lighting in a quilting room

I have track lighting in my kitchen, which has 9' ceilings, so changing the made-to-look-right incandescent bulbs is a challenge requiring a 3-step stool and second person on hand. Those bulbs are also expensive as "specialty" bulbs. Therefore, I replaced the bulbs with the twist-shaped fluorescent bulbs. They don't look quite as good, but I seldom look at the track lighting anyway, and at least it's interesting! Most important, however, the light amount and quality is very good, and the bulbs seem to last forever.

We might as well complicate your project, Martha. You'll want to factor in the cost of replacing the tubes/bulbs as well as the cost of power for them. Also, you'll want to consider 'purpose'. I didn't realize there were so many light sources in my sewing room until you asked. There are six. An overhead one with those cute little corkscrew-looking bulbs. They do fine for general lighting; don't use much electricity. There's also a table lamp for gentle lighting, a magnifying glass/circle tube (?) for fine needlework, an Ott, another one that clamps onto a shelf and that I share with DH (looks like something you'd take to go floundering) and a pole lamp left over from somebody's notion of trendy decorating. Sometimes when we replace the fluorescent tubes we get it right; sometimes we don't. Right now, you could perform reconstructive surgery on a mosquito's whiskers. We don't use all of those lights at the same time; just whatever suits the task. Excellent question, Martha. Looking forward to other's experiences, Polly

"Martha" Hello!

Have you looked into the availability of compact fluorescent bulbs for your incandescent fixture that will give you sufficient lighting? We use the compact fluorescent in many of our general purpose fixtures throughout the house. That to me would be the best solution. I agree with your thoughts on the respective fixture's appearance. My only other consideration would be if the room is single or multi purpose. If it's single purpose (quilting/working only) room - go with the standard fluorescent fixutre - who really cares what it looks like. If it's multi purpose (occasional guest room) go with the incandescent fixture.

Just my 2 cents.

Kim in NJ

I have track lighting with full spectrum CFL flood lights. Best of both worlds.

I just hate those squirrley light bulbs. Am I the only one? Why would you not care what a light looks like just because it is your quilt room? I think too often our quilt rooms are just thrown together with left over furniture and odds and ends. If you spend a lot of time it should be a pleasant place to work. I would suppose remembering to shut the iron off would conserve as much energy as energy guzzling bulbs would use. The iron seems to be the guzzler when I sew. I mostly sew during the day and I have the bright sunny room in the house. My lighting is overheard and a portable one I can move around. If I sewed at night more I would definitely have to add to the mix. TAria

We put up track lighting in my sewing room too. At first I put in regular light bulbs (nine of them) , which were fine in the winter, but when the weather warmed up, the bulbs threw off so much heat it was unbearable. I replaced them with those spiral low energy type bulbs which were much cooler, but they blow out after just a couple of weeks and were too expensive to keep replacing. Now there's a mish mash of Reveal bulbs and low energy (the few that haven't blown out) and I can see just fine. Just make sure that the lights are over your work, not just slightly behind your head where they will cast shadows on your work surface. I didn't want fluorescent bulbs because the ones that we have at the food pantry where I work hum and it drives me nuts. I hate humming lights.

Denise

They make CFL flood lights for track lighting

, NAYY, just the first google hit). I tested a number of bulbs for my track lighting in the sewing room, and found that daylight CFL floods gave the best light and looked good. In fact, you wouldn't know they are CFLs unless you climb up on a ladder and look closely. The only down side is it takes about 10 seconds for the light to come up to full strength. I don't know about you, but from the time I turn on the light, it takes me longer than that to get ready to sew. :)

Howdy! The dining room is my favorite sewing place, so a couple of months ago we replaced the chandelier in the dining room; the old one was ugly,

1986-glass-plastic-metal-ugly, and it shone on the ceiling, not the table. I wanted a "down light" fixture; found one at Lowes (stained glass w/ 3 branches, kinda' "goes with" the stained glass hanging in the window). It floods the table & sewing area w/ light, esp. after we put in the CFL bulbs. It stays cool, gives off plenty of bright light (does not hum; I haven't heard any of the new fluorescents hum, and I can tell when I walk in the door if they have humming lights ), and the price was right. We've replaced most of the house's bulbs w/ CFLs. They last longer than the others, are less prone to blow from the changes in current (which varies wildly in Tx. since de-reg), and unlike hybrid car batteries, there are places to recycle the CFLs. We still have incandescent bulbs where I want really fast, bright light (kitchen, bedside lamps). The new vent-hood came w/ a couple of small halogen bulbs - great, more heat over the stove: no, thanks! - so we put CFLs there, too. This house no longer eats light bulbs. ;-)

R/Sandy - gotta' see to sew (remembering my Texas dad saying "lat bubs")

I just generally don't like the curly cue bulbs. Several reasons that don't matter here. My question was meant to refer to not caring about how the room looks because it is just a 'quilting or work room'. Taria

Kathy Applebaum wrote:

> , NAYY, just the first google hit). I tested a number of bulbs for my track > lighting in the sewing room, and found that daylight CFL floods gave the > best light and looked good. In fact, you wouldn't know they are CFLs unless > you climb up on a ladder and look closely.>

There are CFL bulbs available that are not curly and look more like a regular light bulb. There are also CFLs to replace the flame shaped bulbs in chandeliers, etc. I don't know if they are available in full-spectrum lights.

