Stitchers' Forum
Barbara Tobin
Member
Hi everyone
I wear varifocals and attach clip on glasses to magnify when I am sewing. As I am due to get new glasses I am thinking of getting some prescription ones just for my cross stitch. Does anyone know if this is possible and if so how did you get on with them. I have tried the over the counter ones you can get and they are no good for me.
Barbara
margarita
Member
When I had my eyes tested a couple of years ago I asked the optician this same question. He gave me prescription for reading glasses which was stronger than the reading part of my varifocals. I find that they work really well. I usually put my varifocals on my head whilst I am wearing my sewing glasses so that I can find them when I need them!!
Talk to your optician and explain your problem. It might even be worth taking a bit of sewing with you so that s/he can test your eyes in those conditions.
Ann S
Member
For stitching I've worn bi focals for some years now. The lower part is for close work and the prescription is stronger than the reading part of my varifocals which I wear normally), the upper part is different and lets me glance up (or, to stop stitching and watch for a while) at the tv.
This has really helped and came about as a result of my complaining to my optician that, with my varifocals, I had to choose either to stitch but only be able to hear the sound on the tv or to watch tv but not be able to stitch.
It is worth taking your stitching along to the optician when you go as he/she will then be in a better position to advise what to prescribe.
SallyH
Member
I too had a problem and spoke to my optician. He advised that I had extra strong reading glasses plus my varifocals. I can also use clip on magnifying glasses with either pair. I find I now get on a lot better.plus when stitching at homeI I use a magnifying lamp. Unfortunately I could never get on with bi focals.
Tina Lamborn
Member
I have worn varifocals for many years and though I had my optician make me a pair of glasses especially for close up work, could not get along with them as if I wanted to look at a chart or similiar I could not read it without putting on my varifocals. I now use a magnifying/light lamp and find that that works really well.
brenda midgley
Member
Oh well, might as well put in my two pennorth I suppose! - mostly the same as above though.
My optician explained to me - concerning varifocals, which I use, that the problem with reading (lower half) and distance (top bit) comes about with the shape of modern spectacles, in that they are of a very slim design (top to bottom of the actual glass) and thus the 'halves' are very slim too. Added to this of course with varifocals there is a 'middle' section of glass blending the reading to the distance.
What I do now is to have a pair of varifocals and a pair of 'total' reading glasses (if you see what I mean.) Through doing this for a couple of years now I have also discovered that I prefer to wear the 'just readers' when I am actually reading as well, as I was beginning to find that if I wore varifocals and reading a book I was having to tilt my chin up to be able to read clearly - and this was causing me to often find myself with a stiff neck at the back.
In essence my varifocals are brilliant if I am at say a stitching show and want to see what's on display (distance) and look down at something close (such as the inside of my purse - I do that a lot at these flipping shows!); or if I am in the car and want to look at something distant and then look down at a newspaper. If I intend, however, to have a serious stitching session or a lengthy book-read then I switch to my 'readers only'.
You can only try and see what works for you at the end of the day, but at least it shows that we can all identify and empathise with this issue.
In the meantime - keep eating the carrots!
Jean Strange
Member
Like others I had a pair of sewing glasses made a number of years ago. At that time I only had reading glasses anyway but sometimes found it difficult to see when stitching so my optitian made a slightly stronger pair for stitching. These were great. Now like Brenda I have varifocals and reading glasses. I don't particularly get on very well with the varifocals and like Brenda find I get a stiff painfull neck looking through the bottom bit for long periods of time. I find the reading glasses very usful for sewing, knitting and long reading sessions.
Helen Hawkins-Ainsley
Member
Went to the optician on friday & took my stitching - think she thought I was slightly mad. Fortunately my eyes haven't changed.
After explaining that trying to look at people / tv through reading glasses is not a working very well I'm having bi-focals for my sewing & they're going to be slightly stronger than the normal ones.
So, when I see you all at Leicester I'll be able to see my work & you lot as well
Barbara Tobin
Member
Thanks to everyone who have left comments. It was interesting to hear how other people get around the problem. I think when I go for my eye test I will take some stitching with me and go for bi-focals if my optician thinks they will be suitable if not I will have to take Brenda's advice and start eating carrots!
Helen Hawkins-Ainsley
Member
Hi Barbara, I took some that I'm doing on the unbleached linen band as this tends to be the hardest fabric to see the holes on. So my advice is to take the piece of work / fabric you struggle to see the most & make sure the new glasses work with it, then they should be fine for everything else.
Helen
You must log in to post.