I've complained about how hot my room gets also. I have many lights all around my room. I can't have an air conditioner in the window. I have central air and that's not enough. I have a tower fan and it helps a bit. The iron is hot, the sewing machine is hot, the lights are hot. I have the expensive lights that aren't suppose to heat up, but I still get hot and I'm suppose to be over my hot flashes. I am freezing in the rest of the house. So, I stay in my sewing room until I'm cooked and turn off all the lights and leave the door open and go sit in the living room until I'm frost bitten and then head back into the sewing room. I repeat as necessary.

Sew naked :)

I couldn't resist.

The flourescent lights don't give off much heat. The iron does. I'm at that wonderful age when all of a sudden I've become my own whole house heater. This is all relatively new to me ... a voyage of discovery. I have noticed certain triggers though. My iron IS indeed one of them. When I'm using it ... hot flashes. Another trigger is a "flurry" of activity. If I've had my iron on all day I can definately feel the differnce in the overall temperature of the room.

I'm glad I'm not the only one with a hot craft room.
My room gets the sun all day long. It comes up behind the house and just moves across the sky, behind the house... That's got to be a main culprit that I had not even thought of...
I also love the idea of installing ceiling vents. that might really help a lot.
I do have the T8 fluorescent lights. I think it must really be the iron, the sewing machines and three women all moving around that put it over the edge. Hubby has come in here and said wow, it's hot in here and he isn't meaning me lol. :D

I'm sure something will give. I love the suggestions that everyone is giving. I'm going to bounce some off of my father in law (he's the handy one. My husband is not - hanging a picture is a big ordeal for him lol) and see if he has any ideas on what I can do to fix it.

Sorry, but this made me chuckle. I must be the only on you loves a hot room. I keep a small radiator type heater under my sewing table, Drag the poor thing over to the cutting table when I am over there. I even close the floor vent in the summer when the central air is on.

I wish I had some of those hot flashes y'all talk about. I went through menopause with no issues what so ever.

A ceiling fan would help you a lot. Even if it blows warm air around it will still feel better then still dry hot air. Also close the vents and if they can't be closed put something over the vents to block off the heat. But only if the vent themselves don't get hot. I do agree with you that I wouldn't give up my good lighting in there. Good lighting is very important in a sewing room.

Now I could be lying through my teeth, but I thought I had seen a 'tower' that was both air chiller and heater. Can't remember if I read an advertisement or saw it on TV. Since I really don't watch TV all the much it was probably the first. I used to have a unit in my longarm room that was a window unit that was both hear and air con so I know its possible. This wasn't true air con that I was looking at as it didn't dehumidify (no 'running' water) so you don't need a window.

" I did open a window but sadly it felt just as hot outside as it was inside. "

There's your problem....join us here in northern Michigan! We don't have that problem. :D Seriously, my sewing room is quite small and especially in the summer, it gets very warm in the room when I use the iron. I did change the light bulbs last summer, which helped a little, too. In the summer, I have a small fan on low.

I wouldn't give up my ceiling fan for all the tea in China.

I can only agree with ckcowl. It's 3 above (balmy) here in Northern Indiana. I've been outside and my fingers are too cold to sew or cut.

I have a small fan near my machine that I use. Also have one I take to guild and UFO. No, I no longer suffer from hot flashes, just find that I prefer the 70's as outdoor temperatures.