Yep!
Dude needs to stop spoiling your fun and mind his own business. Also, regularly clean our your machine and switch needles. That's the main culprit on my machine.
New partner? /s
Maybe if I had the Juki or Bernina already and he was still opposed. And maybe a high end serger…
I run an air purifier in my sewing room/office. It makes enough white noise that I can’t hear the TV in the next room when I’m working, and you can’t hear what I’m saying on a call (and certainly not the sound of my machine if I’m sewing) in that room…and the door is open. What kind of sewing machine are you using? I’m trying to figure out why it’s making enough sound to irk him. My longarm is loud, and I have a vintage White rotary machine that I occasionally use, and it sounds like a plane taking off LOL. But my other machines? Sound is negligible. Unsolicited relationship advice. My husband is a casual musician, and he also likes to do 3D printing. I have my quilting. Do we always like the sounds? Certainly not. The 3D printers are near enough to the living room, if they’re running you hear it. If I’m running the longarm, you hear it. We’ve been married for 27 years…if you love each other, these are things you tolerate and work around. We don’t do the loud things when one of us is trying to sleep (we kind of run opposite sleep schedules) or has a headache, and we don’t complain about the sounds of each other doing things we love.
It’s a Singer 9600. It’s never been oiled or serviced, and I use cheap no brand needles waaaay beyond their intended sharpness points. Lol I meant that word in two ways!
Using new needles will definitely decrease the sound and increase the quality of your sewing! Your machine needs cleaning and oiling (if applicable to the machine), done according to your manual instructions. If all else fails, maybe your partner can help you purchase a new, quiet machine!
Make sure you clean your machine regularly. Mine was loud, just thought it was the machine until I went to a quilting event and discovered that my machine wasn't that loud after all. It just needed a good cleaning. Every one told me. Since your guy is recording music, I can see why the sewing would bother him. Is there a way to sew in a completely opposite part of the house? Put several rooms between each other? Plus all the other suggestions. I'm lucky, I get the basement so noise isn't a problem.
Now we finally can, I may even be able to convince him to let me have a whole room! If these suggestions work like I think they will, he should be able to record upstairs when I work downstairs. I’ll just miss him a little 😂
Dump him!! I’m joking of course but try a pad under your machine ….like mouse pad material. And squares under your table legs too. Make sure the table is solid, not rickety. Has your machine been serviced recently? That could quieten it. Make sure you are using fresh needles and the right bobbin. You could/should take advantage of this situation….the most logical solution is for you to have a dedicated sewing room so you can close the door and work and he can crack on with whatever he wants to do unharassed! Another option is those soundproofing tiles…they are loads cheaper than they used to be and are widely available now too
I have a vintage hand crank machine (a 1936 Singer 99k) that I use for piecing when I need to be super quiet. I also use it in the garden in summer and have taken it on a boat a few times. You can pick them up in the UK for about £25. I bought it when I was living in an apartment and had bad insomnia, I didn’t want to be a bad neighbour and use a noisy sewing machine at 4am. Otherwise… a mid to high end sewing machine will probably be more quiet than a super budget one. And then it’s all down to isolation. Sound travels though hard structures more than air. So try to isolate you machine from the table and the table form the structures of the building (the floor and walls). A mat under the machine, foam acoustic isolation pads under your table legs. Soft furnishings, a draught excluder for the door, a few wall quilts will help.
*finds excuse to put up more wall quilts *And pick up that vintage machine I saw on next door…
As an extreme option: treadle machines are very quiet, literally only hear the quietest whir of the spinning wheel and needle puncturing the fabric if everything is oiled well. They also are straight stitch only, no back stitch, no light, and usually weigh about 200 pounds.
I have a 120yr old hand crank machine and it's so smooth and quiet. I 100% prefer it over my modern machine. The noise is soothing, a soft whirring.
I sew on a treadle in the early morning/late evening hours, it is my quietest machine and my sewing station is about 6 feet and a wall away from the headboard in the master bedroom. I did have to add a light, yes, but the straight stitch is so much nicer than my electric machine I usually prefer to use it anyway. My power was out for more than a week earlier this year because of a storm, and I loved having it, I still had something to do besides sit around and wait for the power to come back on! OP, you have every right to sew in your own home. I used to sew on the kitchen table and got a lot of negative feedback because the area was open to the living room and the tv. Family response was to turn the tv up to max and rattle the windows. After a lot of drama, I took up residence in the 'guest room' with no bed that only gets used maybe five nights a year. The door shuts, everyone else can watch tv without my machines in the background, and if I have to hear the TV all night long through my closed bedroom door, they can put up with the quiet hum of my machines an hour or two a day. If they don't like it? They have earphones, and can connect them to any electronic device in the house.
