When it comes to sewing quality pieces, the devil is in the detail. Embroidering skirt hems with flowers, adding sequins to sweetheart necklines, and finely stitching a hat can all enhance the appearance of your final product. However, detail work does require you to be exceptionally thorough, and all that near work can strain your eyes.

Staring at something up close for prolonged periods forces the eye muscles to stay in a single position for longer, which is what causes fatigue. Unfortunately, this strain can also make you prone to vision issues while sewing. A single study observed that 79.7% of the sewing professionals in Kathmandu’s garment factories developed refractive errors solely due to all the close work their jobs require. Though you probably don’t spend as much time doing detail work as these professionals spend working in factories, continuing to sew despite having tired eyes can impact your vision health in similar ways. Fortunately, there are ways to keep your eyes healthy while doing detail work. Consider the following tips for avoiding eye strain:

Leverage magnifying tools

Detail work requires lots of tiny stitches, and your eyes will strain just to see each one clearly. That’s why you’ll want to magnify them so they don’ have to work as hard. Reading glasses are perfect for this. They’re designed for people with hyperopia, a common condition among people aged 40 and older that causes them to have trouble seeing things up close. However, pretty much anyone can use them for near work regardless of their visual acuity. Models like Foster Grant’s IRONMAN are among the best for fine detail work, as they come with full magnification lenses. Look for similar features in your pair for the best effect. You can also opt to get a dedicated magnifier tool to make things easier on your eyes. For this, you might consider Purelight. It offers magnifier desk attachments, which you can easily install above the piece you are stitching to view it better.

Light up your space

Doing detail work in poorly lit conditions can similarly strain your eyes. Proper illumination will allow you to see what you are doing more clearly so you can stitch up a higher-quality piece without getting fatigued. As an added bonus, it can improve your mood and energy levels while you work. That’s why we’ve found that lighting is essential for transforming areas like garages into conducive sewing spaces. Place your desk near a window to get some natural light, and use overhead LED bulbs at night. For improved detail work, a desk lamp can serve as a more focused light source. Dyson’s Solarcycle Morph is a great option, as its brightness levels automatically adjust depending on the amount of daylight coming in and the kind of task you’re doing. A movable arm also means you can also tweak its placement to suit the angle at which you are sewing. For specific detail work like embroidery, you can use a lightbox like the Daylight Company Wafer One to trace out your chosen design onto cloth more easily.

Rest your eyes

Rest will give your eyes a break from looking at something up close for too long, effectively preventing fatigue. For this, you can try the 20-20-20 rule, which researchers also recommend for combatting digital eye strain. Every 20 minutes, stop sewing, look up, and stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. You can use a timer to remind yourself when to take a break from detail work. These rest periods can also be a great time to stretch your legs and maybe even walk outside for an additional creativity boost. You can rest your eye muscles using a warm eye mask like Optase’s reusable Moist Heat Mask. Simply heat it up in the microwave and wear it for around 15 to 20 minutes to soothe any tiredness. Once you are done, your eyes will be ready for another round of detail work.

Until next time, Happy Sewing!

xo Jennifer