Always found white cloth on lap helps highlight the holes for stitch. Also, I prefer working in natural light on black. Try moving you light around as well. Perhaps on floor sour shines through material. Don’t give up.

Please don't give up. The look is so worth it. I,too,wear cheaters. However, I do have to use a light. Do try putting something white behind it. I have used a white towel in lap and I use an led light. Good luck. Pam

I stitched a white poodle and I too used white underneath the black aida

I'm like the others a good light and a piece of white fabric underneath help immensely. Good luck.

Thanks very much all y’all!! Will try these ideas. They sound fab! Keep stitching, my friends.

And, if you still have the black fabric blues, you might want to resort to purchasing what used to be called a "light box" by both stained glass artists so that they lay their outlines of design on paper on top of a box that has light inside, with a clear plastic top, and then place the glass onto the pattern. The light shines up through the clear top of the box, then through the pattern and the glass that is to be cut. I always found it odd (not odd "funny" but odd "peculiar")that the width of the lead holding the glass pieces to each other is the same as the width of a Sharpie® pen. The others using light boxes back in the bad/good old days were tattoo artists. Now, we use them too! You can buy them, but be sure it has a bulb that does not get hot as it sits on your lap, which could be an accident that is preventable!

I have had great luck with just using a good Ott Light, & have it focused right on the fabric.

I would recommend sitting in an area of bright natural light coming in over your shoulder, with a piece of what fabric on your lap so you can see the white through your black fabric. I'm working on black fabric now, stitching "The Girl With A Pearl Earring." I'm working at my dining room table which has a white lace table cloth on it, in front of five windows facing south. During the day when the sun is out I have perfect illumination, at night I use a floor lamp directly above my scroll frame. I use a table top frame to hold my scroll frame. Works well for me!

I have used a white cloth in my lap, but with my last one I used my mom's light box and was very pleased with it. Hers has three different levels of brightness which was helpful as well.

Hey, pikatso, I'm looking for a light box to use with diamond painting. Do you know the brand of your Mom's light box, and does she like it? Would you or she recommend it?