The Importance of Good Lighting – Part 3

Today we conclude the three-part series on lighting from Needle in a Haystack. You’ll learn about where to position your light and get a run-down of features in several different lights.

Where do I position my lamp?

If you sit at a table or desk, typically you want the lamp in front of you. This is also true if you use a Needlework System 4 floor stand and attach a lamp to the light holder. Position it so that while stitching your hands don’t break the light pool too much (the area the light spills onto). When you get shadows it can make seeing more difficult, even with a lamp. You might be able to position it to one side, but it depends on the lamp and your working area.

If you use a floor stand [for] your lamp, you’ll need to play with where to place it, since you’re trying to optimize both the lamp location and the stand that’s holding your work. It’ll take a bit of trial and error to find what works and it can be different for each stitching area. Some floor stands like the NS4, hold your work in front of you, others to one side. Don’t hesitate to experiment.

If you use an incandescent floor lamp it should be on the side opposite your dominant stitching hand. Since I’m right-handed I have the lamp on my left. For my regular incandescent lamp (which is for general lighting) it’s just to left and behind my shoulder. For my Stella Edge it’s clamped to my couch arm just to left of where my wrist would be if my arm was on the couch arm. This way it’s positioned about the center of my stitching area. You also want the height adjusted so you don’t get blinded if you look at the lamp. Since my floor lamp is height adjustable I have it set so that the bottom of the shade is just above my eye level, that way I don’t look into the bulb directly when I face the lamp to change its settings. For task lighting you need to figure out where the optimal distance is for the best coverage. Generally it’s about 12″ from the bottom of the bulbs, but can be up to 18″ for brighter lamps (or the 200 watt incandescent bulb).

What brand or type do I choose?

Personal preference can also dictate which type or brand you want. Given the energy efficiency of the current generation of LED based lamps, I think it’s the best option. You do pay more for them initially, but the energy use as well as low level of heat generation and long life are the things that put them at the top of my list.

Here are some handy notes for the lights we sell (although I did list incandescent bulbs, which we don’t). This is an alphabetical listing vs. preference.

Incandescent Bulbs

• General lighting
• Single color: Soft White, Bright White, etc. based on the bulb type
• Any regular lamp
• Least energy efficient, can be very warm with higher wattage

Craftlight Dublin

• Task lighting with LED bulb
• Single color
• Models: floor or desk/table
• Energy efficient & has a battery pack, also includes built-in magnification

Craftlight Brighton

• Task lighting with LED bulb
• Three-color: warm, natural, & bright white
• Models: floor or desk/table
• Energy efficient with rechargeable battery with a dimmer.

Craftlight Dorset

• Task lighting with flourescent bulb
• Single color
• Desk/table lamp
• Circular florescent bulb with built-in magnification.

Daylight D20

• Task lighting with LED bulb
• Three-color: warm, natural, & bright white
• Desk/table lamp
• Energy efficient with a 5-step dimmer

Daylight Foldi

• Task lighting with LED bulb
• Single color: bright white
• Desk/table lamp
• Energy efficient battery-powered

Stella Sky, Edge & Desk

• Task lighting with LED bulb
• Three-color: warm, natural, & bright white
• Floor, desk or table depending on model
• Energy efficient with a 5-step dimmer. Excellent for those with low-vision problems.

While we used to carry a lot of Ottlite products, our distributors stopped carrying them as Ottlite started selling direct and as they did more products that were sold in stores like JoAnn’s (some made specifically for them). We can’t compete on pricing with JoAnn’s, certainly not when someone has a 40% off coupon which puts the retail price at what we pay for it. They do make very good lamps which you can purchase directly or at a craft store. MightyBright still makes a number of smaller travel oriented lights, which we can special order.

For a more in-depth review of the Stella lights you can read the review I did in 2014 on our blog as well as Mary Corbett’s blog. You can find out more about the individual lights from the manufacturers websites.

Now go forth & stitch – and try not to blind your family members – or stitch them some eye shades!