Magnets and computers do not get along. Magnets will erase any kind of drive that stores information unless that drive is specially shielded. A girl could lose every embroidery design on her machine. :(

In general, LEDs are quite replaceable, although ignorant clerks may tell you otherwise. You may have to look a bit for some. DH bought a number of individual LED lights from a solar power supplier on line, 2 of which became eyes for a sculpture of mine. If you buy LEDs from a major hardware chain, check, but you are likely to be able to get screw in LED sets that are readily replaced, after they go.....which will be a long time.

I've ordered the strip lighting. I've tried just about everything else. Except for some lights that are really expensive, there are no good clip-on type double goosenecks with a small narrow head that go on the RIGHT side of a sewing cabinet. There's just no place to clip a lamp. The right end top and sides of the cabinet are flush. Everything I've found is either floor, or set to the left side, right where you want fabric to go! You need a narrow head so you can see over it. I can't use a round type light. Can't see around/over them. That bendy light wouldn't stay put.

Glad to see you found a solution for you. I am very light sensitive and one of things I don't like about my 6600 is that the lights are TOO bright. I sew with all the lights out in the sewing room and sometimes have to switch to another machine when those become more than I can bear.

I also can't stand Ott lights. They make me throw up - literally.

I am asking out of curiosity not meanness, was this always a problem or is it related to aging? I couldn't imagine ever needing things further away because my vision is so bad and that finally happened but I don't know what I am going to do if I start needing more light to sew. I am afraid I will have to stop all together because I just can't tolerate more lighting. I turn my lights on to cut and then back off.

This might be true for some lights, but for my particular sewing machine, replacing the LED would require disassembly and soldering. It's not as easy as simply unscrewing a bulb and putting a new one in. The labor costs alone would me more than what I originally paid for the machine, which is why the technician told me to just buy a new one.

I got the one from Nancy's Notions for my 15" Bailey. I took the front-end cover off the Bailey to make it easier to see where the needle is, and also the light bulb, because without the cover, the light was right in my eyes. I do have lights at each end of the quilt frame, but needed something right at the needle. The bendable light is perfect for this, putting light exactly where you need it.

Sometime the best tool for what you need it for is expensive. There are a lot of make do products for everything but I found it saves time and frustration to just buy the best to begin with.

I always wear my polarized sunglasses at the sewing machine. I thought everyone did!

Your eyes may be sensitive to light now but as you get older the sensitivity will be less and less. At least that what happened to my Aunt. She couldn't tolerate bright light until later in her life. I would ask an eye dr. about the light sensitivity problem. My aunt found out too late it isn't normal.

Thank you. My eye doctor knows. Part of why I have polarized bi-focals. I know I do better than I used to. I can ALMOST tolerate a normal computer monitor now but I prefer them with the brightness and contrast both set below 50.

I have an aunt that is light sensitive, too. She is 54 and I am 47. When we went to retreat it really disturbed everyone that we turned all the lights out except our machine lights. We even gave our extra lights to other people. Worked out best for everyone.

But those Ott lights...those things are EVIL. Shudder just thinking of them!

I feel for anyone that can't see for whatever reason. Yesterday my husband moved my glasses while I was in the shower. I couldn't find them and had to get a spare pair out to find them because he left for work.

I'm sorry you have this problem but if I paid for a retreat and someone turned out the lights and expected me to use a lamp light I would not be very happy at all and would have asked for a refund if I had to sew without normal lighting.

No, I meant at our table. Not anyone else's lights. Each table was equipped with individual task lighting that we didn't use. They just couldn't imagine that we could work like that. I would never bother anyone else's. That is part of why I wear my sunglasses so often. Even my safety glasses are darkly tinted.

:thumbup: Oh, that explanation makes it clear. I couldn't understand someone turning off the lights. LOL