As an intricate craft, sewing requires much skill and precision. This is why being able to see your work well while sewing is absolutely essential in producing the perfect result. Having the best sewing machine light can make all the difference! Not only will it enhance the environment you are working under, but it will also help you to produce the best result. Regardless of the type of sewing you are working on, you should have a well-lit working space.
While many sewing machines come with lights, there are many in the market that do not. This is where this guide comes in handy to help you choose the best lights for your sewing workspace.
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Guide to Selecting the Best Type of Light
After looking into various sewing machine lights in the market, you now need to decide on one. How do you choose the most suitable one? This is dependent on the purpose of the light, and how you prioritize various factors.
How can a good sewing machine light make a difference to your sewing?
For sewing crafts such as dressmaking and quilting, a good sewing machine light can drastically improve the intricacy of your work. For all sewing projects, the slightest error can affect the quality of your results. A good light will allow you to clearly see all the minute details required in your sewing, so that you can minimize errors that could have been prevented by having a well illuminated workspace. Additionally, some lights come with magnets and clamps which allow you to adjust the light however you want, making the usage of the lights more convenient.
Criteria to Choosing a Good Sewing Machine Light
Before you invest in the perfect light to serve your needs, you should properly consider all factors in order to make a good decision. Below is a list of criteria we have compiled that would be useful in your decision-making process:
1. Cord length
You should look for a light source with a cord length long enough to cover the distance between your workspace and the power supply.
2. Neck type
A gooseneck neck type would be ideal since it allows for flexibility to adjust the light to your needs. This will ensure that there is less stress on your eyes. Luckily, most of the lamps in the market have a gooseneck neck type.
3. Power supply
You should check to make sure the power supply specifications are suitable with yours. If you are worried about access to a power supply, you should look for lights that offer a backup battery.
Type of Lights
1. Full overhead light
Overhead lights are good for illuminating the entire workspace. Some models also come with an adjustable arm and rotary neck, allowing you to direct the light where you want to. The benefits of overhead lights are that they are very adaptable; they can be used for any function other than sewing such as, reading and working. Examples of overhead lights include lamps, table lights, and wall lighting fixtures.
2. Task lights
Unlike overhead lights, task lights provide a more focused source of light. Task lights are mainly found on the apparatus arm of the sewing machine and meant to only brighten the working area of the machine. It would be good to note that the body of the task light can usually be adjusted.
If you are looking to brighten up your workspace, you should consider purchasing both full overhead lights and task lights to reap the benefits of both. Task lights provide you a more focused light source on your sewing project, while overhead lights can reduce eye strain by minimizing the contrast in brightness between your workspace and the background.
Types of Color Temperatures
After deciding on the best type of lighting, it is time to choose the color temperature that is most optimal for sewing. Color temperature can be split into three categories – sunlight, white light, tungsten lighting. So then, which type of lighting is best for sewing? The clear answer would be sunlight. However, that does not mean that white lighting and tungsten lighting do not have their own benefits.
When comparing all three types of lighting against each other, natural sunlight is the best choice as it fares the best in protecting our eyes, although it occasionally compromises on our ability to see color accurately. In spite of that, natural sunlight is most ideal for sewers who sew for long hours at a time.
White light that is between 5000K and 6000K is able to provide the clearest vision. With white light, you can see the colour of your string most accurately and form beautiful colour collocations. However, the harsh lighting may irritate your eyes over a long period of time.
Tungsten lighting, which falls under 4000K, is a warm yellow light that would be ideal to use during the day in a room with windows.
Conclusion
In summary, the best type of lighting to buy will be floor lights and table lights with an adjustable body to create the best environment for sewing. As for the ideal light color temperature, LED lighting would be recommended since it allows you to have the most accurate vision of your sewing project. However, if you are unable to see well, you should definitely consider purchasing a magnifying lamp. When purchasing your lighting for your sewing machine, be sure to check the battery lifespan, power supply specifications, and if required, the presence of USB connectivity.
FAQ
Is it sufficient to rely on natural light for my sewing workspace?
Yes, it is sufficient to just rely on natural light! In fact, natural light should be the main source of light for your work station.
The usage of LED lights is only meant to further enhance the visibility of your sewing project so that you can finish your project effectively and efficiently.
Is it enough to rely on a regular lamp for sewing?
Yes, you can. However, we do not recommend using a regular lamp over a proper sewing machine lamp. A sewing machine lamp will help you to protect your eyes. On the other hand, simply using a regular lamp might result in strained eyes after a long period of time.
You will also be able to adjust the height and brightness of the light with the sewing machine lamp for your convenience, but this is impossible with a regular lamp.
Furthermore, a sewing machine lamp can help you save money since most of them are built with an energy saving feature.
What is so important about proper lighting?
Proper lighting is so important because it has an impact on your health and the quality of your work. Can you imagine the frustration of not being able to properly coordinate your threads and fabrics? With proper lighting, this will not be a problem. Not only that, proper lighting can improve your posture and protect your eyesight.
Are you aware that when you hit 50 years old, you will require 5 times more light to see than you would have when you were 10 years old? This shows how much our eyesight deteriorates and how important it is to minimize that.
Furthermore, poor lighting will cause you to strain your posture because you can’t see well enough, causing stress and fatigue at the same time. This is why proper light is so important, and you should invest in the right lighting best suited to your needs.
