How
do I know what colour yarn or floss to buy?
The title page of
each .doc file has a table with samples of all the
colours used in that pattern. Use that page to select
matching colours when you're at the store. Use a good
quality colour laser print for best colour matching, or
you can bring a laptop to the store and use that to view
and select colours. I stitch in the small needlepoint
size that uses embroidery floss, and I find it easy to
find the right colours by selecting from both (or either)
DMC and Anchor brands of floss. Both brands
are widely available online and in most stitching supply
shops. They both offer a huge amount of colours.
How
much yarn or floss should I buy?
That's a hard one to answer. Different brands come in
different length skeins, and of course these patterns can
be stitched big or small and using different stitches. If
you want to play on the safe side, you could just buy one
of each colour and return to the store if more is needed.
Or, you might want to estimate visually how much you'll
need in hopes that you guessed close to perfect. Or, you
might do what I do - overestimate my needs, having enough
for the pattern but extras left over too. It's up to you.
What
is counted stitching?
It's a more accurate alternative to pre-printed canvases.
You start with a blank canvas in whatever size you like.
On the patterns, each stitch is represented by a square.
To know where to place a stitch, you just look at the
pattern - if the next stitch is 2 squares away from the
last, then you stitch it 2 spaces away on the canvas. I
like to pin the pattern printout to the side edge of the
canvas as I stitch so that they are right next to each
other, and easy to compare back and forth. Pinning the
pattern onto it like that makes it very easy to follow if
you turn your work upside down frequently to stitch in
the opposite direction.
Why
sequential colour pages?
This makes it much easier to stitch busy patterns and
ones with very slight colour variations. Each page of the
pattern adds the next colour, and so it looks exactly
like the stage that you're working on. In cases of
colours that are very similar, you can be sure that all
new stitches on the page are done in the current colour -
even when it's hard to differentiate the colours.
Is
this only for needlework and stitchery?
No. You can use these patterns in any art that can be
done from a square grid base. For instance, if you like
to paint, you can pencil in the grid (eg 100x100 'stitches'),
then fill in the squares with paint to make a mosaic-like
or pointillist painting. You could also do tilework based
on the patterns. Size is no limit, from a tiny petitpoint
to a wall sized painting, you can do whatever you want.
Can
I sell my finished art?
Sure. Just keep in mind that the original pattern itself
is free to everyone, and that other people may make their
own identical finished pieces.
Can
I change the colours?
Yes. You may prefer a different hue of blue, or want the
same type of orange that matches something else. Change
any colours you like. All changes make your finished
piece more unique and personalized. Depending on the
variety of colours offered where you shop, you might need
to substitute similar colours if they don't have the
exact one you were looking for. Just make sure that you
like the combination of colours you buy, and it will
probably turn out quite nice.
Can
I stitch from the screen instead of printing them out?
Yes. If you have a laptop, bring that with you
to the store to see the colours when selecting your yarn
or floss. When stitching from within Word, you can easily
magnify the section you're working on for even easier
stitching.
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