What lighting do you use in your sewing room?

15 years ago

I'm in need of new lights for my sewing table. The plastic brackets for the ones I have have dried out and I can't seem to find a name on them to locate new ones.

I'm considering an Ott but not sure which model. Maybe there is something better than an Ott.

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Comments (9)

teresa_nc7
15 years ago
I have a small Ott light to shine light right on the throatplate area of my machine, then there is the light on my machine, then there is the overhead lights w/ fan....oh...and two great big windows with my sewing table pushed up against them. You can never have too much light!

The Ott light travels to the living room when I'm doing hand work. It also travels to the mountains and the beach for quilt retreats.

Teresa
kathyg_in_mi
15 years ago
I love my Ott Lite! Mine is a floor lite, the base is well weighted and the neck can be twisted to get the light where you want it. Absolutely love it. They do come in different wattages, I have an 18W, don't know if I would like one with less wattage.
I've heard people say that they don't like the one that sits on the table, takes up room and could get knocked over.
DS bought one for DDIL for Xmas, she really liked mine.
DH uses it for looking at coins.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ott Lite 18 W
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Wow, Diana, you've got some great ideas in your photos. I especially like the clear box frames for holding small items - and I happen to have some of them available. My sewing room is medium size and crammed full! My house is old and so on the outside wall overlooking the backyard, I have two large windows butted up against each other with a built-in glass front shelf unit on each end of the window area. These built-in glass door shelves hold most of my fabric, one side for quilting and the other side for fashion sewing but the quilt stash has spilled over here too. My large, heavy folding table sits in the area directly in front of the windows. This table holds my Viking Quilt Designer and my Brother serger. At the table to the right of my desk chair on wheels, I have a set of plastic, rolling drawers (from Office Depot) and a trash can. On the left wall is a book case for books, magazines, mailing envelopes (love those swaps!), etc. To the right of this bookcase is an old oak sewing machine cabinet that actually belongs to my sister. On top of this is a portable radio/CD player and stacks of CDs. On the right wall is my design wall made with flannel backed vinyl tablecloth fabric from Wal-mart hung with saftey pins and nails in the wall. Just in front of the design wall is my ironing board, which stays up all the time. On the wall behind me as I sit at my sewing table is the door to the bedroom and a large 3 ft. by 5 ft. cutting table. This was a solid door I got for $10 dollars and friends helped me put saw horse legs on it. Under the table I have a plastic drawer unit to hold interfacing, fusible web, my collection of kitchen towel fabric, and works in progress. I also have a number of plastic, lidded, shoebox type storage boxes for more quilt fabric stash and works in progress (doesn't that sound better than UFOs?). There is another trash can at the cutting table, a ruler holder sits on top of the cutting table, and there are hooks for tape measures and rotarty cutters just under the cutting table. Computer paper boxes under the table hold my clothing patterns. There is a small closet in the room where I store bolts of curtain fabric, heavy white duck cloth, and freebie fabrics I can get where I work. But the closet has a window in it so I have to be careful what I store in there because of the light fading issue. As I type this, I'm thinking "what a neat and tidy room." But that is not the case because I have stacks of fabric in bags, various tote bags and wheeled totes, machine covers, and stacks of just plain "stuff" everywhere. Hey, I'm creative - I don't have to be tidy too! LOL! Here is a photo of my cutting table with storage underneath. This never looks as tidy as it is in this picture - LOL!
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kathi_mdgd
15 years ago
I have the same one as Kathyg,and i also have the table top one also.
Kathi
msmarion
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you ladies. 18w it is. I knew I could count on the ladies from GW to get an honest reccomendation! Hope the sale lasts a while.
pipsy
15 years ago
Before you spend a lot of money on an Ott light be aware that you pay a lot for the name. Check out your local lighting shop and ask what they have which is similar to Ott lights. You can probably get a similar lamp for 1/5 the price. I purchased a bulb replacement for my Ott light at our lighting shop and could not tell the difference in the colour which Ott lights advertise as best. Also, check out Costco. I personally rarely use my floor stand Ott light (purchased for $25 at Costco) as I have a halogen lamp in my sewing room as well as rather poor overhead light with a fan. I also have the small Ott task light ($10 Costco) which I use constantly focused somewhere or other on my machine or on handwork I am
doing.
msmarion
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Pipsy I'll check the lighting store. Never thought of them as a source. There are no Costo stores close but there is BJ's and Sam's.
Marilyn Sue McClintock
15 years ago
I have one large Ott floor lamp and I also have one similar to the Ott that I bought at Big Lot's and I think I like it better. I think I only paid like $20 and they came with an extra bulb when I got it. At the time I thought they were so nice, I bought each of my daughters one and I got another for my bedroom and one for my husband. He uses his to look at his coins.

Sue
lizzie2
15 years ago
I have can lights in the cutting area. A normal floor lamb between the sewing machine and serger. The fabric store lets me take the fabrics outside to match/co-ordinate for colors so once that is done....I am ready to sew.
jaybird
14 years ago
I have a gooseneck desk lamp that shines on the machine bed. An Ott lamp that shines on the work from the left side, a window on the right side and the light that is on the machine. I also have a 4 arm chandelier in the room that has clear bulbs and puts out a lot of light.

Now, in my defense, I have just had cataract surgery on both eyes, so I need every bit of light that I can scare up (and I still can't match colors very well :^(

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What lighting do you use in your sewing room?

Comments (9)

teresa_nc7

kathyg_in_mi

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What lighting do you use in your sewing room?

Comments (9)

teresa_nc7

kathyg_in_mi

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