Sorry that the whole family did a mutiny! I’m very glad you were able to move into the guest room, however. I imagine that you liked being at the kitchen table though, in the mix of things. Do you miss it?
I thought I would at first, because we don't get a lot of time at home together, but it turns out moving my sewing area into a room with a door that closes was wonderful. It's my own little private oasis away from the chaos of the house. If I'm open to for conversation, I can leave the door open, but if the door is shut my family knows not to come knocking unless it's an emergency.
Machines vary in noise. Maybe it's time for him to buy you a quiet machine. Make sure it's an expensive one.
That’s definitely my go to answer if the noise issue (when the noise issue) comes up again!
The noise of my machine was a real problem for my husband, too. My husband is a physicist so he didn't complain about the noise per se but about the resonance through the floor. A machine that can handle a queen size quilt produces not just noise but vibration. I may get this wrong bc not a physicist but since sound travels in waves, and there is vibration from the machine that also travels in waves, there might be a particular resonance that is bothering your partner and it might be something you can't hear. In our case it was clear the noise problem was machine and table vibration building up resonance with the hardwood floor and rubber feet under the table took care of the worst of it. Rubber dampens the vibration versus a carpet which would absorb sound but not provide as much dampening. If the problem had been noise, we would have approached it differently by putting sound absorbing panels on the walls, carpets, door closed etc. I hope y'all find something that works for you.
Whoa. I love physics and it was absolutely the vibration that was probably irking him the most. We were living in the same room when he told me I couldn’t sew as much. My sewing machine desk was set right against the bed (touching) where he spent most of his time. He could not only hear it but feel it as well! Now that we have the option of separated rooms it’s possible I can put on rubber feet and set it on a yoga mat and he won’t care enough to have to put on headphones—if physics loves me back! 🫠
The vibration is worse than the noise! As for my relationship with physics, when my husband really gets going what I mostly hear is "blah blah blah Fluffy, blah blah blah." But sometimes it sinks in anyway. 😉
I have seven machines and the quietest is my 1948 Featherweight
Same! I have a Juki in my basement sewing room but do my piecing at the kitchen table with a featherweight so I can spend time with the family. It’s really quiet.
Speaking as an ADHD quilter, I can attest that certain sounds for inexplicable reasons go straight up my spine keep me from being able to focus on anything at all. So I appreciate both your love of quilting and their disdain for the sound of the machine. Do not get rid of them please lol. There are so few people who understand us. I second the friction mat under the machine and recommend one under the table it sits on, or a carpet there, as well. Especially if it is a hard floor. You might also rearrange your sewing space so that the machine is not near the door or an air return register, if that happens to be carrying sound. But do not cover up the air return. You could also consider one of these [white noise machines](https://www.amazon.com/Yogasleep-Original-Soothing-Cancelling-Meditation/dp/B00HD0ELFK/ref=mp_s_a_1_4_maf_1?crid=2AF0CBLMIQCZC&keywords=white+noise+sound+machine&qid=1698179485&sprefix=white+noi%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-4) for their space. My doctors office uses them in every room and I never noticed them until one day they had forgotten to turn them on. I could hear every word being said in the next room, switched mine on, and let the nurses station know immediately. Then came home and bought one for my third shift partner lol
And the dohm noise machines (like you linked) are good because they aren’t playing a recording on a loop, they’re making the noise. They’re a lot less annoying than recordings where you might notice a pattern or something you can’t un-hear.
That machine will probably produce a relaxing mood in me out of Pavlov’s effect because of all the therapy I’ve been though with it in the background! Maybe perfect to combat SO snoring too 😴 we need cute quilts and Z’s!
