Weezy Rider

I use a sewing machine cabinet. Very handy and I like it - but why oh why do the makers of lighting think that everyone has room on the LEFT side of the machine? No matter what table you use - that's were the fabric goes! With a cabinet, there is really no place to the right to clip anything unless you have cabinets at the side. We can't all have the ideal sewing studio with great lighting. I'll bet a quite a few are making do. I see a lot use the kitchen or dining room table.
This could be a relatively inexpensive update and boon for anyone if the designers would get their acts together.

I finally found the Ecolux which is I hope the first of a sane solution. I've tried a bendable, but I thought it had a lot of glare. This glare might not be apparent depending on the shape of your machine and where you can attach the light. Plus the bendy part gets weak. Mine kind of unbent while using the embroidery module. I can think of a couple of other ways to deal with lighting, and I'll bet you can, too.

BTW - the left side is fine for most garments and heirloom, but for quilters????

Silver Needle

I agree we collect and use vintage machines. Seems like the lighting situation hasn't improved much, the exception being LED lighting in some new machines. I'm lucky we have a lot of overhead lighting with natural light fluorescent in my studio for the longarm. But I do a lot of piecing on the vintage machines in the living room at night.

Gramie bj

I must agree! I use a lot of black in my quilts and would love a light that would shine in front of the needle.
It is really hard to see the guide lines and sometimes even the thread. Even harder seeing black thread on black fabric when using a seam ripper! LOL Thats when the lighted magnifing glass I uses for beading comes out!

Pickles

My main complant is the lighting also plus the thoat room , you would think that when they claim it's a
quilting machine that they would know there's not anywhere near the thoat room are lighting for a quilt to be made!!!

justflyingin

That's why Janome put so much light built in the 7700.

Joset

yes my horizon (7700) has a lots of light. i wish my other machines did too.

Tashana

I have a dinky one bulb on my singer and I can see nothing with it. Add to that that I wear glasses it is always a challenge. I have one of those tall floor directional lamps with three lights and I point them where I need them. It is either that on mystery seams since I cannot tell where the heck I am sewing. My new bailey came with 14 LEDs at least now I will see where I am quilting!

Sally J

To Weezy Rider.. My bendy part of the light lost its bend also so I put a rubber band around it the in the curve I wanted and works great. Just an idea

majormom

First of all, the only stupid question is the one that isn't asked! I've always maintained that people who do not know anything about sewing design sewing machines and sewing machine cabinets, and this is doubly true when it comes to home quilting machines and cabinets. They should know by now that we need lots of light and lots of room and a long harp space. And most of us would be happy if these companies would provide all of this at a price that is reasonable. A dedicated home quilting sewing machine doesn't need 100+ different stitches, it needs a decent straight stitch. it really doesn't need to be electronic either. But it really does need to have lots of light and a wide space between the needle and the head. The light on my machine is pathetic. I really love the bendable light I bought that sticks to the machine and allows you to spotlight right in front of the needle. Well, I'll get off my soapbox now! :-) This is a good thread. I love to know others are bummed by the same things that bum me! Do you think we will ever be 'heard'?

Wintersewer

I'm confused as to what her question IS. Is it about space on the table or lighting?? I am a quilter and I want most of the space on the left.
And most of the "good" brands of sewing machines, Bernina, Pfaff, Janome, Babylock, Viking, make wider machines for quilters. The problem is that they are expensive, but they did listen.