So many colors!

Posted by abahde@comcast.net on December 15, 2008, 4:20 pm

I just got a chart called Merriment by Carole Gordon, it's nothing but
candy canes with a green border around it. Very Christmas-y. It's
very real looking, almost like a photograph, even has shadows. Now,
candy canes are red and white, plus the green border, plus the
shadows, which are grey and black. That's five colors (red, white,
green, grey, black). I can't believe it, this chart calls for 65
colors! I thought this was going to be easy! It's 10X10" if I were
to stitch it on the suggested 18 ct white aida. Whatever I stitch it
on, it's 180 X 180 stitches. I'm going to have a headache when I do
this!

Audrey in Chicago-land

Posted by F.James Cripwell on December 15, 2008, 4:50 pm

"abahde@comcast.net" (abahde@comcast.net) writes:
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Audrey, it sounds like a computer generated pattern. I have done lots of
them. Dont be frightened; it is just one stitch at a time, like any
other pattern. One clue as to whether it might be a computer generated
patterns. Does it have a lot of "confetti" stitches? One stitch of a
color here, and another one there? Look specifically where there is a
big change of color, say from light to dark. This is one place computers
produce a lot of confetti stitches If you want any advice, let me know. Jim.

Posted by Joan E. on December 16, 2008, 11:33 am

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e
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Tea-dyed, khaki and oatmeal would be the absolute *last* colors I'd
use! Especially for something Christmassy. Just goes to show how
different tastes are. :)

That is a lot of colors for such a simple-sounding design, though.
Got a link???

Joan

Posted by abahde@comcast.net on December 16, 2008, 3:43 pm

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link???
Joan<<

Here's the link to the candy cane pattern:
http://www.shinysunscrossstitching.com/files/Merriment_-_Carole_Gordon.jpg

How do you make a URL link here? Sorry, I don't know how to do that.

Also, it's on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/MERRIMENT---CANDY-CANE-COLLAGE-Cross-Stitch-Pattern_W0QQitemZ270317142864QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20081213?IMSfp=TL081213124008r33111
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backstitching, ONLY WHOLE STITCHES ARE USED<< Well, that's *some*
comfort! Esp since Aida is suggested. I may actually use Aida this
time, since 18 ct will be alot easier to see, rather than stitching
over 2 on 36 count.

You were right, Jim, it's a computer generated pattern. I have
PCStitchPro, which will use 40 colors charting a panda bear against a
white background ;P , so I realize that computer generated patterns
will do that. At least in PCStitchPro, you have the option of scaling
down the number of colors used. When I'm charting a picture in, I
just tell it to use less colors. And yes again, there are lots of
confetti stitches in Merriment. Just one row of the green border uses
Pistachio Green-Dark, Forest Green-Very Dark, Forest Green, Pistachio
Green-Ultra Dark, Kelly Green, Grey Green-Med, Baby Green-Med, Celadon
Green-Light.....oh, my!

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personally think it would look much better on a tea stained color, not white.
I'm not a fan of red and white. If you use Aida it could be Khaki or Oatmeal,
but white?<<
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Especially for something Christmassy. Just goes to show how different tastes
are. :)<<

The fabric color isn't going to be a huge issue, since every single
stitch of fabric is stitched over. There is not one single empty
thread showing on this chart. They suggest white, I'll probably go
with that. I think that will look good, all the thread colors will
stand out against it, and will be easier to see while stitching. I
*am* a fan of red and white, which is why I got this chart in the
first place.

Audrey

Posted by F.James Cripwell on December 16, 2008, 4:50 pm

"abahde@comcast.net" (abahde@comcast.net) writes:
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(snip)
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I suggest it is dangerous making generaliztions about the number of colors
with computer generated patterns. I have done a number of these, but I
dont pretend I really know what I am doing. It is very much a case of
suck it and see, with me. A couple of years ago, when I knew even less
than I know now, I produced a pattern for someone else. She wanted only a
few colors. I tried the numbers she suggested, and the pattern was
completely lifeless. Finally I put in 90 colors, the maximum allowed in
my version of Pattern Maker. The pattern came to life! It turned out
that there was a lot more background than foreground, and the program
allocates colors equally. So the background got preference, and there
were no bright colors. What she said she was going to do (I never
actually heard if she stitched it), was to combine the 90 color pattern
for the foreground, with one of the lower number of colors for the
background. So I am chary about laying down any hard and fast rules for
producing these sorts of patterns. Jim.

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