Quilting

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Tools: What’s on this student’s head?

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Okay, I’m cruising through all the photos of student’s work at a recent Sue Spargo workshop in Kokomo, Indiana and I paused. What is that on this student’s head? If you are like me or know someone over 40 you know we need more light to see as we age. Please someone tell me what this is and where you purchased it. I will not rest until I have one atop my head, just like Pat.

Editor’s note Feb 26, 2011: I have enjoyed reading each of your comments. Thanks for sharing with me all the ways you can use this head light and where to get one.  –Scarlett

Comments

  1. It looks like a basic headlamp. There are tons of different styles ranging in price at most hardware stores. 🙂

  3. It’s called a head lamp. You can buy them at most outdoor stores. We use them at our summer cottage because we don’t have any electric power. Perfect for reading at night and finding our way home in the dark. Great idea for sewing , quilting and art.

  6. My husband and I each used one last night at the end of our hike when it got dark:) Love mine! So nice that it’s hands free, especially since we hike with trekking poles.

  8. My husband and kids have them for camping. I believe we bought them at the local Travel Country store. Should be able to find them at a sporting goods store.

  9. I have a magnifying head thingy that also has a light on it that can move to shine wherever you need it. I got mine at Harbor Freight really cheap.

  10. LED headlamp – most handymen, mechanics have one. Available at places like Home Depot, Lowes…different styles
    My husband’s is made by Coast, it has an adjustable light.

  11. That thing on her head, a basic Energiser head lamp. They can be found all over the place, usually at Target, in the flashligh section. The head lamp runs under $20, closer to $10, if I remeber corectly. They run on 3 triple A batteries, and go a long time between changes. my family has replaced all the traditional flashlights with these, and loves them.

  12. LL Bean, REI, Lands End all carry them. We use them camping, walking the dog at night and they are a more directed light, so I can read in bed with one and the light doesn’t bother my husband. Pay attention to the reviews, they are all a little different. Mine is lighter than my husband’s and my son’s is bomb proof. These are great stocking stuffers and my girls use their’s all the time. My oldest uses it at night when she is on the campus. We have a joke about where we all keep ours.Watch out, mine can sometimes walk away and find itself in my husband’s toolbox.

  13. Like many of my fellow mail carriers I used one when delivering or collecting mail after dark. We must use both our hands to hold, “finger” and deliver mail, so “using our heads” to light our way is the logical solution. I have to admit I never thought about using a headlamp for close work when quilting or other handwork, but since I often do craft projects or read whenever we’re on driving vacations, I will certainly keep this handy tool in mind!!!

  14. I have been using a light like this for years. It is a simple head lamp that some use for camping or other outdoor activities. I spend lots of time waiting on my kids in a dark car so I use the light to keep knitting after the sun goes down and I’m in car line waiting to pick up the kiddos! I get mine at walmart.

  15. Looks like the Everready led headlamp I bought my husband in Walmart for about $10. It allows you to point it down and has several light settings so you can move the light where you need it and use a little or a lot of light.

  16. It looks like a hikers headlamp. You can buy them in all kinds of varieties at REI or Cabella’s. Really any outdoor shop will carry them 🙂

  17. You can also find at Walmart in the flashlight section….and some models even have a magnifiy capability

  18. You can get them at WalMart, Kmart any department store will carry them. You need to go try them on so you can get one that is not to heavy.

  19. My husband bought one for me so that I could walk at night. He got ours from LL Bean. It is one of the most useful tools we have. It’s used for many, many things and we both use it. I see it’s already been correctly identified.

  20. I now have two, I got them at an Electrical supplies shop. I bought the expensive one for me and it is too bright so I gave it my husband and I use the $10.00 version. It is just right and has is a led daylight type.

Have you read?

Hand Sewing: A Journey to Unplug, Slow Down and Learn Something Old – A Quilter’s Honest Look Inside the Book

I’ll be completely honest before we even start.

Hand sewing has never been my strong point. In fact, I have almost zero patience for hand quilting. I love the look of it, I admire the tradition of it, but sitting still long enough to stitch an entire quilt by hand has always felt like a test of endurance for me.

That’s exactly why I was curious when I started flipping through Hand Sewing: A Journey to Unplug, Slow Down & Learn Something Old. The title alone suggests something a lot of us probably need more of these days — a chance to slow down and reconnect with the craft itself.

After browsing through the book, it feels less like a strict instructional manual and more like an invitation to rethink how we approach sewing.

First Impressions While Flipping Through the Pages

One of the first things I noticed while browsing through the book is how calm and thoughtful the layout feels. The photography, the pacing of the instructions, and the tone of the content all lean toward the idea that sewing by hand is meant to be a slower, more intentional experience.

Instead of rushing through projects, the book encourages you to treat stitching as a quiet process.

And honestly, that might be exactly what makes it appealing.

Even for someone like me who usually gravitates toward a sewing machine and quick finishes, the book made me pause and consider the idea that hand sewing might actually be a way to slow my mind down a bit.

What This Book Focuses On

The book explores traditional hand-sewing techniques and projects that are designed to help you reconnect with slower sewing methods.

Rather than focusing only on large quilts, it introduces smaller projects and techniques that build confidence with hand stitching.

As I browsed through the pages, the emphasis seemed to be on:

  • Traditional hand stitching techniques

  • Mindful sewing and slowing down the creative process

  • Simple projects that highlight the beauty of handwork

  • Learning skills that have been passed down through generations

It feels very much like a return to the roots of sewing before everything became fast, digital, and machine-driven.

The Philosophy Behind Slow Sewing

What stood out most while flipping through the book wasn’t just the projects themselves — it was the mindset behind them.

There’s a clear theme running through the book that sewing doesn’t always have to be about speed or productivity.

Sometimes the act of stitching itself is the point.

For quilters and sewists who enjoy hand work, this philosophy will probably resonate immediately. For those of us who are used to finishing quilts quickly with a machine, it offers a completely different perspective.

And I’ll admit… even though hand quilting still tests my patience, the idea that it could be a way to quiet a busy mind is pretty appealing.

The Style of Projects in the Book

The projects inside the book lean toward simple, timeless designs that highlight the beauty of hand stitching.

Rather than complicated patterns or heavy piecing, many of the designs focus on techniques that allow the stitches themselves to become part of the visual design.

This makes the projects feel approachable, even for someone new to hand sewing.

You get the sense that the goal isn’t perfection — it’s enjoyment of the process.

Who This Book Is Best For

This book will likely appeal to:

  • Quilters who enjoy hand quilting

  • Sewists interested in traditional hand sewing techniques

  • Makers looking for slower, more mindful creative projects

  • Anyone wanting to step away from the machine occasionally

If you already love hand sewing, this book will probably feel like a natural fit. If you’re someone like me who usually relies on a sewing machine, it might just encourage you to try a few hand-stitched projects and see how it feels.

After spending some time flipping through Hand Sewing: A Journey to Unplug, Slow Down & Learn Something Old, I can see why the slow sewing movement has become more popular.

It reminds us that crafting doesn’t always have to be about finishing quickly. Sometimes it’s about enjoying the quiet rhythm of the stitches themselves.

Will I suddenly become a dedicated hand quilter overnight? Probably not.

But the book definitely made me think about giving hand stitching another try — if only as a way to slow my mind down for a little while.

And honestly, that might be the real value of a book like this.