What kind of light box do you use? Did you buy it, make it, etc? I'm going to be starting an applique BOM called Baltimore Bliss at www.fatcatpatterns.com and think a light box would make it a lot easier. What do you think?

I bought one at Michaels craft store with a Joanns coupon. It's 11x12 but I wish it was bigger. I use it all the time. Also I bought a under the counter light at Walmart that you could hang on the wall and put that under a plastic storage bin to use as a light box. I do a lot of applique work and lately have been using acetate sheets to trace the designs with sharpie markers.

I turn my floor model ott light upside down into the well of my sewing table and put a piece of glass on top. It works great.

Maria

I have several very conveniently place around the house...they are known as 'windows' lol!! I just use a little bit of tape to hold everything up nice and steady and get tracing lol!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I haven't felt the need for a light box, but I like the window suggestion!

I used to work for a sign shop locally here and i have some material called lexan its used for illuminated sign faces typically but it works so well for what your talking about if you or someone you know is handy with tools it might be worth paying a visit to a local sign shop in your area and building something with this wonderful material usually its a 1/4" thick and stands up to alot of use i also use some for a cutting surface and its very gentle on my rotary cutter blades hope this helps or inspires an idea. Chris

I bought a large one years ago from an art store, thankfully I still have it. Now they cost close to $200 for that size.

My friend uses a drawer from her cutting table. She opens the drawer, puts a foldable Ott lamp in it, then a piece of plexiglass over the drawer sides. Works fine. Any box that you can get a light source into, and then place glass or plastic over the top will work. Or, you can buy one for the cost of a bolt of fabric from an art store!

I have a plexi glass table extention for my machine. I learned I could turn my light on its side and scoot it under and it works like a charm. Traced the 3 crayon quilts,dino's,pixies,sports that way.
BillsBonBon

The toy dept. is a great place to look for inexpensive light box.

[quote=Bill'sBonBon]I have a plexi glass table extention for my machine. I learned I could turn my light on its side and scoot it under and it works like a charm. Traced the 3 crayon quilts,dino's,pixies,sports that way.
BillsBonBon[/q
Another good idea!

Darn, I thought I was being so clever using my folding Ott light under a sheet of plexiglass from Home Depot - now I find out everyone's doing it!

I prop the plexiglass up on whatever's handy, usually plastic shoe boxes holding fabric pieces. It all sits on my cutting table, so it's a good height to work standing up. Previously I tried using a window, but the angle was bad, and you can't use that method at night or if it's not a sunny day.

A piece of Plexiglass on a folding TV tray and my Ott light work well for me! I like stuff that has more than one use, so I can have more room for my fabric! :? :lol:

I too thought I was really clever. I usually tape and trace using the sliding glass door. But that doesn't work real well at night. (LOL) So when I was trying to finish the label on DD19's college quilt late at night, I put my plexiglass Viking sewing table on the cutting table and tipped my flexible Ott floor lamp on its side and slid it under the table. Worked like a charm!!! Now I see it wasn't an original idea.....then again we quilter's learn to use what's at hand, don't we?

~Monica

I've used the window...put a lamp on the floor and prop my big square clear ruler over it with the image I want to trace taped to the underside. I've also used my computer monitor as a light box and just traced the design off the screen.

They all seem to work for me. Somehow I get it figured out..save the $$ for more fabric :wink:

Well, I needed one in a hurry and so I found an old drawer put some flashlights in it and turned them on. Then I put a piece of plexiglas on top and Wa La! I worked just fine.

In a pinch the other day I used a clear storage tub with a desk lamp.
Worked great turned box upside down and bent the lamp upward.

If you have a glass top, kitchen or coffee table they work great also.

If your going to use it alot I'd invest in the real thing but if your going
to use it only now and then. Save your money buy fabric and make due....

my 1 cents....lol

Texasquilts

I have a very large light table.. called my dining table.. it has a glass top and I put a table lamp with no shade on the floor under the table.. works amazingly.. I also have a light table that I bought, it's about 24" square and the frame is white plastic.. the top appears to be plastic also, you just sit it on a table , put a light under it and go to town.. I got it on sale for around $20.00 on sale, and have not even taken the sticky protective cover off of it...lol

I want to thank you all for your great ideas!
Having no money to buy one, last Christmas I struggled with my tracing to copy my small landscapes ... mountains, lake, foreground. Now, I never will struggle again!

