Hey Everyone, welcome back to Cool Tool Thursday.
For years I taped my templates to a window and stood there with my arms up in the air tracing out my templates onto fusible web or whatever they needed to be traced onto. This method certainly works but is very tiring on the arms.
Finally a couple of years ago I bought a light box. I only bought a small one which fits a piece of paper 8 ½″ x 11″ – not quite big enough but it does do the job. They are so easy to use – just plug in and hold the on switch for 3 seconds for the light to come on.
Lighting up the templates from underneath I find is so much better. Looking down on the design also makes it easier for tracing. All of the lines are visible and tracing is so much easier. Even when you have to flip the paper over and trace from the wrong side there are no issues in seeing the lines clearly.
Light box with template on top
As I did in my post for Stitch Along Sunday – October Week 2 you can also build your piece on the light box. Just put the template on the light box surface and then add your pieces. With this one I placed them onto a square of fabric but you could also put a piece of parchment paper or Teflon sheet over the template and build the appliqué design.
Applique pièces in position on fabric with the template underneath
So now I aspire to having a larger light box. They are easy enough to make if you have someone handy around.
Happy Quilting!
I found the pieces, a plastic box about 14″ x 11″, a round fluorescent light bulb (it was Canadian, in a blue box!) a lamp cable switch and some cable and a plug. The box had a flat bottom, very difficult to find but then I came across a sheet of acrylic 12″ x 16″ in an office supply shop and I put that on top. A friend attached the light bulb to the bottom of the box and made a hole for the cable to go out, also some for aeration! By the way I tried an LED battery light and it is too strong, you need light that diffuses. Voila, no more achy arms.
Excellent choice to use that Canadian light bulb Juliet. Good to know about the LED battery light. Thanks.
My husband made mine, several years ago. I had a flatbed scanner that no longer worked, he took the inside (mechanism) out of it, which left nothing but a empty box with a glass top and lid. He inserted a set of 100 mini Christmas bulbs. Plug it in and ta-da you have a light box!
100 mini light bulbs – great idea.
Mom and Dad used a light table to sort the slides from our trips across Canada. That was back in the 70’s. Always a useful tool! Hugs to ya Jen. E
Oh, a light table like that would be awesome. Hugs to you to Elaine. Jen