I was just working on putting together a top in deep red and black the the lighting in my room stinks.
What type of lighting do you use to supplement an overhead fixture. My ceiling light has those energy saver bulbs and I do not find that they give off a great light to work under

I use the Ott lights - I have one for the table top that has a magnifying glass (great for the ripping out part!) and I also have a floor OTT one that I move between my cutting table and ironing board and sewing machine. Also have another floor one at my cutting table. I agree with you - those new lights do not give off enough light for my old eyes!!!.

I use the ott lights and/or the knockoffs (which are just as good and cheaper!) One of my favorite "natural daylight" lamps came from walmart. I have one on my sewing table and one by the ironing board plus my hubby replaced my dinky 2 foot florescent light with a 4 foot one. It is not beautiful but definitely functional!! I think all told I only spent about $70.

LOL I bought a cheap drop light like the one men use in their shops, pluged it in over my work area......now is that cheap.....lol

I hated the energy lite bulbs...I am frugal and all for saving money but those bulbs in my sewing rm drove me crazy....I use Spectrum Light bulbs-love them...I also have a light attached to my table and its on a hinge/swing arm so I can move it as needed.

I have 2 Ott lamps in my room. One is a floor lamp that swivels over my area and another is a clip on that is at the end of my table. My sewing table is a 6 foot banquet table that I just love because of all the room.
I do have an overhead light/ceiling fan, but that's just for extra lighting for ironing.
I do agree...those new fangled lightbulbs are a pain when trying to do any sort of work.

Yes thats the one [ott table top light] I was trying to explain in my post....lol I love it.

A floor model OTT light would be a great asset to you. That is what I have and I love it!! You can often get them at Joann's for half price. I also have a portable OTT for wherever I am doing needlework.

Yes Mamaw, I just checked Joann's website and the Ott lights are on sale now. I am leaning towards the floor model thinking that I will be able to move it out by my hand quilting frame, which is in another room due to space requirments, or next to the chair that I use when knitting and watching TV, but the one that attachs to the sewing table could be very handy as well. But I need to invest in something and soon, just sewed two more sections for the quilt I am working on and my eyes are killing me

Well, I have a window on my right. On a sunny day it is great. Funny thing though, it does not help much at night.......... :D

my DH put in track lighting for me in my room. I have them set at each place that I use, cutting ,sewing, over my ironing board and pointing toward my design wall. They are great.

lol yes I have that same problem and gosh here I rearranged the whole rm so i could sew by the window...lol

I have a 4ft florescent light, a floor Ott light & a ceiling fan with 4 lights in it. I use the daylight type bulbs in all of them except the Ott light.

I have 2 Ott- lites. One sits on my table behind my sewing machine. I can bend it over my machine at night to help me see where I'm sewing or I can bend it up and turn it around to shine on my design wall. This one came with a clamp to attach to a table, but I use the base instead. I also have a floor Ott-Lite sitting on a filing box (to make it high enough), which shines over my ironing board/table. I bought these both over 10yrs. ago and that was before there were knock-off brands available at dept. stores. like Shopko and Wal Mart. I've not had to replace either's light bulb yet and they are on a lot, all year 'round.

I too have a window to my right, as I sit at my sewing machine. Much of my sewing happens at night too, since I'm at work when the sun is shining. lol

i have a 3' double florescent over my cutting/ironing table, and another one over the area with 3 machines. in the other room i have another one over my ma. i have an ott table lamp on the desk for small jobs. it sounds like a lot, but with 3 machines and a big table in one room and the mid-arm in the other room and virtually no windows at all, i really need them, and could actually use more light. there's never enough light, is there? if i got another free-standing light, i would try a knockoff of the ott.

Up to now, I had two ceiling fixtures and two Ott lights (one floor with a magnifier and the other - the flip top table version purchased at JoAnns when on sale )

I have just purchased a longarm, and DH ordered track lights to redo the ceiling fixtures and lots of lights. My two Ott lights are going nowhere - I love them esp the floor one for hand sewing.

