sewbizgirl

To make my quilt labels I type them out in the font style I like and play with size and layout till I get it right. Then I print them onto paper and use my light box to trace the letters onto fabric for the label. Much better than writing labels freehand!

Macybaby

I have a light box for smaller projects, and a glass top drafting table with a light underneath it.

Most recently I used to for creating the school logo for a quilt, and I also use it the same as sewbizgirl for making labels.

quilterpurpledog

You could use the flashlight on the phone which you could lay in a box of any size with a plexiglass cover. It would certainly do the trick. I do have a lightbox because someone gave it to me. I do not use it often but it is great when I need it. I like the idea above about aligning the fabrics for paper piecing projects. I am thinking of the JN patterns.

luvstoquilt

I have and love my light box. I do a lot of appliqué and it is great. My granddaughter also uses it for some of her projects for school. It was a gift a few years ago and before that I used my glass top table with a lamp under it. It worked fine. My son saw me doing that and gifted me with my light box.

missgigglewings

Thank you all so much! I kinda figured out that I want one...and I'm also going to use the drawer idea to make one. Just to get neat labels would be worth it...My handwriting looks like a doctor's!

ILoveToQuilt

I got one of the slim LED light pads for my birthday and I love it. (Tattoo artists use them a lot.) I received the "A2" size which is 18" x 24" - large enough for just about anything you want to trace. (DH said is was around $100). The "A4" size is an 8" x 10" size and are available for under $50. Ebay and Amazon have quite a few to choose from. I highly recommend the LED boxes as they are thin and easy to use. I used to use my patio doors, then my bay window to trace. Now I use the LED pad.

lindaschipper

I have one that was purchased at JoAnn's with a 50% off coupon.....hasn't been used much, but it's ready for when I need it for applique projects.

JENNR8R

Sometimes I mark my quilt tops before they are basted. Recently I redid a shower and kept the old glass door. I'm going to put it between two TV trays with a lamp underneath. I'm giddy with excitement to have the large area for my next tracing project.

p.s. It's not quilting, but I also trace clothing patterns onto freezer paper so my original tissue paper pattern is not damaged and can be reused. I used to do this on my sliding glass door on sunny days. Now I can sit down and do it any time I want with my shower door. Woo Hoo!

Quiltlady330

Yes to both statements. My husband made mine with some pieces of scrap wood that he had and painted it white. I bought glass at Lowe's to fit. I use a small light bulb he mounted underneath and it's great. I trace patterns or coloring book images and anything else I need to copy. (I used to use the window. Ugh. Hard on the arms holding them up for an extended period of time.)

San Luis

I had a large picture frame with a cheap print I bought several years ago. I took the picture out, took the glass from behind the frame and glued it to the top of the frame, there's just enough lip to lay it on the outside of the frame. I used masking tape on the edges of the glass (careful, it's sharp). Like above, I use an LED light underneath the glass. I tape whatever I'm tracing on the underside of the glass and prop the back of the frame on a book for a bit of elevation to trace onto my fabric on the topside of the glass. Like others above have said, I don't use it often, but it is nice to have when I need it and my arms don't get tired holding it up to a window and only being able to trace in daylight. The rest of the time, I place it on my cutting table, glass side down and use it as a tray for my cutting stuff.