Poor eyesight and sewing

I use some of those magnifying visors. Think I got one at Joanns.

I only sew when the light is good. I haven't been able to find the best kind of artificial light yet.That is supposed to be the solution but I think it's a hunt and search kind of thing to get the light that works best for you. Juno

I went to The Dollar Tree and for $1 got the magnifying glasses in different strengths and left the tags on them that tell me the strength. I found the ones that work best and leave them on my SM. Stronger ones I use for embroidery or to read small print. Others I use to read with. I have 4 or

5 pair laying around. Barbara in FL

I too am troubled with ageing eyes, and use this brand of visors over my glasses. Yes, they're pricey, but are made well, and have almost no distortion.

I use the DA-2 so that I don't have to get too close to the needle,but review them carefully so as to pick the magnification and focaldistance right for you. I would think the DA- 2, 3 and 4 are the bestchoices for sewing.

Beware of cheaper ones, I've gone that route, and they are a waste of money.

I just had my cataracts removed, but I opted to remain nearsighted. My reasoning was that I spend most of my time doing close things - reading, computer, sewing, knitting. Since I would need glasses either way -- reading glasses if I opted for distance, or distance glasses if I opted to remain nearsighted, I thought it made sense to stay nearsighted. I'm used to it, anyway, after 60+ years. ;-)

So far, so good. I can thread a needle without glasses. However, I do have a wonderful magnifying lamp that I can use. I found it at Office Depot for about $20, IIRC, and it has the circular florescent bulb around a magnifier, so it not only magnifies, but provides a clear, strong light. Plus it's large enough that I can use it for bigger projects. I've seen the same lamp at specialty shops like JoAnn's for three times the price.

We both have smallish anglepoise style lamps on the work table, the sort that uses quartz halogen bulbs. These give a very good level of light, in a fairly concentrated beam. I've changed to varifocal glasses for everyday use over the last couple of years, but settled on an older pair of reading glasses with some clip-on magnifier lenses for any close work. These are a

2.5x magnification and fit close to the existing lenses, like the flip up/down sunglasses. Audrey has some that take differing magnifications, but these go on a short stalk that projects out from the glasses. Hobby shops quite often keep these types of things.

We've also got one of the headband type magnifiers, but I don't really find it as comfortable or useful as the clip-on lenses with ordinary glasses.

Strong light, glasses on and then access to at least one of the megnifying glasses I own when needed. I have several magnifying glasses on stands so are hands free. One is huge and has a light in it and another is smaller but has a section that is a super magnification.

Ditto on the strong light. I have three lamps clamped onto my industrial sewing table downstairs in addition to the fluorescent overhead light. One of them has a built-in magnifier, which I don't use because I can't seem to dial in the correct setting. It's excelllent for assessing color, however.

My sister is legally blind and still sews. The local comission for the blind set her up with all sorts of stuff and also gave her lots of ideas to accomodate her sight issues.

She mainly keeps things simple; straight stitch or zig zag.

She uses one of these, along with good lighting:

I was wondering if any of you have poor eyesight and if so what do you do to

Y'all know the trick of letting too-strong reading glasses descend down your nose to decrease the magnification? Push 'em up for threading needles, let them slide down for using the sewing machine.

Most of the dimestore reading glasses are polycarbonate, and have terrible color errors. You might consider having your eye doc write you a scrip for reading glasses in an appropriate diopter, and then having an inexpensive pair made of CR-39 (regular plastic) in a Walmart sale frame. No color fringes, no swimminess. (WM and Costco are generally the two big chains that do really good cheap glasses).

Another possibility, if you're like me and hate regular bifocals and can't stand progressives, is something called a "golfer's seg", where they grind a bifocal segment in the upper outer edge of another lens -- so you can have sewing glasses for most of the lens, and then look up and slightly to the side for threading needles and similar work.

The big trick for my mom, post-cataract surgery, was even, glare-free lighting. Big windows, muslin curtains, bouncing artificial light off matte white ceiling as general illumination, and then good task lighting was very good for her. If you want to go fluorescent, go for the high CRI (color rendition index) bulbs in whatever color temperature you prefer.

If anyone ever offers you a real Dazor magnifying lamp, take them up on it... they're much higher quality than most (and the price tag concurs!) I prefer the circline to the stretch view series -- I used many Dazors over the years when I was working in a seed lab and herbarium.

3.5+ diopter reading glasses I found in a thrift shop work well for me. I seldom see glasses stronger than 2.75+ in stores.

Before that, I used a neck-hung magnifier. I bought it in a drug store; those I've seen in fabric shops look a good bit cheaper and some of them don't even have glass lenses.

And I have a pocket magnifier that belonged to my grandfather: a strong, brass-rimmed lens that folds into a leather envelope, which envelope can be used as a handle when the lens is unfolded. I put that lens inside one lens of my glasses when I want to pick a thread out of fine cloth; since I usually look down at such work, gravity holds the lens in place.

Woo hoo! I just typed "McMaster" into the address bar of my browser and up popped

. Started to type "magnifiers"into the search button, and when I typed the "f" a menu appeared.Clicking on that brings up all kinds of neat stuff, but you can'tbookmark anything because it's all in frames. Broke the frame and got "oval case one lens" looks like my grandfather's magnifier. Joy Beeson

What a wonderful, much needed topic! I've been battling with this for the past few years. My adjustments so far, stronger cheaters I wear over my contacts. I purchase them at Target, the $ Store or Jo Anns & good lighting! I'm asking for a lamp with a magnifying glass this year for Christmas. :-D

~Christine

The "oval case one lens" looks like my grandfather's magnifier. McMaster do some really neat stuff, but won't ship ANYTHING overseas (despite what the website says - or used to says) in case you are a terrorist :-(

Lizzy

In an earlier post I said I don't have the correct light yet to make sewing easier on days that are not full of sunshine. I forgot to say that I bought myself a pair of reading glasses 2.75 to use at my machine when I felt the need for higher magnification. Especially when threading needles. I brought them upstairs one day to thread up a couple of needles for some hand sewing. Put them down, went to get them a few minutes later and found them on DH's face. I told him I needed my glasses and he had the nerve to argue with me and tell me they were his, not mine. He was lucky I didn't annihilate him then and there. Now I have to hide the darn things so he can't find them. They are a big help for threading and sewing. I think my problem really is that I just don't like to sew when there isn't a lot of bright natural light and just can't seem to find exactly what I need yo overcome that. Juno

I suggest you invest in a pair like this:

would be amazed if he were to claim them.

> >

I wouldn't put it past him if he couldn't find his own J

My husband claims he doesn't need reading glasses. That's mostly because he doesn't do much reading. When the faucet in our bathroom died he had to borrow a pair of my reading glasses to complete the necessary repairs. I told him he could keep the pair he used (the ear stems are too long and the frames too wide for my face) but he still claims he doesn't need them.

I am no longer willing to enable him in his denial. When he tries to snatch the reading glasses off of my face for various tasks, I've implemented a "duck and swat" maneuver.

"I just want to borrow your glasses for a second."

"No. Your big ol' "Charlie Brown" head bends the frames. Where's the pair I gave you?"

Costco has three packs of fairly good quality reading glasses, why not invest in a set and make sure he KNOWS which color is *his*? Saves on having to train a new DH to replace this one. ;->

Beverly

Because there isn't a Costco with in 75 miles of here. We think we live in an area that has everything but believe me we don't Juno