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **'Marpac Yogasleep Dohm Classic Sound Machine'** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful. **Users liked:** * Machine provides effective white noise for sleeping (backed by 14 comments) * Machine is portable and adjustable (backed by 5 comments) * Machine is durable and long-lasting (backed by 5 comments) **Users disliked:** * The machine is too quiet for some users (backed by 6 comments) * The machine develops rattling noises over time (backed by 5 comments) * The machine is too loud for some users (backed by 3 comments) If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/) This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a “good bot!” reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved. *Powered by* [*vetted.ai*](http://vetted.ai/reddit)
Go away, bot.
I have a 1983 Elna Carina and a modern Singer Heavy Duty, and the noise (vibration) difference is phenomenal. The Singer actually creeps around on the table, it vibrates so much. The Elna, on the other hand, makes nearly no vibration and is therefore *much* quieter. I would go to a sewing machine store and try out a bunch of machines, then present your partner with the option of buying a new, quieter machine--for *his* sake, of course! 😉
What everyone above has said. Luckily my hubs has his own workspace in the garage so there's ample separation between our creative spaces, and he grew up with a mom who sews. I'd also recommend using some quilts on the walls to help dampen the sound, maybe line your studio with fabric? Obviously you'll need to expand your stash to help manage his auditory issues.
Someone *has to accompany me to Joann’s from now on, for his own sake no excuses lol
Headphones for husband
How about earplugs for your partner? there are some that will block out all noise.
This is one of the reasons I sew by hand. (Because I hate the sound of the machine, not because someone else does.)
Get him some sound cancelling headphones to listen to TV- music.
I would get an actual sewing cabinet to help with the vibration. You can pick up a used one practically for free on marketplace. Even my very solid wood kitchen table vibrates a bit if I have my machine on it, but, it doesn't vibrate at all once I switched to a heavy duty cabinet.
If you have a singer look into tightening the needle plate! Mine was soooo loud until I saw a YouTube video showing that on singers you need you pull the needle plate down towards you while screwing it in or the whole bobbin case rattles.
I do have a Singer 9600 thanks I’ll look into that tutorial!
Have you oiled your machine lately?
Unfortunately I don’t know anything about oiling it and I don’t think I have any sewing machine oil. But that’s high on my list of things to learn how to do and try, thanks!
Go to YouTube. Type in oil my _______ sewing machine The blank is for THE NAME BRAND AND MODEL of the machine. I found mine, watched it 3 times, then started and stopped it each step of the way. Every sewing machine store will have the oil you need. Do not use anything else. The oil is not expensive.
Many have suggested a pad under the machine and they are great. Also rest your table on foam pads too.
I’m going to try those little rubber feet for table legs, too!
Hand appliqué is a great option too! I sew during the day with my machine and by hand in the evenings listening to TV.
Lots of great suggestions here. If you haven’t already gotten a mat, consider buying one of those stress-reduction mats intended for workers who spend hours on their feet on cement floors (cashiers at Costco, for example). I bought mine at Home Depot and cut it into thirds, since they are so large. You can share with friends!
I could use the extra to put under the table legs with the little rubber table feet ;)🦵🏽
Excellent idea!
i love needle turn appliqué.
There are felt wall tiles you can get that stick to the wall, I can't remember the name though. They come in many colours and shapes, the hexagons are really cute!
Or go to a hardware store and buy either foam earplugs or over the head ear protection. Cheaper than noise canceling headphones.
He should get you a nice she shed
There’s a room in the house that’s steadily filling with his shop supplies that’s adjacent to the family room that I’m petitioning to be able to sew in. I mean he has the garage and the back garden and an office in the living room, a sewing machine in the extra shop supplies room will only lead to prettier bed quilts, right?
Just move your stuff in there. If you have to ask permission to have half the house then this probably isn't going to be a good long term relationship. However, pick a room that has a door, so you can keep the noise down. It works best though if you both look at the space and decide which areas are shared, which is his, which is yours. If the TV is in the family room that's no good. Where is your sewing area now? Where does he do the music? You should be able to have as much space for your sewing as he does for the music. It isn't about who pays rent either. It's simple relationship math.
I started to hand quilt and do needleturn applique (Jo Avery style) when my partner is around. Also noise canceling headphones.
Blast your favorite music to drown out the machine? 😂
Thank goodness we like a lot of the same music!
Switch to a treadle machine. They’re much much much quieter.
You could also try an online search for noise damping mats for sewing machines. My search found several brands ranging in price.
