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Rose, I saw the fire on the news the other day and wondered if it was anywhere near you. The loss is terrible and it looks to be a rough fire season here doesn't it? We do need the rain. Are you okay over in Gilroy?

Well as we live in the country on 40 acres it is a bit scarey we keep everything away from the house. Trees shrubs and the likes so we should be ok. It is nice to have the CDF Planes less then 5 minutes out. But they help in San Jose a lot so no guarantees. Just have to keep watch and hope for good fortune.

I'll do the rain dance for you (and California).
Too bad there is no Native American Indian in my blood, but I'll do the dance anyway.

*wimpers* I hope nothing happens to you Rose. Our rain has wandered away so here's hoping it's headed out to you.

Rose,
California is getting so dry these last few years. Florida is the same. We had a very mild but rainy winter. Only two snows but still enough rain to keep everything in good shape ...so far. The spring wasn't too bad but what we've had has come in the form of nor'easters at weird time of the year. We have terrible downpours the other day. It was rolling in sheets off the house. Between the dryness in CA and the crazy midwest weather you do kind of wonder what is going on.
Alyson

I usually just stitch using normal lights-but its very hard to do when you have so many light coloured threads to work with-so i tend to use these in the day and stick to darker threads at night- It doesnt help that I wear glasses on and off, my optician would be furious.lol

Like you, I do most of my stitching at night. I find it really useful to put something underneath my stitching in a contrast shade to the fabric I am using - in other words, a dark cushion on my lap if I am stitching light fabric, and a light cushion if stitching darker fabrics. I find it helps "illuminate" the holes.

I would also not be without my "mother and child" halogen lamp - you know, a floor standing uplighter, with positionable side light to focus over my work. I couldn't stitch without it.

It must be a sign of age (I'm 36, clearly past it), but I have also bought a magnifier which has made stiching the smaller count fabric MUCH easier.

Hope this helps.

Slinky XX

Slinky wrote:I'm 36, clearly past it

As a mature 38 I can assure you you're not past it .
I do most of my stitching at night, and mostly lit by an ordinary standard lamp; so far I've found this sufficient for most of my projects, including very fine counts and black or navy backgrounds. The only one that has defeated me so far is the kingfisher, which has squashed stitches, fractionals squeezed into impossibly small gaps in the design, small and rater confusing symbols on the chart and very similar shades. For that I use the ultimate daylight lamp, the sun -- and the floor-to-ceiling window of our dining room

I'm with Mabel on this one. I only have a regular lamp when I stitch at night (of course I also have every light in the room on!). I did look at lights and lamps and such and they can get quite costly (too costly for me) but if it within your budget and it helps you, then I would say it was a necessary investment. I'm of the mind that purchases that make stitching more comfortable or improve the stitching environment, are definitely worth it. Needlework is a lasting craft. Just look at some of the very early samplers and tapestry works. Still being oogled and sought after. You can't say that about too many crafts.

Oh dear Mabel and Slinky, you poor old things at 36 and 38. Wait until your 60 like me but after saying that I do sometimes feel like a 36/38 year old. It really depends on the company so I better stick to the younger crowd, plus its great to communicate with you all on the web as friends, thank you

When I stitch at night I usually try to sit in decent lighting, then I have this very light weight light that clips on your hoop. The neck of it moves anywhere you position it, so you could pull it out for more light or move it in directly to one certain area you are in. Its call a "Mighty Bright Lite" and I believe I purchased this at Hobby Lobby for like $12.00 or so. Its very light weight and doesn't weigh your work down. It works for me pretty good.

CarolinaGirl

That light sounds good, as Im a lefthander and my floor lamp sits to the right of me, so I get a shadow and it gets a bit difficult to see where to stitch. I will have to see if that kind of light is available in Australia, thanks

and i'm a righthander and my floor lamp sits on my left! lol.
it has a smaller lamp that about half way down the post that has an adjustable neck so that usually is down above my work