Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Cathy Miller, The Singing Quilter, found a new use for her NeckLite: she used it to make an impromptu light box. Brilliant! Click here to read all about it on her blogpost.

Here are three more ways to make a light box.

1: Place a light source under a glass top table. No glass table? Take a leaf out of your dining room table and balance the storm window or plexiglass over the opening.

2: Pop a storm window or piece of plexiglass over a garbage can and throw a light source inside the can pointing up. Both the storm window and garbage can should be washed before converting them into a light box. Sadly the washing diminishes my enthusiasm for this tip. But, if I washed one storm window for every quilt top I marked, my windows would be a heck of a lot cleaner than they are now! This idea also works with the light source in a top loading washing machine. At least the washer would already be clean.

3: If you don't mind working on a vertical surface, tape your pattern to a window. For obvious reasons this tip only works during daylight hours. For night time tracing onto fabric, try a television. Unplug your cable box so all you get is "snow" and use that as a light source. I think I like Cathy's idea way better.