I bought one at a quilt show years ago. It is basically an opaque piece of plastic on molded plastic legs. It is about 20x20, then you put you light of choice underneath.

i use my windows too. i've even used our big sliding glass doors for my larger quilts.

i use gaffer's tape because i can leave everything taped up for extended periods of time and it never leaves residue on the windows or the fabric.

I got a small clear plastic storage box, put one of those stick on lights on the inside of the lid. When I need it I just push the light one, put the box back on top and use the bottom of the box as my table. Totally portable since the lights run on batteries.

They are really easy to make. Get a 2' square florescent light fixture for a suspended ceiling and place plexiglas over it. You can get opalized plexiglas and it will give a very even light. I'm building one into the table next to the design wall.

I actually have a small light box that was my children's toy when they were young. That is great for small items - my sliding glass door is great for large stuff!! :roll:

My friends husband made me a light box he tput four pieces of wood together and made a square box with a pixie glass top. Then he but a large set of Christmas lights staples around it to light. it works very
will

Sew Special

I have a ginormous light box (about 2'x3'). I love it and use it all the time for making freezer paper templates, cartoons of my pieces, labels, etc. It depends upon how you work if you'll need one like that. I didn't want to be limited to the window during the day and anyway, the window was too small and made my arm hurt. I spent about $300 and got it at the art store.

Years ago when I was into Calligraphy I wanted a light box. I mentioned it to my dh & he made me one that is about 17" x 22". I use it for my quilting now. It has been well used & of course 1 of a kind. Thank goodness for talented hubbys!

That's a great idea, I never would have thought to look in a toy department. Thanks for the tip.

Cool idea, maybe I will get my DH to make one like that. I have a smaller one I got at Michaels years ago but it is too small. I have some plexiglass already so he just needs to make the fram and we have oodles of white christmas lights we don't use.

I so love this site!!

I was just thinking ... why couldn't you use a picture frame? Just cut a bottom from balsa wood at slightly larger than the size of the inside glass, then use narrow width and about six inch heigth moulding strips and little 'L' brackets. Put it all together with brad nails or small screws after appling some elmer's glue around the edge. Drill a hole for the plug to go through the bottom box and insert a inexpensive floresent light. You could even use the picture hanger hardware as a way to hang it up in your room to store it. I am thinking screws would be best in case you had to replace the floresent lamp bulb.

I use a screen door glass that I prop between two TV tables with a light underneath. It is a pretty good size and I was able to trace a large center panel of a quilt using that method.

That is a great idea. I also thought about putting a large inexpensive picture frame on an easel and put a light behind it, then you could at least sit down and it would fold up nicely. Those frames can often be gotten at thrift stores or garage sales for next to nothing, put the Ott light behind it and you would have a nice light box.

I made one from an old scanner. Just took out all the works from inside and put in an under-the-cabinet light. Works great for smaller stuff but really needs to be bigger for the bigger things.

Quilters are "sew" clever!

Di

I have a glass top table for cutting, and hook my ott light under it. Easy to take down and store when not in use.

You guys are all sooo clever!!

I don't want to appear dumb but what are you all using the light boxes for? Paper piecing?

Mine is made from an extra cabinet drawer with a small (uncounter) tube light affixed to the bottom (turned on), and a plexiglass top. When you plug it in, the light comes on. The handle on the drawer is how I carry it and thread the cord through it when not in use.

NOTE: I get my best results when I turn on box light on and the room light OFF.

Suzanne

No question is a dumb one. If you never done it how are you going to know what to do without asking.
Light Boxes are used to Trace... Patterns,templates. You use them for easy tracing for piecing,embroider,applique. You can trace template patterns without destroying the original.
BillsBonBon

You can make a simple light box, if you have a table that you can put in extra leaves, by opening it up partially, put a lamp or fluorescent light on the floor under a PLEXIGLAS sheet. Works well. Saves you money, only a two by 3 foot sheet, does not cost that much and stores easily in a closet or between/behind a dresser.

Trace quilting designs directly on quilt for quilting or in the case of the one I did a large embroidered panel, I traced the words onto the material.

Di