Let There be Light!

On this gloomy winter day, as we North Easterners await the doom moniker-ed snow bombgenesis, I’ve been thinking a lot about light –how we use it, how it affects us, and how we need it.

I escaped from my no-windowed office into the greenhouse on campus and worked for about an hour today. I try to do this every couple of days because the greenery, the light, and the sounds of the koi pond make me happy. I was ecstatic to realize that there is a papaya tree in that space — I’ve been walking by it for years and never noticed it! I can resist picking the papayas — good thing it’s not a tomato or strawberry tree.

Like many quilter blogs I’ve been reading this week, I’m contemplating a reset of my sewing space. Alas, I am still without a cutting table (the “honorable” gentlemen featured in this blog post, did not live up to my expectations).  Some time ago I moved my machine so that it is directly underneath the window in my sewing room. I assumed that more light would be better. I’m not so sure. Sometimes the light from the window is too harsh. At night when I want to see the moon and the stars while sewing, the glare from the Ottlite floor lamp reflecting on the window pane is troublesome.  Not to mention that Boots has been mad at me ever since I moved the machine to the window, because it means his favorite chair is no longer in the best corner to catch a sunny cat nap.

How do you use natural light in your space? Where do you think is the best sewing tool to be placed near the window?

There are lots of benefits to winter — and I love the four seasons — but the dark long days make me crave Vitamin D and brightness. Now my quilting obsession turns to light and quirky themes. Here is a sneak peek at a table runner I’m working on for spring. It  features some up-cycled pretty spring flowers from a former Pottery Barn dust ruffle. You can read the original post about the dust ruffle here.

May your Friday be filled with goodness and light!