Led Lights
 

Has anybody tried them yet? I don't have enough light on my Janome 6600. I've been looking at them online and just got the Connecting Threads catalog where they are featured also. I just don't know whether to invest in them or not. Would appreciate hearing any and all responses.

you could try getting one of the lights that stick on to see if thats what you need.

I have a bendable, stickon, electric, led light from Nancys Notions.....on my quilting sewing machine. Do not know how I would be able to live without it.....good pin point light at the needle, where I need it....I am very carefull about turning it off when I walk away from the machine so I will get good life out of it......

I have the Janome 6600 and added a bendable bright light (one LED). It helps but when my
eyes are tired I could use some more light. The one that Connecting Threads is selling
sounds interesting. Let us know if you try it.

I have 2 of the bendable LED lights. The one I use is plug-in electric and magnetic. I stick it on whatever vintage metal machine I'm using - Featherweight, Viking, ect. It has 10 LEDs and is a great help with the older dim-single-bulb machines. My Mom recently gave me one that is stick on, it is an inexpensive 3 LED "Dritz" brand that she got from Joann with a coupon. it is battery operated and I'm not sure if I will use it or exchange it. My Bernina has a u-shaped florescent light and I have an Ott-light next to the cabinet it's in. It might be helpful on my serger, which has no light.

One of the things to remember about LEDs is when they eventually burn out, they are not replaceable. I learned this the hard way when the LED bulb on one of my machines dimmed significantly. I took it in to be replaced and the technician told me I had to buy a whole new machine! :shock:

So, consider the fact that when your light goes out, you will have to toss it and buy a new one. Granted, they do last a long time - the light on my machine was on A LOT for 5-6 years (sometimes overnight).

I purchased a $10 lamp at IKEA, the neck is bendable like Gumby and it stays where I put it. I like the fact that I can use it at my machine, or take it in to a different room and sit with my husband while I do handwork. IKEA also has one that clamps on.

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I bought a small stick-on LED light with a flexable neck for my machine; about $10. I also use floor standing Ott Lights and LED desk lamps at cutting table and sewing table.

I agree, Gigi. Its somewhat useful but the "glint" bouncing off shiny things like the pressure foot, my tweezers, etc is a nuisance and as you say, it gets in the way. Would like one with a bigger, softer "spread" of light. Its a must for black-on-black though!

actually, from everything that i've read online, the led's last tens of thousands of hours... so they are a very good investment

I have the stick-on one from Nancy's Notions. It's nicely bright BUT it doesn't want to stay stuck on! My machine has no completely flat surface to stick it to. It will stay for a bit then fall off. So, I taped it on. Needs more tape. If I get the light shining the needle area properly, the thing is either in my way & I can't see to sew or I bump it constantly when moving my quilt around. If I ever get it properly positioned...it'll be great!

I bought two of the Ikea clip-on lights like Peckish mentioned and clipped them to the arms of my longarm. They work great, in addition to the light that is already on the longarm and the overhead light bar. It takes a lot of light to see those stitches! For my sewing machine, the Bernina's light is usually good enough, but when I need more light I have a desk light with natural light bulbs and I like that better than a stick-on light.

If you are referring to the small light with a goose neck that sticks on your machine, I have one and love it! Don't know how I got along without it! I can pull it out to see to rip a seam or shine it down to see to sew. Best investment I have ever made.

I want a wrap around led light that attaches to my machine. Don't want anything magnetic or sticky or standing by the machine. Don't want one where the 'bendy' arm gets loose and the light moves on me. Don't want one that puts light in one little area, I want the full sewing workspace around the needle lit up a good 12" all the way around that needle. Any suggestions?
I like this idea, but a little too pricey for me.
http://www.allbrands.com/products/25...ganized-freear

I bought the strip of the led machine lights. I didn't remove the paper backing to stick it on the machine. I used double sided tape so I could use it on more then one machine. I have since bought a strip for all my machines. It sure lights up the sewing area. I don't regret buying them it at all. http://www.ecoluxlighting.com/

Bella, that's exactly the one I'm talking about! Haven't bitten the bullet yet, but your testimony puts me over the edge to buy it. Is it positioned along the top of the underside of your machine. My concern is that it won't be enough light on the sewing area. Was thinking about getting a two or three light one and fit down lower to better see. Do tell, please!

I got the six light strip. It lights the whole area.

I don't like the color of LED lights, it's too blue and harsh to me. I got an Ott light and have that aimed at my sewing bed. It's a little awkward and kind of blocks some of the buttons on my machine but the more natural wavelength light makes my eyes happy. (I have the 6600 too)

I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Ott-lite-Ott-L...5566510&sr=8-2 (but I bought mine at Joann's on sale).

I have the same one and I just love it. I agree with you, I couldn't live without it either.

Tks, Bella. I just ordered one like yours. Sure hope it works for me.

We moved into a new (to us) trailer last year. Although it is quite recent, the lighting was terrible. DH put in LED lighting almost everywhere. I love it. I also love our power bills. Even with lots of medical equipment for both of us, air filters in every room, and lots of AC, our bill last month was $41. DH points out that 7 watts of power gives the equivalent of 150 watts of incandescent light. DH was a lighting tech for ABC News. He knows his stuff. It does cost to make the transition, but I love the results. DH figured that the cost of all the new lighting pays for itself in 3-5 years. It would be shorter with more expensive power.

