Getting the light right

February 13, 2018

The right light is the most important tool you can have as an embroiderer or any crafter. So many people who come into the shop say they can’t do embroidery anymore because their glasses are no good or they can’t see anymore. In most cases they can’t see because the light is no good. Energy saving light bulbs might be great for the environment but they are hopeless for stitching.

You need at least 100 watts of light to see properly for stitching, especially at night. This is not from the ceiling but directed over your shoulder from the opposite side from your stitching hand. (Left side for righties and right side for lefties, so as not to create a shadow).  Most ordinary lamps only take a 60 watt bulb at the most. If you get a floor standing lamp that takes 2 spot lights you can get 120 watts. But you are going to cook under the heat.

What you need is LED light. An LED Daylight light doesn’t get hot, the 18 watt energy saving tubes gives the equivalent of 300 watts in the example of the Floor Standing Swan Light, and the tube will last for 10,000 hours  (give or take, but that’s more hours of stitching than I have left in me).

Okay, so this is an expensive tool you say, but hey only the price of a good pair of shoes and it’s going to last much longer, plus you are going to be happy stitching and the health benefits for your vision are not to be scoffed at. AND it is way cheaper than a new pair of glasses which you probably don’t need anyway.

If I had a tenner for the number of people that have come back and said to me ‘I have a bone to pick with you. Since I bought my lamp nothing else gets done. I am stitching all the time’ I might be able to retire in style!!! (Well pay for the cocktails on the tropical island at least)

The only drawback is that once you get one of these, your chair will be stolen by others wishing they had such a good spot for reading, crosswords or whatever.

View our range of Daylight embroidery lamps

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