Stitching couching stitches perpendicular to gold or silver or leaving 1 point open space between design elements or being sure each vertical fuzzy effect stitch is exactly 2.5 mm between stitches is often very difficult to see.

Let's face it, our eyes aren't what they used to be, at least mine sure aren't. Using a magnifying glass on a stand or around my neck hasn't ever been satisfactory because I couldn't make my stitches correctly (straight up and down). I always had to pull my thread to the side to get around the magnifier. Also my magnifier was very big and very heavy. Packing it for my suitcase was a challenge to be sure it could withstand all the heavy luggage carrier abuse. Also, I needed that room for my clothes and all the class supplies! Then the airlines put stringent weight restrictions on luggage so that was an additional restriction.

Then I found these extremely high quality Eschenbach clip-on magnifiers that work so well on my glasses. The magnifier and the extension arm are flexible (move back and forth and up and down) thereby allowing fine adjustment for the task. The lens are interchangeable and flip up out of the way when not stitching.

Although there are several strengths, the 2x seems to be the best for doing needlework as the stitching can be about 12" to 14" from the stitching for perfect magnification. Higher magnifications requires the stitching to be closer to the glasses and often isn't practical.

The magnifier comes in a hard protective case with a special cloth to clean the lens. But best of all, the clip-ons are lightweight, don't take up much space when traveling and allow students to stitch correctly.

How's that for a perfect solution to a challenging problem!