Julia > I just hate those squirrley light bulbs. Am I the only one? Why would

We put an 'h' in it, Sandy. In Mississippi, the word is pronounced 'laht' bulb. Only two syllables; we clip that one short around here. Polly

"Sandy Ellison" >signed> R/Sandy - gotta' see to sew

That throws up a red flag, Denise. You wrote, in part, < I replaced them with those spiral low energy type bulbs which were much cooler, but they blow out after just a couple of weeks and were too expensive to keep replacing>. Causes me to wonder if you have an electrical problem, perhaps something overloaded or improperly wired. Those bulbs shouldn't be blowing so often. Polly

"Denise in NH" We put up track lighting in my sewing room too. At first I put in

Ditto. CFLs will wear quickly if they are used for only short times (for example, our closet and pantry are too hard on CFLs), but even then they last longer than a couple of weeks. I'd have someone look at the wiring pronto.

Hi all

Not sure why, but I have never been much of a fan of track lighting. I have seen some though that looks really nice. Wherever I've seen it used though there always seems to be shadows. I'm sure with the right setup that would be eliminated.

Having had the ceilings redone in my computer lab last year, with new flourescent fixtures, and with the new style of fixtures, I must say that I would probably go with this. The new fixtures, rather than just the flat panel that the bulbs show through, are open and concave and a convex unit hangs within that that holds the two bulbs. Yes, only two. The light is shown up to the concave part of the light and diffused out into the room. My classroom has went from four banks of lights, approximately 80 bulbs, to three banks of lights, approximately 30 bulbs, and I have more light now than before, and it is more evenly spread over the room. The only down side is that when they rewired I went from two switches to one so now all or none of the lights are on or off. Not great when teaching accounting and I want one bank on for students to write and I need most off for the overhead projector. But I digress.

In my ideal sewing room I would have such flourescent in the ceiling with track lighting where I needed extra specialized or very direct light.

Steven Alaska

Well, after several years of totally inadequate lighting, I am going to have put in good lighting in the room I use to quilt.

The choice has come down to using

1. track lighting with Verilux full spectrum incandescent bulbs [9 ft ceiling]

or

1. full spectrum Verilux fluorescent tube lights in the usual kind of fluorescent tube fixture [three tubes per fixture].

My balance is

incandescent fixture looks nicer fluorescent is cooler and cheaper to run over the long term

[cost of fixture, bulb, and installation is sufficiently the same that it doesn't count. Halogen bulbs are too hot to work under.]

Would anyone have experience with, or anything to say about, those choices?

thanks!

Martha

Mr Esther just came through and I asked about Denise's short-life lightbulb situation. He says (1) that she needs to call the power company and have the voltage to her home checked. It could be that the voltage is too high and that's dangerous. (2) that there could be faulty wiring and (3) muttered that Denise's governor was an idiot. I have no idea what the governor of New Hampshire has done; didn't even know that DH knew who he was. Polly

"Kathy Applebaum" Ditto. CFLs will wear quickly if they are used for only short times (for

When I had my kitchen redone I wanted to change the ceiling lights which used the 'old fashioned' spotlights as the fittings had gone brittle.

The electrician fitted modern halogen lights in their place, and all was fine until I noticed the smell of burning and found that one of the high cupboard doors had a nasty burn mark along the top where it had opened across the line of the light about 3" below it. I knew halogen lights were hot, but neither I or the electrician had realised how hot. We were lucky we caught it before the house caught fire.

The kitchen firm replaced the cupboard door and we replaced the light fittings back to the old fashioned variety with old fashioned spot bulbs. We have kept the halogen fittings to replace the hall celing lights when spot light bulbs are no longer available as there are no high up doors in there, but what we will do in the kitchen then I do not know. Perhaps have the holes in the ceiling filled in and the then replaster and fit a completely different type of light. I haven't yet seen any of the low energy bulbs the right shape to fit spotlight fittings, and be flush with the ceiling.

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Sandy Ellis> Howdy!

We bought a yellow CFL bug light that looks like a regular light bulb for our front porch. It's defintely a bug light - the bugs love it!

I have a curly CFL light in the draftsman type light on my sewing table that I've had for 5 1/2 years. I love it - good light and doesn't cook me in the summertime like the old bulbs did.

Donna in SW Idaho

Well, remember I recently accomplished a hostile takeover of the dining room. It is now a sewing room. The light in there is *awful*. A horrible litte hang-down light fixture that is prettier than it is effective. I have south and west double windows. I

*just* bought a wannabe Ott light (I think the brand is Bell & Howell but it looks exactly like the Ott floor lamp). I really do like it for nighttime sewing over the cutting board. I agree with the poster who said sewing rooms are too often functional but mismatched leftovers. Maybe because we're all frugal souls at heart. I'm gonna slowly work on that. Sherry

As I have said many times before, thank God for this group!

Thank you all; you have given me a lot to think about.

Martha