With the Ott lights on sale at 50% off $99-149 for the floor models are the knock-offs any cheaper than that? I know that the one I saw and Len's Mills was also $99, but I haven't been to Walmart to check pricing there

I found knock-off daylight lamps at Menard's (a construction warehouse) for $15.00 at one point, but do not know if they are still available. I would suggest checking. Sometimes you can find bargains in the most unlikely places.

We snatched up a few of them, both floor and desk models, because my husband ties fishing flies, I like the lamps for sewing, and DD #1 is an artist. Plus, they seem to help with seasonal depression.

A few months ago, I got a floor model with the goose neck for $30 at Big Lots; they also had a desk model that was less than that - maybe $20. My room doesn't have any overhead lighting at all, and I really need it! I would love to have the full spectrum type lighting in an overhead fixture or in track lighting; does anyone know if they make anything like that?

I have a roll around dazor light and I have a under the cabinet florescent light attached under a shelf just behind my machine, and under a cabinet over sewing room counter. I get daylight bulbs. I use 4 - 60W Reveal bulbs in over the dining table - colors look real. I won't use the curly bulbs, they don't give off enough light for anything. I'll let the non-quilters use those. I get presciption strong glasses to use when I need to see something small and got my daily glasses strengthtened and that helped too. I have no line bi-focals. I see just fine now. I also have a ceiling light too. I also have a florsecent light w/2 three foot bulbs over the machine. I am set up real good - in case someone needs the 3rd degree.

My ceiling fan has 3 lights and I have a 3 light floor lamp behind my machine. Plenty of light for me. Both cheap.

I have several Ott lights for sewing, and one by my chair in the living room for when I am doing handwork. You can get on the Ott Light website and sign up for their updates. They showcase new products at sale prices (I got 3 desk lamps for $19.95 each), plus they have sales on various lamps and they always have the bulbs.

My sewing/cutting area are lengthwise together, so I have two 5' double florescent ceiling lights for that area, and a 4' double florescent ceiling light over a comfy love seat for my hand sewing.

Lighting is extremely important. Buy what you can afford. If possible, get an ott light even if it's only a desk type lamp so that you can place your fabric under the light to see the true colors..otherwise you can take the fabric outside in daylight to see the true hues. I have photographed some of my quilts under different lights and was surprised to see the distortion of color. I prefer the daylight bulbs but they are more expensive.

I have overhead lighting and also an ott lite that I use when cutting my fabric. I bought one light in the beginning and as finances allowed bought more. I had slowed down on my sewing as I didnt' realize it was a lighting problem (and my age) Once I "fixed the lighting problem, I have once again enjoyed making quilts.

I have the same problem with the "energy" bulbs. I have 2 Ott lights which help by my machines, but the ceiling lighting stinks when I am cutting fabrics, no windows in my basement studio, so I too need better ceiling lighting. I will get some "spectrum" bulbs and give them a try.

I purchased my floor model Ott light in Canada at Michael's using their 40% off one item coupon.

Last night I bought some Ott bulbs that have a standard base, to try in some small lamps in my sewing room. I don't have any overhead lighting, just two small bedroom lamps on top of bookcases. I put in the new Ott bulbs (equiv 60watt), and left the lamp shades off, and it is a definite improvement. Ott lighting, including bulbs, is 50% off at Joanns this week. The 60watt bulbs are regularly $9.99, and I also bought one 100watt bulb, regularly $14.99. I have old eyes, too, and can't see a thing with the energy saver bulbs.

Ott lights are so expensive. I have a couple of clip on lights with adjustable necks. They work ok, but I never thought of a shop light. I will try that. I too have a window, the only problem is, most of my quilting is done at night.

The Ott light is the best sewing light I found that doesn't cause eye strain and I can see black thread on black fabric using the OTT lamp.

Get rid of the energy saving bulbs. They are ruining your eyesight and the enviroment. (They are hazardous waste when broken.) The few pennies you save aren't worth the god awful light they put out. I use those bulbs for accent lighting that stays on 24/7 but not for lighting a room. I stocked up on regular light bulbs, they are getting rare! DH bought several cases last month.

Hehe, I told my DH I was going to stock up on them, too...maybe make a fortune sell them on ebay once they're not being made anymore!

