Lighting for Sewing
10-04-2015, 07:29 AM
#11
Power Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern USA
Posts: 16,278
I have switched to LED bulbs, not the swirly kind, there is a difference. I buy the 100 watt equivalent. Don't bother on the less brightness. Read the lumen amount. There is a reason why one is priced $6 and one is priced $13. The daylight bulb is too glary for me in overhead lights but fine for lamps. I like the soft white. I rarely turn them off, the last much longer if not turned off and on. The amount of power used is trifling.
10-04-2015, 09:31 AM
#13
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: western NY formerly MN, FL, NC, SC
Posts: 51,430
Zero. LEDs don't have a heating element like other light bulbs. They also are the only light bulb that doesn't emit any UV light so they are totally safe for fabrics (no fading, no fiber breakdown).
There are only 2 potential downsides: (1) the cost, although that isn't as much of an issue when you consider the minimum life of these bulbs is around 10 years [some say 20, but that's probably not typically realistic], and (2) the size of the 19wt bulbs is like the size of a spotlight. They do fit within in my floor lamp shades, but just barely. However, since they emit no heat, they do not cause any melting/damage to the cheapy plastic shades that came with the lamp. You can get a smaller bulb, but then it obviously wouldn't be quite as bright.
There are only 2 potential downsides: (1) the cost, although that isn't as much of an issue when you consider the minimum life of these bulbs is around 10 years [some say 20, but that's probably not typically realistic], and (2) the size of the 19wt bulbs is like the size of a spotlight. They do fit within in my floor lamp shades, but just barely. However, since they emit no heat, they do not cause any melting/damage to the cheapy plastic shades that came with the lamp. You can get a smaller bulb, but then it obviously wouldn't be quite as bright.
thanks, bree. i think ill try one
10-04-2015, 05:24 PM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Lubbock, TX
Posts: 376
I have two Stella desk Lights and one clamp on Stella clamped to my quilting machine. I love that their color temperature and brightness can be adjusted . . .really makes a difference when looking at colors.
10-05-2015, 12:07 AM
#16
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: North-Central Indiana
Posts: 4,909
I've quit using my ott light and daylight lamp because I don't like fluorescents. I bought an LED ott light and it puts out about as much light as a tiny flashlight. Maybe less. What a waste of money that was. I ended up just putting LED bulbs in my regular lamps.
10-05-2015, 05:26 AM
#19
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,310
I recently retrofitted all my fluorescent lights with LED's. I LOVE them. Yes it was pricey but NO heat and lower electric bills. Had I known at the time that fluorescent bulbs faded fabric I'd never have had them installed, but I do like these. I am in the process of replacing ALL the bulbs in my house with them. I got them at earthled.com. Pretty good prices although there are a couple sizes I've not found yet. I also have track lighting with 50W LED. I'd sweat like crazy under them. I replaced those 5 with the led type. HUGE difference. I too have an OTT light by my chair for doing handwork. LED is the way to go - for now. Course technology will come up with something even better - and more expensive. That's progress I guess.
10-05-2015, 05:50 AM
#20
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 4,299
I like old fashioned incandescent bulbs for general lighting in my sewing room - I use the GE "Reveal" brand bulbs, which are nearly natural spectrum.
For task lighting at my machine I have a pair of IKEA "Jansjo" LED gooseneck lamps that point right at my sewing machine bed.
At my cutting table, I use a neat old extra-large brass gooseneck lamp with another Reveal bulb in it for most of my cutting needs. I also have an Ott light at the end of my cutting table - I don't have it on most of the time because it has a high-pitched whine to it (that nobody but me can hear), but if it's late and I need to see "true" colors I'll switch it on briefly.
During the day I'm lucky to have a sewing room with a lot of natural light so it's only in the evenings that I need anything but task lighting. I have "low e-glass" windows that are supposed to cut down on UV and have added an additional UV/privacy film to the windows so I can leave all my blinds open and have privacy and bright light that isn't too direct and is hopefully as harmless to my fabrics as possible. (I still store my fabrics in cabinets with doors, but I keep things on my design wall for months at a time.)
For task lighting at my machine I have a pair of IKEA "Jansjo" LED gooseneck lamps that point right at my sewing machine bed.
At my cutting table, I use a neat old extra-large brass gooseneck lamp with another Reveal bulb in it for most of my cutting needs. I also have an Ott light at the end of my cutting table - I don't have it on most of the time because it has a high-pitched whine to it (that nobody but me can hear), but if it's late and I need to see "true" colors I'll switch it on briefly.
During the day I'm lucky to have a sewing room with a lot of natural light so it's only in the evenings that I need anything but task lighting. I have "low e-glass" windows that are supposed to cut down on UV and have added an additional UV/privacy film to the windows so I can leave all my blinds open and have privacy and bright light that isn't too direct and is hopefully as harmless to my fabrics as possible. (I still store my fabrics in cabinets with doors, but I keep things on my design wall for months at a time.)
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