Get Close to Your Work With a Magnifying Floor Lamp

Welcome to SewVeryEasy, my name is Laura. Lighting is a key important player in what we are working on, regardless if it’s sewing, knitting, or even reading. The key is being able to see what we’re working on in the clearest form that we can. Lighting plays an important part in that, but sometimes we need a little bit more than good lighting. We need a little help with some magnification. You can get many different kinds of magnifying lights or magnifiers themselves. Of course we have magnifying glasses and little magnifiers that will sit around our neck. We can also get magnifying lamps that clamp on counters, and of course floor models. Floor models come in many different styles. This particular one has the harder arm that bends and adjusts how you need it. You can get some that are more like a gooseneck so it will bend in a different way. Lighting is also something that you can get with magnifiers. This particular magnifier has a cover over it, so I’m going to be viewing through here and the light is in the back. I can also adjust the brightness of this lamp. By just touching the screen, it gets brighter and brighter, so I’m going to be able to adjust that lighting depending on the lighting in the room. If I’m sewing during the daylight I won’t need as much light, but if I’m sewing in the evening I will need that additional light. So depending on where you’re sewing, lighting could be something to be considered. The size of the magnifier is also important. You can get some that are square, and they’re designed more for book reading. The round ones, or in this case an oval one, will work great for needlework, reading, painting, knitting, sewing—anything that you need to have hands-on. Because this has a cover, I’m going to be able to use the light in the front as a light source shining down, even if I don’t need the magnification. I can just have this sitting over the back of my shoulder, or have it adjusted so that it’s giving me the light that I’m going to need. This is going to work in two ways. I can use the magnification if I need, or I just have the extra lighting if I need. Here’s a little needlepoint changepurse. When it’s right close to the screen it’s pretty much its true size, but as you move it away from the screen it gets bigger. Depending on what you’re working on, you’re going to be able to get very close to the area that you need to focus on. When you’re working on something with a dark background, sometimes the lighting needs to be less. That prevents glare and you can still get as close as you can. The more magnification you need, the further away from the lens you need to pull it. When you’re working on lighter colors you might need to go a little bit brighter. For example, I need to finish this tiny little needlepoint. All of those little threads need to be split. I have 𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 here and regular needlepoint here. Having this blown up so that I can see it will help. Here the leaves are very close to the magnifier, but as I move that back you can see how clear all of those threads become. Here is a low light, and I’m going to make it brighter and brighter. The lighting and the magnification together definitely make it very easy to see all of these tiny little stitches that need to be taken. This particular model is from Brighttech and it is called their Light View Pro Rolling Base XL. The base is very heavy with six wheels for rolling. It’s very easy to move. So if I want to sew in one corner I can, then I can roll it to my sewing machine if I need just the extra light or if I want to have magnification. I like to have the model sitting in front of me so that I have the oval coming horizontally. If you’re reading a book, you can have the lamp to the side and have the oval vertical so you have more of a page that you can see. Another thing to consider is where are your controls? Do you want your controls at the bottom, on the arm, or right in front of you? In my case I have them right in front of me so I can adjust that lighting as I need it, depending on the light that is in the room. Being able to adjust the lamp is very important. When I’m doing something that I need very magnified I’m going to be able to move this up, which is giving me a greater distance and the magnification is greater. When I’m finished with that smaller part, I can readjust it and continue stitching in a regular way. So depending on what you’re stitching on you’re going to be able to adjust the light. With an adjustable arm you can take this and have it come to a table. So if you’re painting or you’re doing something and you’re sitting at a table, not having it in your lap, you still are going to be able to use this. If I’ve done with that magnification and I just need a little light, I’m going to be able to just adjust it to give me the extra light that I’m going to need and I’m good to go. There are many things to consider when you’re looking for magnification in your arts and crafts, your sewing, and all of your hobbies. I’ll put a link in the description to Brighttech and the model that I’m using here. Thank you for joining me today on SewVeryEasy. Feel free to subscribe and, as always, come on back. Let’s see what we’re sewing next time
in the sewing room. Bye for now!