You are so right about those energy saving bulbs not being worth the money. I have a drawerful, don't know what I'm going to do with them, they're worthless. :lol:

I went to home depot and bought a daylight floor lamp.

What I have is not very attractive nor is it ugly, but it is very useful: Right in front of my windows, I have a shop light (2 long fluorescent bulbs) hanging on neat little chains from hooks (toggled??) in the ceiling. The lights hang low enough to be situated about half-way between the ceiling and my sewing machine. Although I need glasses for distance, I see very well up close if I have good lighting. This shop light works well for me and I keep it plugged into a surge protector, which has 7 outlets, enough for my iron, my sewing machine, stereo components, etc. When I flip on the surge protector switch, the light comes on and also gives power to all those other things I need for sewing, etc. It's very convenient and works well for me. I've had those same 2 bulbs in there for many years.

Downstairs, I have a 4-bulb fluorescent ceiling light over my cutting table which also works very well unless the bulbs decide to be tempermental. Two of them are giving me fits right now and to adjust or change them, the easiest way is for me to carefully climb up on my cutting table. Once I get the light cover off, the lights immediately start working and when I've climbed down from the table and put my quilt stuff back on it, the lights start playing games again. It's just a matter of time, but I WILL win that war!

Mu husband has gone crazy with those energy saving bulbs. I hate them. It takes several minutes for them to become fully bright. It seems the older I get the more light I need. I use my ott light to see what color my clothes are when I am getting dressed. I can't tell black from navy at all without it or direct sunlight.
I have two wall lamps behind my sewing area and what was a shop light suspended over my sewing machine as well as the combination ceiling fan and light in that room. There is also a wall mounted light just inside the door. The room was origianlly two small bedrooms. We knocked out the dividing wall thirty years ago and added a small half bath in one corner. For a while it was our master bedroom. We have since added another bedroom to the house. What is now my sewing/computer room was my daughter's bedroom until she went to college and moved out. Now married she will not be coming back. I have a rare autoimmune disease that can be made worse by sunlight or florescent light so I have to be very careful. Sitting under one of those energy saving lights in a floor lamp is something I can only do for about an hour. I wear a hat anywhere but in my own home to shade my face and neck from both sunlight and florescent light. Sometimes I feel like a leper.

[quote=mpspeedy]It seems the older I get the more light I need. I use my ott light to see what color my clothes are when I am getting dressed. I can't tell black from navy at all without it or direct sunlight.

I'm with you there! I obviously need some of those lights in my bedroom! Yesterday I put on what I thought were brown slacks, only to get to work and find out they were green. Which did not at all go with the rest of my outfit. I also can't match up dark socks, so the other day, my dear sweet husband, after hearing me complain about it, took my huge pile of trouser socks and sorted them all for me! He's a keeper, that one!

I got the little light that attaches to the sewing machine. It has a gooseneck and it shines down right over the sewing area. Mine came from LQS. Sewing with Nancy website has them. It works very well.
Linda

Hi there. Regarding the energy lights you need to get the one that says DAYLIGHT. It will say so on the package. I use the DAYLIGHT bulbs everywhere, they do emit a daylight. Roz

Check out the reviews on the model you're looking at buying. Some of the Ott floor lamps tip easily and the reviews are a great way to find out before you pay out the $ for one. I myself have a portable AND a floor Ott lamp plus two other natural light floor lamps that my neighbor gave to me that just needed bulbs from Home Depot. I also have a window and a ceiling fan with lights which is okay for stirring the air.

As I get older, lighting becomes more and more necessary. I have two Happy Lites - one on each side of my sewing cabinet plus I have the bendable sewing light plus an Ott light table light plus I today got an LED light that is intended for woodworking shop - it is really, really cool! The more light, the better off I am! I was able to get the Happy Lites on sale and converted them with a couple of old pole lamps so they have stands instead of actually sitting on my sewing cabinet. They are up high enough that they light the entire area. I also use full spectrum lighting in my overhead. Lighting is my friend! LOL

What kind of overhead lighting fixture do you have?