Blind as a bat
 

I was complaining to DH about my eyesight getting worse, and I especially notice it when quilting. Home he comes with a head lamp for me. It's awesome! It fits around my head and has a small LED lamp that allows me to see my stitches so much better. I know I must look like a real doorknob when I am wearing it, but I don't mind, I can see!!!!

Jim brought home an exam lamp from the hospital where he works. It looks a bit silly in our living room, but I can now hand quilt in the evenings while watching television. Isn't it wonderful to be able to see what you are doing? Now if I could just get rid of this Arthritis....

Great idea!

I use a book light to thread needles..I have the beginnings of cataracts and the start of glocauma (can't spell)..I hand quilt and the head lamp would be GREAT~ ! I wouldn't mind looking like a doorknob if it makes my quilting easier...Where can I find one?

I have a great little light that I clip onto my ear. Looks like a bluetooth (cellphone ear piece). Absolutely great!

I use the "miner"'s light all the time! Dont care how I look, the light points out exactly where you are sewing. Just perfect.

I just want to see a picture of this!
peace

I use a head lamp to see how to take fish off of the hook at night time fishing . They are great for any thang like that. I saw some for sale at bass pro shop the other day while we were shopping.

I'm with all of you -I need a bright light when sewing. Have two ott-type lights in the overhead fixture in my sewing room, and one in a table lamp beside the sewing machine. Have an adjustable ott lamp beside my chair for doing hand work at night.

I have several of them. We first got them for camping and hiking but they are so nice I keep them handy. They are really great when working with dark fabrics.

I use a magnifier " welders hood" to see better.. i too look like a doorknob... lol

I'll have to give it a try!

check out Lighthouse.com they have lots of things that help as sight becomes worse, also things for hearing problems

Hardware store, here I come! What a great idea!

What a brilliant idea - my daughter has one of those in a box that I have stored here - perhaps I should recycle it my way!!!!

I have a father son , mother daughter light. The small light is on a flexible arm and I put in a small spot light great I can move it around while working.and the light comes from by my head. It is also great when free motion quilting as I shine light onto my hands. The light from machine comes from wrong place. My brother wears one of those elastic lights on a band used for camping when doing jobs around the house.

This sounds much more comfortable that the one I wear around my head.... can you tell us a brand or where you got it???

I think you can get this at Harbor Freight!!!! Will have to check today.

YES!! I have seen them there - and inexpensive!

http://www.harborfreight.com/headlam...ens-45807.html

I think this is one that people say they put on their heads.



http://www.amazon.com/eGear-LED-Ligh.../dp/B000Q9BWG6
This one maybe the one for the ear

Nan

I have the light that attaches around your head, works great. Harbor Frieght was where I got it.

Whatever works. If you're in the privacy of your own home it's no one else's business but your own. I saw a guy the other day sitting back in a corner in the doctor's office reading with a headlamp on. He was waiting on his wife. Had arthritic shoulders and the A/C didn't blow down where he was sitting but that's where he would read. One guy asked him where he got them.

Think the headlamp is a wonderful idea....I used this as an excuse to buy a floor lamp I wanted that had a side light I can direct on my work... Understand about the arthritis..long to be able to do the hand work I used to..my right index finger is so messed up the needle never goes where it's supposed to.

Amamzon has the ear light on sale for $9.99 and Harbor Freight has 2 head lamps for $2.99/4.99.

That was so sweet of your husband!

Ohh man and I used to tease him for wearing it when chaining up ... Now I have to get me one (oh I can hear it now !LOL) but I do agree it will be great with dark fabrics !!

hehe, use them too. Aren't they great. Who cares how we look, I'm not doing it for a fashion show, it's a need and glad to have it.

For Christmas, I bought my husband and son baseball caps that have LED lights built into the visor from QVC. They us them when they walk the dog at night. They both like them better than the miner's light and they look good, too.

I never thought to try them for hand sewing. I am hand quilting a Sunshine and Shadow quilt with the Shadow being black and using black thread. Really hard to see. I'm going to "borrow" one of the caps to see how they work.

Isn't it amazing that having a bright light really does improve our eyesight and enables us to do the work we love. Until it broke, I had a torchier (spelling) light that had an additional bendable light in the middle - it did wonders for helping me see what I was doing when I was sewing, particularly at night.

My SIL has one he uses for home improvement jobs. My Husband was going to let me use his, I never did. Now I'm thinking it would make more sense than trying to put in lights. It is on an elastic band to wear around the head. I always say whatever works.

I feel your pain..I live on steroids because of COPD, and the meds and oxygen issues have started eye issues..I used to do 8-10 stitches nice and straight..No more---but my recipients don't mind and I still can do something I love...May in time if the stiffness in my hands gets much worse I will have to learn to machine quilt..until then I keep plugging on~~

When Harbor Freight first opened in my area my husband found a Head Strap Magnifier w/Multiple Lens there that has everything you need for close work. It was item 95890 but in the catalog it's 38896 and costs $3.99! Can't go wrong at that price!

I have used a headlamp for quilting for years. I shared this with my local group but never thought to put it on the board. Mine looks different as it is the camping design but does the same thing with the LED lights and pivots. They are available at any sporting goods or camping store and maybe even the sporting departments in the 'Big Box' stores. It looks like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Energizer-Trai...ords=headlight

I had a cataract removed from my right eye about 2 years ago and one from my left about a year ago. What a difference, the colors are much brighter and clearer. I went to the dollar tree and bought 6 pair of the reading glasses. One dollar each. They are all over my sewing room. lol I picked up a medicine bottle that I could not read and took it over to the glasses and went through the different strengths until I found the ones that I could read that tiny printing from 10 inches away. I would not be without them now. I think they are great just for the magnifying even if you don't really need glasses. Syl

Walmart has lights that clip on the bill of ball caps (around $5). They are adjustible for up & down and really work like a charm for many things although I have not tried them for quilting but you can be sure that I am going to now:D

I'm going to head to Harbor Freight! I have good light for one of my machines but I don't have good light by my black Singer 301 and at night it is hard to see. Thanks for the idea!

Try Harbor Freght, Sears or even Walmart.

to ilovetoquilt: on your ear? now that's funny. but what the heck, as long as it works.

Lowe's has the headlamps and other types of lights with the flashlights. They have one that my husband uses for work that has a red head band. The light is amazingly bright.

i also had catarac surgery. like you, i have glasses all over the house. but i bought a stronger pair of the dollar glasses to use when i quilt. works for me. i also left the sticker on that says what the magnification is so that i dont pick up the stronger ones when i dont really need them.