Needle Me

The right tool for the perfect job … that’s my motto and each time I teach a class or even sew with my friends, I promote this idea. The first tool of hand sewing is a good pair of glasses, maybe you are ok with sewing through the bifocal portion of your eyeglasses … well, not me! I have a more than a few pair of the really “mean” drug store glasses and use different magnifications for different tasks. I use 3.0 when I hand sew and appliqué, I use a 2.5 when I am at the sewing machine … and a 1.50 when I’m cutting. Yes, the glasses are all over the house and studio, but to see well is to sew well.
Let’s talk about lighting. I find that lighting your hand sewing is critical in providing the ability to stitch well, stitch even and to develop rhythm. I use an Ott High Definition Task Lamp when I am seated at a table sewing or embroidering. It is a great light for 2 reasons; one, it lights only your work and can be adjusted lower or higher to eliminate reflections on your eyeglasses or other light sources in the room; and two, you can easily close it when it’s not in use and the florescent bulb seems to last forever. When I move from the studio to the living room to sew, I have a great task floor lamp with a halogen bulb and a movable snake neck that I am able to position perfectly to light just the fabric I am sewing, not above my head where the light would reflect off of my eyeglasses. In addition to these lights, I have a portable Ott lamp that is light weight, fits in my stitching bag easily, and I take it when I travel or stitch with friends to be sure I have adequate lighting.
Ott lights are available at JoAnn stores in a variety of sizes.

As always … Happy Stitching!