Andrea

I just purchased an Ott goose-neck lamp on sale from Joanne's ($25.00 without coupon). I have a blanket chest behind my couch and have placed the lamp there with the light coming over my left shoulder. This is the best set-up I've ever had. Don't know whether it's good enough to quilting a black item with black thread (yeeeeeee), but it's working for the kinds of things I regularly do. If your budget will accept it, take the plunge!

danlynmartin

A great invention is a head light that fits around your head and beams a light which is often adjustable on your work. With this you can even work in the dark. Wouldn't be without one especially with the adjustable feature and more than one light.

Peckish

I guess I'm going to be the odd person out. I don't care for the Ott lamps; I find them horribly overpriced. I purchased a "daylight" bulb, recommended by Holly Knott for getting true colors when photographing your quilts. I liked it so much I installed it over my sewing work area - and the bulbs fit standard fixtures, you don't have to purchase an expensive specialty lamp. The bulbs should have a rating of 5000K.

For close-up work and handwork, especially when I sit in the family room with my husband and we watch foot ball together, I bought one of these LED lights (called Jansjo) from IKEA for $10. It's perfect - it doesn't knock everyone else out of the room with a bright, blinding light, and I can focus it directly on my work. The arm is flexible but stiff, so it stays where I put it. My mom liked mine so much, she bought one for herself for doing hand embroidery. They come in 3 models; tabletop, clamp-on, and floor.

Inez Ruth

I agree with you completely. The Ott light was unique when it first came out for its "daylight" light and that it didn't heat up like regular light bulbs. I had one of the original Ott lights that took a special kind of Ott bulb, but when that bulb finally burned out (and it lasted for years), they no longer made that kind of bulb so the lamp was useless. Now, there are many other options that do the same job (cool, daylight) Including, as mentioned in a reply, an Ott light bulb that fits a regular lamp.

RAChhap

I too, like the Ott lights but since you wear readers one thing you may want to look at is the reader glasses with little lights built in at the temple peice. They look "dorky" but who is going to see you???!!! I think they are available at most of the drug stores that have the round racks of Foster Grants,Baush & Lomb,etc. $15-20.

NJ Quilter

I use a halogen lamp for my hand sewing at night. Much prefer it to any incandescent bulb out there. Much brighter and cleaner light. I, too, use different strength glasses for sewing. In fact sometimes I feel like a have an entire store display in my house! Different strengths for different purposes. Works for me.

kittiebug

Ott light...................

LavenderBlue

Ooooh, I really like the looks of that Ikea light! The closest store is 175 miles.....on-line it is $10 plus $11 shipping. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20169658/.

ArchaicArcane

This is the Edison bulb that Ott-Lite makes. http://www.amazon.com/OttLite-25ED12.../dp/B002X7XEYM

I've had 5 Ott-Lites. One buzzed, so I took it back. The LED one was too bright (my eyes are over sensitive to bright light) and the other three I've kept. All of mine are small to smallish table top models.

nhweaver

I just ordered 2 of these lamps, one for me, and one for my sister for christmas. great idea, and postage for 2 of them was $11.