Replies

1. 
   ctirish | Apr 18, 2007 07:07am | #1

   I think you are wonderful to check here for advice.  We really need lots of daylight but I bet you aren't thinking about new windows.  

   They have lights - called Ott lights that are supposed to mimic outdoor light. I haven't seen any fixture that do the same thing but you could check with an electrical place.  There also may be new lights that do the same thing.  The other thing is if you use regular light fixtures - use the new clear white lights - Halogen I believe.  If you are thinking about a new ceiling fixture - there are a couple of things to think about.  Ceiling fixtures come two ways - the ones that shine light upward to the ceiling to create an overall lighting affect or the ones that shine downwards that tend to focus on the table area.  Then some questions - does she need light everywhere so she can see fabrics and other things clearly. Does she need more light around her sewing machine - you might be able to do this with a light at the sewing machine.  She may want both types. In any event, I hope I provided food for thought.

   jane

2. 
   dorothyjoan | Apr 18, 2007 08:34am | #2

   I have a compact lamp from http://www.daylightcompany.com

   I sew and cross stitch all hours with this. It is very handy.

   DJ

3. 
   tmorris1 | Apr 18, 2007 12:41pm | #3

   I like to sew with the "full spectrum light" they are a bit more expensive, but do not add any color to what your wife may be sewing. This may be exceptionally important if your wife likes to quilt, as she will be attempting to incorporate many different colors together in her designs.

   
   

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   Edited 4/18/2007 5:43 am ET by tmorris1

4. 
   MaryinColorado | Apr 18, 2007 05:43pm | #4

   Hi!  I am so glad that your wife is happy with her wonderful present.  It is one of those gifts that keeps on giving.  She will have hours of pleasure thanks to your thoughtfulness.

   JoAnnes has the Ott-Lites on sale for 50% off.  Their regular prices on these run from $25. to $270.oo.  They are supposed to reduce eye strain and glare.  People swear by them.  I have used them in a class and they are very nice. 

   I use a pole lamp with three lights on it and a fly tying clamp on with a magnifying light too, in addition to the ceiling fixture.  I think I'll be going to check out the sale.  It runs till April 21. 

1. 
   pinkit | Apr 18, 2007 06:15pm | #5

   I own a standing floor model of OTT-Lite.  It was a birthday gift to me from my daughter who knew I wanted one. It was purchased from Jo-Ann Fabrics when they were having a sale.  I use it next to my sewing machine as the arm extends over the sewing area.  I also move it next to the table when I am cutting.  On dreary winter days I have even used it next to my ironing board when ironing on dark fabric.  I think your wife would love one of these but perhaps she should investigate what kinds are available and decide which would suit her need best.  This move around light would save you having to do any electrical home improvement. GOOD LUCK!

5. 
   sewtimely | Apr 18, 2007 07:47pm | #6

   I have to add too, that lighting was an issue for me. My machine is in my dining room and it was a strain. I got tired easily and constantly tried to deal with insufficient light. I got an Ott Light about 2 weeks ago and LOVE it.  It has made it much more pleasant. I know that if you shop around there's others but I didn't feel I had time to shop and compare so I went with one I've heard just good things about.  Best to get it on sale if you decide on that one, they're expensive, but worth it.

    

6. 
   bonkers | Apr 18, 2007 08:08pm | #7

   KaiserRoo, I also have an OTT-Lite and it is the greatest. Not just for sewing but if you ever do jigsaw puzzles it shines down with out as much glare as reglar lights. Get the floor model as you can use it all over the house without having to have a table to set it on. Lucky wife you have!!

7. 
   Char9 | Apr 19, 2007 12:01am | #8

   Hey KaiserRoo!  What a nice hubby you are!  Full Spectrum Lights, also known as Grow Lights because they imitate daylight, come in all differnt bulb sizes.  I sew in my basement and had one of those nasty florescent fixtures in the ceiling over my machine but I found full spectrum tubes for the fixture.  What a difference!  Then I found them for the recessed lighting over my sink.  I even found them in the round decorative bulbs for my dining room chandelier.  Colors are truer, my eyes don't strain and they even give me more energy.  I think they're worth the extra price even if they do put off a little more heat than regular bulbs.  I get them at Home Depot or Lowes.