I have 4 of those Ikea lights and they work great. At $10.00 they are a lot cheaper then those other lights and the IKEA lights are SUPER BRIGHT. I brought one of mine to our little quild and now several others have gone to IKEA and got their own and they LOVE them.

I just saw these a couple of days ago at one of the LQS. I was talking to the owner of the shop who told me that everyone that's gotten them is just ecstatic with them. I'm thinking of adding it on my longarm.

I got a strip of 6 led lights as a gift and they are Amazing! Expensive but worth it for aging eyes 😄My friend got a strip of two and they are not enough and she is going to get the longer strip .

Expensive but well worth it! Get the 6 light strip--Less is not enough!

An inexpensive way go to the Dollar store and buy a flash light they have and tape it to your machine. I love mine so i can read in bed without the other lights one. Haven't had time to check taping to my machine as i just thought it.

The inexpensive book lights don't have very good light at all. There is a difference in LED lights too. Some of the cheaper LED bulbs aren't very bright even if they look the same size as the more expensive ones. And the cheaper ones don't last long at all. 100,000 hours is the norm for good LED electrical lights.

Check ecoluxlighting.com - they have a variety of sizes for different machines. I have a 6 light strip for my Bernina and am purchasing a 3 light strip for the Viking. The nice thing is if you have different machines all you need to do is purchase one with a cord and the cord is interchangable with the other light strips. No I do not work for them! HAHAHA
But - I do have a bendable LED light that I have used for several years and this is the second one - the cord keep fraying - very flimsy IMHO. Would not purchase another one of those (esp. since they are selling for around $50 now).

I have the Janome 6600 and agree there is not enough light-especially if sewing in the evening.

I bought the Bendable Bright Light which attaches to a bracket that sticks on my machine. You can purchase additional brackets for around $6 to put on other machines if you have a different machine you take to workshops, etc.


www.sewforless.com has the Bendable Bright Light for around $27. I have no affiliation with them other than looking for good prices.

I love this particular one because it has a flexible neck which allows me to swivel it out to focus on my fabric when I'm seam ripping, etc. I can also focus it on my presser foot while sewing, but also use it for other close up tasks. I also like that it plugs in and is not reliant on batteries.

I'm interested in the light above that apparently came from Ikea. I believe that's the one I've seen Bonnie Hunter using! I wondered where it came from.

A member of my Necchi list who does a bunch of YouTube videos had one and since there's no Ikea near me, he very nicely got it for me and shipped it to me....total $15. I really like it! You can bend that light to wherever you want it!

I bought one online (not Connecting Threads) and loved it, but I have a Bernina and where I had to attach it to maximize the light, is right in the way when I am free motioning a quilt. When I do anything of any size, it rubs on the light and eventually managed to peal it off. They were great and replaced the light bar with the sticky stuff for me, but it is going to do the same thing next time. My suggestion would be to consider what kind of quilting you do, and see where you might have to attach it to your machine before purchasing. And just FYI the little ones that take batteries that JoAnn's sell, are worthless, they project almost no light.

I do , too, and I LOVE IT. The only thing is that after a while, the metal bendable arm gets weaker and I have had to tape it to the machine to direct the light at the needle where I want it. But I can live with that because it's such a good light. It also comes with 2 disks so you can move it from one machine to another if you want.

Might try one of these first - they're $15, clip on, and battery operated. [h=1]Verso Clip-On Reading Light for Kindle (White)[/h]

I found that no matter what I did to the "Velcro attach" ones they just would not stay steady.....while sewing it was ......'follow the bouncing ball' could not handle it and had to take them off for another use somewhere else.......

I really appreciate this topic! I have been curious about the new LED lighting from http://www.ecoluxlighting.com/
I saw the advertisement for them and thought they would be perfect for my Designer 1, but the cost stopped me from ordering them. It's great to know that they really are exactly what they say they are!
I do have auxilary lighting for my machines and it is fabulous but as everyone else has mentioned they do get in the way when you are working on a large project or when I am embroidering.
Thanks for a great topic!!

The stick on strips were recommended by Bonnie Hunter not too awfully long ago. At that time, I meant to look into them and lost the link - so a huge thank you!

As far as having to replace the machine when the LED light goes - I've had the LED bulb on my Bernina replaced. I caught it by mistake and tugged it just enough to break it. It wasn't cheap to replace, and had to be done by my service person, but was quickly replaced.

One of my machines has an LED and MINE simply does not up out light. I have a goose neck desk lamp that I put a high watt squigly florescent in and it's my auxiliary light.

FYI, I emailed ecolux to ask if the lights were bendable. A very nice guy emailed me back to say it will bend on a gentle curve, so, I'm thinking of placing it on the underside of my machine and curving it around the space where my needle goes down. I'm very pleased with the customer service. He's emailed me 3 times letting me know that his wife has these lights on every machine she has. I'll bet she does, Scott. lol.

He said I should get my light by Saturday or Monday..... Can't wait!

These sound like a good idea for a good light source. Is there something negative about a magnetic stick-on light being used on computer type embroidery machines? Seems like I read once that you should not stick anything on your computerized sewing machine with magnets as the magnet interfers with the machine's workings. So do you know if it is OK or not OK to use a magnetic stick on light?

the throat of my machine isn't very large. i worry pushing a quilt through that would rip that light right off! otherwise, more light is great!