I am ever so grateful that I still have reasonably good eyesight. I can still hold a driver's licence, work on the computer, see to operate my phone, and thread a needle. I have had to wear glasses for a very long time to assist, but in the last decade my eyesight has not deteriorated or changed, so I am thankful.
Whenever I have spoken to the optometrist about the fact that I can't see as well as I used to when I do fine embroidery, he tells me that I will always need to use a magnifier for that. I don't need it for everything but it is very helpful for stitches like backstitching where you are trying to put that needle in the exact spot of the previous stitch!
For many years I have had an OttLite floor lamp that included a magnifier on an adjustable arm. Sadly the many years of adjusting that magnifier to be over my embroidery finally took its toll and the bracket broke and was beyond repair.
I decided that rather than try to replace it, I would take a simpler approach and use the hands-free 'round-the-neck' magnifier that hubby used when he worked his cross-stitching. (These are all his work pictured here.) That great idea went a bit pear-shaped when I tried to see through the scratched and crazed acrylic 'glass'. It had obviously seen better days, so it was time to do a Google search on what was currently available.
I decided on a Carson Hands Free Lighted Magnifier and I am quite pleased with it. A dear friend asked me could I complete a cross-stitch for her and I have found it very useful for that. I haven't done cross stitch for a very long time and I am struggling to see where to put the needle without the magnifier. With memories of the scratches on hubby's tool, I thought I should try to protect mine, so made a little pouch for it. The bright fabric celebrates some of Australia's beautiful coloured birds - makes me smile every time I see it.