   Char

1. 
   MaryinColorado | Apr 19, 2007 06:54am | #9

   Those can get a bit warm if they are near the body. 

8. 
   Beth | Apr 19, 2007 04:28pm | #10

   Lighting was a problem in my sewing room, until my dear husband added a "few" more lights. The room has one north-facing window and no ceiling lights. The two halogen lights are a big help, plus the total number of lights is eight. No, I didn't count the lights on the machines. I am not familar with Ott lights. When Joanns has them on sale, the wattage is often low, like 18 watts, I cannot believe they would help. So my advice is: an Ott light with enough watts or halogen. With the eight lights, I turn lights on and off with different tasks.
   Beth

9. 
   solosmocker | Apr 19, 2007 07:00pm | #11

   What a lucky wife!

   I have found over the years that it is critical for me personally to have a desk type lamp on my left. It must be "focusable" as sometimes I pull it in quite close to my machine. Other times I turn it toward my ironing and raise the height as well. My darling DH and friend recently built me a sewing studio. Over my machine I have three small hanging pendants, purchased at the Depot, and they are halogen lights. To my left is that desk lamp, fitted with a full spectrum fluorescent bulb from the Depot for 7.99 a bulb. Between these two forms of lighting focused on my machine, I am very happy and can sew black items easily. (Black can be very difficult to sew on due to lighting.) I like to sew intricate things so good lighting, but reasonably priced, is important to me.

   Hope this helps.

10. 
    Teaf5 | Apr 19, 2007 08:35pm | #12

    Ample light is very, very important, but it's not necessarily complicated or expensive to provide. In my guest room/sewing room, I hung a large paper lantern light (ten dollars at an import store) with a Reveal bulb (a flourescent true-color light) overhead slightly to the left of my machine. I put another Reveal bulb in a small nightstand lamp (ten dollars at Target) and placed it on the back of the machine cabinet.

    I can move either as I work and as the natural light in the room changes, and each works well as guest room lighting, too.

11. 
    Jumala | Apr 20, 2007 08:35pm | #13

    Hi,

    Have my entire apartment full of daylight white compact flourescents. Just replaced every light bulb with a CF. Now it's like having the Sun shine all the time. I used Feit Electric brand available from Walgreens Drug Store and  Menards (similar to Home Depot). Also recently bought an Ott clamp-on light that can be hung on the wall with a screw (avail from Nancy's Notions web site). My hobbies are sewing clothes and ham radio.

    Dennis

1. 
   SewFit | Apr 23, 2007 02:04am | #14

   I've sewn for year and years and years--getting back into it on a daily basis in the last few months.....lighting is a BIG issue.... especially when sewing black.  I have an Ott lamp over my machine and serger as well as a triple light floor lamp. One west facing window which helps during the day, but, most of my sewing is in the evening hours. I think maybe I need to purchase some of the daylight fluorescent bulbs for the ceiling and lamp.   Thanks for the advice.

    

   Edited 4/22/2007 7:05 pm ET by SewFit

1. 
   KaiserRoo | Apr 23, 2007 06:19pm | #15

   Thank you all for your help especially about the sale on OTT-Lites at JoAnns. I was unable to make it to JoAnns but I did order a few of the lights on their web site while they were still 50% off. One of the lites will be for my mom.

   I noticed the bulbs were also very exspensive so here are two more questions that I have

   1. Can the bulbs be used with regular fixtures?

   2. Do the lites or bulbs interfer with television or radio reception?

   Thanks once again for the help, KaiserRoo

2. 
   Jumala | Apr 24, 2007 12:51am | #16

   One caveat with these bulbs. Make sure the CF fits the fixture. A 100-watt equiv CF is larger than a 60 or 75-watt one. My bedroom ceiling fixture uses 2 60-watt CFs because the 100s don't fit. No problem with the kitchen ceiling fixture. A 100-watt equiv CF only uses 23 watts or something like that, so the actual wattage isn't the issue, just the physical size. The non-daylight white CFs have the same issues. The CFs do give off some heat but are touchable, unlike standard lightbulbs.

   Dennis