Good lighting is one of the best things you can invest in for a sewing room- before paint, before a pretty rug, think about where you will be sewing, pressing and planning so that you can make sure to have at least one of the three layers of light to make things easier.
Three Layers of Light.
Yes, three, and no that is not too much, and the difference it will make in your life will blow you away if you currently have single source lighting that is weak, badly positioned or even the wrong color.
Every room can benefit from the following types of light.
Ceiling light/ Ambient –
This light can be the most difficult change but doing so starts the process of good neutral ambient light. The trick with this type of light it to make sure that it is not behind you in relation to where you are working. Otherwise you cast a shadow over your own work surface and that never helps. This is a great reason for installing dim-able pot lights or the cheaper and possibly more flexible alternative, track lighting. Rarely is a single light in the center of the room up to the job of quality illumination but sometimes it is what we are stuck with for numerous reasons.
But, If you are stuck with middle of the room lighting there is a simple thing you can do.
Upgrade your bulbs. The world of light bulbs is staggering.. and the advent of the quality LED bulb was a solid game changer when it comes to lighting. Make sure to check the Color Temperature ( Kelvin) scale for all your bulbs as well as their equivalent wattage to get the most bang for your lighting fixture buck! While 6,000 is dead clear i will admit to being a fan of the 5,000 for the bit of added warmth it adds to a room. Anything 7,000 and above starts to feel a bit like a surgery suite to me, cold and sterile.
The scale runs like this.
Warm White 2400K-3000K
This is that “feel-good” lighting that you will see in hotels and restaurants. Mellow and friendly but not great to work by.
Neutral White 3500K
This “Office-light” reduces bounce and flash but also comes with a cubicle and an annoying office mate.
Cool White 4000K-4300K
Cooler but still warm and will distort the color of your fabrics.
Full Spectrum 5000K-5765K
Full Spectrum light is a loosely held term for light that is very balanced, warm enough not to introduce thoughts of hanging meat but crisp enough to really knock the shadows out of a room.
Daylight 6500 +K
While these are called “Daylight” these bulbs can start getting harsh really quick and leave a very cold feeling even in the warmest looking room. They have their place but can leave you feeling cold.
Accent Lighting
This where you can start having some fun with your lighting. Fun lamps, under counter lighting and more, and extra points if you make it dimable! Accent lighting can be ther real star when your Ambient light game is weak. Just remember to get the good bulbs as well and keep the kelvin scale the same.
Focused/project/task lighting
Task lighting is the tiny but mighty hero of just about any sewing room and I think of it like fairy dust or glitter, just sprinkle that shit everywhere! In my sewing room the task lighting plan extends to flexible lights at each machine station. A dedicated light bar over the longarm as well as directed spot lighting for the ironing station and my crafting area.
Some of my machines come with some pretty decent lighting of their own, but more is, well, more! and to each of my machines, especially the ones I take when traveling I will be adding a Vivilux Super Bright Flexible Craft Light. I think we all know one thing that we rarely have enough of at a retreat and sometimes in our own sewing space is outlets so this cordless little wonder earned a place in my room for that alone!
For those who are members of the BadAss Quilters Private Community we will be continuing the conversation about sewing room lighting tonight during our weekly live Crowd Cast event including a giveaway of one of the lights! We are in our Founders Launch period until the of the July, at that time the doors close until next year. Come join the only private membership group for progressive sewers and quilters. Click here to check it out!
Thank you to the people from Vivilux for sponsoring today’s post, I am in LOVE with your mighty little light and can think of a million places I will want to use it! Click on the Vivilux logo to go check them out!
