Miss Celie

I can see! I can see!

First, please don’t leave pissy comments about vendors on my blog anonymous or otherwise.  Don’t be an ass.

Over a year ago, a blog reader (whose name I don’t remember. Sorry, because you desrve the credit) told me about the pink Task Lamp from OTT. They were always on sale at Joann.com and of course you could use a coupon on them. At the time,  I didn’t want to spend the money. Well, last week I ordered one because, well. I’ve turned into my mother.

You see, when I was a kid, my mom would have me thread her hand sewing needles for her. I had no idea the time would come when I would be booed up next to a HD lamp so I could see to trace patterns and thread needles. If there was a small child in my house, I would just go ahead and ask them to thread for me.

Now that I sew in my basement, the light isn’t good. I’ve been stuggling with tracing the last few months as there is very little natural light in my basement. I have three bulbs in my overhead light and it’s just not enough for tracing my Burdas.

The lamp honestly makes a WORLD of difference. It makes things significantly brighter. It’s also wonderful for figuring out if that dark fabric is more blue than black. And, before you ask. Yes, it does come in colors that aren’t pink 🙂

They are $40 now at Joann.com and when I purchased shipping was free. If I could afford it, I would get the floor lamp too just to keep by my sewing machine.

Now, if only I could find that Jules IKEA chair I wanted in pink, and not in juniors. I think they must have discontinued it….

30 comments

  1. Being blighted by terrible short-sightedness I can sympathise re: the better lighting aiding your sewing :)!

    Re: the IKEA chair, could you perhaps buy another colour, unscrew the wooden part & spray paint it pink, then spray several thin layers of clear lacquer/varnish over the top to seal & protect it? 🙂

  2. Get yourself some compact daylight fluorescent bulbs and replace the incandescents. You can buy some obscenely bright wattage without overpowering your light fixture–my ceiling fixture takes a maximum of 3 60 watt incandescents and I think the replacements are 100 watts each. It helps a lot!! Of course you’ll still need your Ott light for task lighting.

  3. I tend to use my glass-topped coffee table for tracing, as it’s easy to tuck a clip lamp underneath—instant light box.

    That being said, I feel you on the lighting issue. Black is a common colour in my sewing, and my husband is “allergic” to light—he prefers to keep the ambient light at as low a level as practical, and is always going around turning off lamps and closing window curtains. Very frustrating when you’re trying to work on something without retreating to the far corners of the house! (also sucks when I want to read a book at bedtime…)

  4. I have a task light by my sewing machine and the odd time I forget to turn it on when I sit down to sew I feel like the sewing machine is turned off. It makes such a difference to have good lighting.

  5. Start saving your money for the floor lamp. We bought one for my FIL who could barely see; when he passed, we got it.
    It will make sewing, reading, beading, knitting, anything,
    SO MUCH EASIER!

  7. I’m not aware of having left any “pissy comments” about vendors, but I do value candid comments. I gather that someone left some kind of unpleasant comments on your and Lindsay T’s blog recently, but you have not left me any way of evaluating what you regard as “pissy.”

    I think it’s time to call it a day.

    Happy Sewing

  8. I have two of the Ott floor lamps, one in the living room for reading and handwork and one over my sewing area. They are the best thing ever! Totally worth the money!

  9. I totally adore both of my Ott lights. I have the larger table topper for the sewing room and the floor model for the living room (where I do most of my hand sewing, reading and knitting). Both of them get used daily and I think I’d be grumpy without ’em. I even used the floor lamp when I painted my apartment — it was like casting sunshine on the walls! Glad you found one in delicious pink!

  10. When I bought myself a new sewing machine last year, I specifically bought the Bernina Activa 240 because of its light. The time when good lighting becomes important happens to us all.

  11. I sew in the basement, too. Dark paneling circa 1970. It can be very tomb-like. Consider a run or two of tracklighting. My lights are adjustable/directionally and use halogen bulbs, which, granted, are quite hot, but the quality of the light is 10,000 times better than compact flourescents.

    I also stapled up some cheap, lightweight unbleached muslin to the wall behind my sewing machine into the corner, as painting the basement walls was apparently objectionable to DH. Having the light background there helps, too.

    And, I have a Luxo-brand articulated light, with magnifying glass surrounded by a circular flourescent bulb mounted to the wall behind my sewing machine. No way can I read the machine needle size without that! I can pull it out over the very edge of my work table when necessary, too.

  13. Paint your walls white or a very light pink andn also get some fluorescent light for the ceiling. Get day light or cool white.

  14. As soon as I saw the FOUR comments that ANONYMOUS left me I knew you had gotten one too on the same subject. Which is why I posted what I posted on STGD today. Sheesh!

  16. I have the floor lamp and desk top one. Love them. I still however get my daughter to thread the needles! Well that is what daughters are for, no?

  17. But the chair in the natural color, I did. You can spray it brfore you even put it together. I didn’t coat it with a top coat. Three year and the paint is still perfect. Pink is the color!!

  18. I would like a small child to turn the heat up and down and thread needles for me.

    I’m sorry about the pissy comments – delete and move on, I say! I enjoy reading your blog and hope you won’t let them get you down.

  19. I’ve always been a stickler for good lighting. I feel as though I really can’t see, if the lighting isn’t bright enough – and that goes for anywhere in the house, for any task.

  20. The older I get the more light I need. Fortunately I have a lot of light in my studio. It’s amazing how hard it is to see Burda’s pattern sheets in bad light. They are still a pita, but you do get used to them, well sort of.

  21. Thanks for the heads up and review. I like the pink one myself. I love to have light blasting around the sewing machine itself. Will take a look at these.

  22. I’ve been wanting an OTT light for a while now and this is a great price for one…however, my bedroom looks like Time Square at night when I go to sew because I have three lights with 100 watt bulbs in there AND I have to change to my reading glasses to sew things upclose. So I definitely understand and as an aside when I had small children I could STILL see! *LOL*

  23. I love my pink Ott light. I use right behind my sewing machine for extra light. Need to get another floor light, though. I have several around the house so wherever I sit and knit, I can see

  25. Thanks for the tip; I have been looking for a sewing task lamp. I found this light on amazon for $37.99 (no sales tax and free super saver shipping)! I also appreciate the glass table/light box comment; I am going to try it with my Burda! Thanks again!!! Linda

  27. I bought the Ott desk lamp from Joanns the day after thanksgiving and took it to work (office flourescents kill my eyes!). It was so great, I bought the floor lamp for my sewing space on cyber Monday from Joann’s for like $50! It is terrific- I highly recommend it! Maybe they will have a day after christmas sale? The only downside is I find joanns.com shipping to be slooooow (I just got the lamp last week!). But then, shipping was free so I can’t really complain – I think I’m just spoiled by the near instant gratification of amazon.com prime!

  28. I love the Ott lights! Especially because the lightbulb on my sewing machine burned out long ago, and replacing it has never worked. So those are seriously the only way I can see to sew. I ended up getting one for a reading lamp in my bedroom too, because I like having lots of light to read by!

  29. My Ikea has the Jules in pink–about 25-30 of them–on clearance right now, $28.99. If you’re not in a rush to get it, I’ll nab one, and send it to you after Christmas.

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