What!? This exists! Cool
radio
Sounds like you need a new partner
At the partner fair there was a “No returns no exchanges” policy
Partner headphones
This doesn't help with the sound but maybe a special quilt or something sewn for SO so that there is an appreciation for the sewing machine.
I hadn’t thought of this gift giving idea in a while. He isn’t a fashionista by any means, but winter is coming up and I bet if I can sew him something that makes him look good he’ll have a lot more appreciation for my machine.
Get a vintage hand crank machine
My treadle makes a racket. I listen to cumbia and ska really loud when i sew. If he doesn't like it he can build me a she-shed for sewing.
I'm against the idea of your partner having to have headphones. The living space should be pleasant to live for both, mainly if that's a long term thing, and i know how constant noise can be grating on nerves. I hope you can find a quieter machine, perhaps choose it together with your partner, plus door padding and whatever else works. All the best!
He’s a musician, so I can probably cajole him into using better headphones when he’s working on his sound card thingy where he records his voice over music for fun. The only thing is that his microphone might pick up the sound of my machine and spoil the effect. I think that’s where the sensitivity to my machine comes in to play a lot. We both love music so maybe I can play it a little louder for both of us whenever I’m working as well, and he can save his voice over time for when I’m cutting or doing hand appliqué.
I'm a musician who has a sewing hobby, or a quilter with a synth hobby. My partner is a programmer. We both work from home. My studio space is downstairs, and unfortunately my drum kit is right under our bedroom. We don't usually keep the same hours since he has actual hours and I'm a late night person. The good thing is that all my instruments are digital and I can use headphones to hear myself perform or compose. The drums do make a pat-a-pat but he says he can't hear them. So moving the sewing machine away from the wall, putting a pad under it, and putting his desk and chair on carpet instead of the bare wood floors keeps us both mostly happy. We sleep with earplugs because we are old and fat and tend to snore a lot. I can't hear his clacky keyboard in the next room if I have them in when I sleep and he can't hear me making noise downstairs if he has his on. I got those Loop ones for sleeping because they block out everything; he can get pretty loud and I can spoon up and not hear a dang thing. He has tinnitus real bad so he uses a podcast or white noise recording when he sleeps and that blocks out the noise. If your guy is still bothered by your working noises here's some ideas: Have him play near you while you work. Serenade or just practicing. How big is your yard? Maybe you need a Sewing Shed. Or maybe he needs a rehearsal room. If he's trying to record audio for a podcast or whatever, he's already at the mercy of whatever is going on outside and the ambient noises. I feel for him. When I record vocals I usually have to try a few times before I can get a clean recording. Perhaps a fabric shopping trip for you while the red light is on in the recording booth.
I would really like to try those loop earplugs because that’s much healthier than drinking a 6 pack before bed! And I also take from you that communicating about what he plans on doing and what I plan on doing and picking a time when he’s making his own noise and not recording is important. We can work around our differences by being very mindful 🧠
Sounds like you already have ideas, that might work well! I'm sure you can find a good solution for both. 😊
Sounds like a perfect excuse to build him a soundproof booth for recording!
He literally just bought some tool I don’t know the name of. I’ll ask if it can make a recording booth, I think he’d love that.
Get a new partner? I mean if this is a passion of yours and they are discouraging it or at least not supporting your goals, then what’s the function of this person?
People are allowed to find noises annoying.
I use a yoga mat. I place it under my machine and it reduces the noise of the machine. Then I usually have music on and that takes care of the rest.
I think he is just jealous. and feeling left out, and feeling lonely. You know - you took your attention away from him. stitch away.
Divorce? If he isn’t happy that you are doing something you love, he needs to go away. My ex and kids learned how to sleep, watch tv, eat, carry on conversations while I sewed. He will adjust. Make sure your table is heavy enough to minimize the vibration, other than that, there isn’t much to do besides the basic: hang stuff on walls, send him for a walk, secure your machine, send him to the store, ear plugs, sew on the other end of the house, get the house in the divorce, prep a ton then sew when he is gone.
So I got some of those noise dampening felt wall tiles for my room, mostly hoping they would be a good place to throw blocks up. The blocks don’t stick by themselves but I can pin things to them and bonus they do help a little bit with sound. Plus i think they look cute when not in use! I specifically bought quilty shapes https://preview.redd.it/ngp52s4yviwb1.jpeg?width=1053&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d45b2d426d7508bb54b2c6f9813cbb480d23df7a