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Posts tagged ‘how to needlepoint a photo’

Photo To Needlepoint Stitched!

Check out the photo needlepoint canvas that one of our customers just finished!

This was done on 18 mesh, and the detail is amazing.  She used a stitch counted canvas, and you can see why I think our photo to needlepoint process really is the best way to stitch a photo.

That said, really it is the stitcher who should be congratulated for her work.  Nice work MJ!!!

(Click this link in case you missed the blog discussing the photo vs stitch counted needlepoint canvases)

photo to needlepoint portrait

The traveling group photo is below, and the finished needlepoint photo portrait is above, Amazing!

Photo Needlepoint Canvas Vs Stitch Counted Canvases

We posted about photo needlepoint canvases over a year ago, but last week I had a few orders come in where I thought the photo canvases would make more sense than a stitch counted canvas.

Here is a link to the post from last year: blog.needlepaint.com/2011/08/26/photo-needlepoint-vs-needlepainting/

But, I’m going to save you the time and repost the important differences so you know which options is the best for you.  Also, I have a new project that I took pictures of as a test, that I think really shows the difference well.  (see below)

Stitch Counted Canvases:  Our system has been developed to work best on photographs.  It groups similar colors together and matches them to the fiber you choose.  It creates a stitch counted design which  we print onto the canvas.  This means every stitch on the canvas has an exact color that is also shown on the stitch charts that come with every kit.  To see the stitch charts click here.  This works really well, and if you’ve seen some of the projects on this blog, you’ll know how good the stitch counted canvases look when finished.  Most of our customers prefer this option because they will know all the colors they need and can follow the canvas exactly.  Almost all of the pictures of canvases on this blog and on the website are stitch counted canvases.

Photo Needlepoint:  This works very well with graphic illustrations, like the artwork below.  If you are stitching a cartoon or a file with text, the letters will come out more clearly with a “photo” canvas.  ALSO, some of our customers prefer to have more detail on the canvas, and match the colors themselves.  The photo canvases will look more crisp than the stitch counted canvas.

If you prefer a photo canvas, just email us the photo when you place your order and we’ll make the adjustment for you.

Here is a good picture that shows the difference.  But, please keep in mind that the example below is a very small canvas, and the larger the size the better the stitch counted designs come out.

photo needlepoint on left vs stitch counted needlepoint on right

photo needlepoint on left vs stitch counted needlepoint on right

You can clearly see how the stitch counted canvas has lost some of the detail from the illustration.  This loss of detail does not happen nearly as much with photos of people or animals, but if we notice your design may be helped by doing a photo canvas, we will let you know.

If you want to needlepoint a photo, try creating the design on our website: NeedlePaint.com and see how you like it.  If you want help, contact us and we’d be happy to assist.

All About Photo Needlepoint Kits Dogs N Cat

If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you know how much we love our pets!

NeedlePaint probably has the best looking custom needlepoint kits for working needlepoint from photo.

Have a look at our workshop table last Friday (see below) these are some fun projects!

Our kits come with either Waverly wool or DMC floss, hand made and matched to your pet.  Or if you prefer matching your own colors or working in a different fiber, our needlepoint canvases still come with a counted stitch guide and color chart matched to one of the two fiber options.  I suggest using the DMC color palate if you are buying your own fiber, as there are many free color conversion charts available online.

If you would like to see needlepoint dog breeds, we have some favorites on the website.  Or, if you prefer to stitch your own pet, you can needlepoint a photo using our online designer.  You can customize the design size, mesh count, number of colors and fiber type with the click of a button!  There is no fee to try out needlepoint designer so why not give it a try!

***If you are looking to stitch a graphic illustration, poem, or name, please contact us, our website is optimized for photos, but we can manually adjust your design so it comes out looking sharp.

Dog Needlepoint Kits from Photos

Dog Needlepoint Kits from Photos

Photo Needlepoint Vs “NeedlePainting”

Turning a Photo into a Needlepoint Canvas is not as simple as is seams.  Which which is why we are always looking for new ideas to create the best needlepoint canvases.

Recently we had an issue with one of our customers, because the image on the canvas turned out to be much blurrier than the original.  Since the person was a very experienced needlepointer, and they wanted to pick their own colors, we decided to try a direct photo transfer.  This process looks a lot better, but it does not directly follow the mesh.  They loved it!

Unfortunately, I don’t have the images of those exact canvases to compare with, but I did talk to some more stitchers and decide that in some cases a direct photo transfer would be better.  I experimented and took some pictures so you can see the clarity difference.

Left is Direct Transfer on the Right is NeedlePaint

You can see how the direct transfer is crisper (which is the one the customer picked), But to be clear, we do not recommend this unless you are experienced, and only if your image is not coming out clearly on NeedlePaint.com

The reason we think the website’s “NeedlePainting” version is better, is that it groups similar colors for you, and it matches real floss colors to your canvas.  The end result is that even if you are experience and like to do the colors and grouping yourself, the final stitched canvas will come out almost identical.  With our counted stitch guides and color aids, we believe the NeedlePaint versions will come out stitched better.  And if you are having troubles with letters, just email us after you place the order, and we will fix them.

But, as mentioned, on some projects the direct transfer can make a big difference, so if you have any issues when placing an order, please use this image and description as reference to help make your decision.  We will also still include a counted stitch guide, color aid, and color chart for your reference, even though it won’t match identically, it may still help!

And, as always, feel free to email or call me to discuss.