A projector set-up, like any other decision, should reflect the purpose and the goals that you’re trying to accomplish. Like I laid out in my “Starter’s Guide,” I needed a projector with high lumens, portability, and low- budget.
After Christmas, Britain approached me about setting up a better cutting table for me. This would mean I had a dedicated space in the house where I could lay out large amounts of fabric and cut projects. I was ecstatic and so grateful for his idea! He bought some brackets on Amazon and converted my existing desk into a standing height cutting table. In the meantime, I had found the Projectors for Sewing Facebook group, and seen lots of folks mounting larger projectors to the ceiling. I had bought a very small (smart phone size) projector for portability, but now that I didn’t need to move it around a lot, we picked a ceiling mount and mounted the projector above the table.
This was a great upgrade, but we did one better. We got lucky with another deal – this time a refurbished model projector, that was bigger with slightly better specs.
So, a few days later, I had a new table, a new mount, and a new projector!
Although this one took some manual calibration, it added nearly 10 diagonal inches to my projection area, which means less moving the fabric. The new projector also has native mirroring with my iPad, so it’s a simpler interface and doesn’t crash as often because I’m not using a mirroring app and the FireTV Stick anymore.
Obviously, this was a bigger investment; but with a permanent project space, I could change my goals/wants and look for something that worked better for what I needed now!
These are links, but none of them are affiliate links.
Here’s the projector we upgraded to: https://www.amazon.com/Vivitek-Q38-BK-Ultra-Portable-Projector-Renewed/dp/B07P8XKLW5/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=Vivek+q38&qid=1580061628&sr=8-1-fkmr0
Here’s the mount: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071NRS1MN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
My (new) cutting mat: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027RN0JW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I am also using a USB mouse we had on hand and my personal iPad to mirror files.
It is worth noting, the projector is MUCH bigger than the last one. I also had to manually adjust the keystone, even though there’s supposed to be an automatic function. Similarly, we haven’t gotten the remote it came with to work yet – waiting on a battery and it’s possible that since it’s refurbished, it may not work right anyway.
Overall, I am very happy with the new set up! I was able to cut several projects inside two hours, which will significantly speed up completion times for items and make it easier to keep up sewing even after the semester starts back up this week.
I know… you’re dying to know what my first project on the new projector was?!
I got to test the POSH Trio Makeup Bags from Needle & Anchor Supply Company as she works to make her patterns projector friendly!
I’ll put up a post about those soon. Today, I have a bunch of sewing… to catch up with the projects I was able to cut!