Jayne Mayhew Product Review: StitchSmart 24047 and 53047
Jayne Netley Mayhew is a famous wildlife artist and embroidery designer. Her work is extremely popular with eight cross stitch books to her name and a range of cross stitch kits produced by well known stitching companies including Janlynn, DMC and Coats.
Jayne was delighted to have the opportunity to put Daylight’s StitchSmart system to the test and tells us why...
As a family we have lived in many places, but nearly always in reach of Dartmoor. My husband and I have lived near Widecombe-in-the-moor in Devon since 1979 when we got married. In our first home we had no electric and I worked by candle and aladdin lamps, nothing much stops me from doing what I love! Now we live in a home that took us three years to build and I have my studio and all the mod cons you can ask for – including a Daylight lamp!
Jayne’s review:
The lamp is very good. It’s easy to use and gives the thread you use a true colour, which is a great help when working with closely shaded colours. The clarity it gives helps both the stitching and lessens the strain on your eyes, making the life of the stitcher easier.
I stitch every one of my designs, and have spent more time than I would like to think about plying my needle and always top most on my list is light. Over the years I have stitched and painted using candles, gaslight to electric light, the modern daylight lamps are a godsend giving such a clear view of colour, without any tint of yellow.
Putting the StitchSmart to the test...
The stand is very robust and what surprised me was how light and easy it is to move around. It is not cumbersome and unwieldy as some stands can be.
The design of the stand is good, no awkward manoeuvres to alter position of the stand in any way. No butterfly nuts to contend with that are hard on the fingers and hands. The foot of the stand is small, but even with a heavy frame attached the balance is still good. Having the magnifier attached to the lamp itself helps, as when you use it the light is always in the right position, directly over the area you are working on.
Key benefits...
The main benefit to me is that it makes my life as a stitcher a whole lot easier. Everything is there in one stand. No lamp stood beside you, which you have to move around as it is casting shadow as you work. Easy to tilt and move into position for whatever angle you like to work at. The arm of the chart holder can be moved into any position, rather than being static, as we all have our own ideas where we like to view our charts from.
Suggestions for improvement...
The only thing I would like to see added is a grip to hold the chart and lamp into a fixed position, so it does not swing.
In summary – the StitchSmart gets a score of 10 out of 10 from me!
Contact details:
Middle Cator House, Widecombe-in-the-moor, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ13 7UA
j.a.mayhew@btinternet.com
01364 621440
www.jaynenetleymayhew.com
