The Ionian Mission - Geoff Hunt - Updated 1/19/17

[richardandtracy]

I think that is the most true to original image conversion I have ever seen anyone threaten to do. I hope the accuracy of thread definitions is up to it. Even if they are a source of some innacuracy, I still think it'll be the best, and most ambitious image I've ever seen. I do look forward to it. Enormously.

Regards,

Richard.

[richardandtracy]

Using a DMC only floss list, it's possible to get 350 colours/257 thread colours using 15 colour space divisions, a merge cut-off of 20 stitches, blended threads, default custom dither. May be another to consider, and a little bit cheaper to buy all the threads. Also has the advantage of no colour uncertainty... Disadvantage is that in the 10x10 squares you get 4/23.1/64. Yikes.

Regards,

Richard.

[SteveM]

Thank you all. I do hope this will be a very true to original cross stitch without making myself go crazy or poor trying to stitch it. Clearly this isn't your grandmother's HAED.

As far as changing the pattern to DMC only - that ship has sailed. I went through the first three pages and highlighted every symbol that appeared. Then I went through the thread list and highlighted any thread used by a symbol appearing on those first three pages. When I was done I had highlighted a good third of the threads used. Then after groveling a bit I got the okay to order those threads the night before last. This will be the most anti-climactic floss order ever with nothing but lovely shades of tan, brown, khaki, and yellow.

The down side to starting at the top is the confetti isn't very bad and I won't know if the heaviest confetti is manageable till I'm several pages in. The advantage being that if I need to restart for any reason I should have enough fabric to simply flip it end for end and start again. If I did restart then going to DMC only would be considered if the Anchor colors were being problematic.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the total cost to buy floss for this about $250 USD, and that is with DMC at $0.44 and Anchor $0.49 which is nothing to complain about compared to what our friends elsewhere have to pay. But of course this is because I need DMC 954 for only 15 stitches and 934 for 18 stitches and so on. The upside is that future projects won't cost nearly as much as I'll have stash to cover many of the small stitch count colors.

There are perhaps 2500 more stitches to do on my HEAD restart before I finish the page. Once that is done I'll start on this project. The pages are only 60W x 80H to make reading the symbols easier, but I anticipate it could still be a few weeks or a month before I have a full page to post here.

[richardandtracy]

I went through the first three pages and highlighted every symbol that appeared. Then I went through the thread list and highlighted any thread used by a symbol appearing on those first three pages.

That is the function of the very, achingly, slow 'Stitches per page' section of the chart printout. It identifies the number of stitches of each symbol used on each page. Admittedly it doesn't identify the blend components used on each page, but it's half way there.

I must find some way to speed the 'stitches per page' up.

Regards,

Richard.

[SteveM]

I finished a page on my HAED WIP last week and have now started work on this WIP. Instead of waiting for a full page before posting I thought I may as well post now as I've got 1000 stitches in. Every one of them is a blend and 16 different symbols in all.

Here are the supplies for the first row of pages. Anchor floss on top, DMC floss on bottom, and 20 count Aida. There's a ship's sail somewhere in that collection of greens and yellows!


After about 5 days of work here is where I am now.


That little cream colored rectangle above and at the right is the section of the source image corresponding to these 1000 stitches that has been enlarged 8x so that we can see it better. I've spent a fair amount of time agonizing over what I've got so far as it seems too dark and a little too yellow-green rather than cream. However, when viewed from across the room the colors look more correct and I think the white Aida is making it look darker than it is. At any rate, I am going to continue with the rest of the first page before critiquing it again.

I've not had any issues blending Anchor and DMC on the needle and I can't see the difference in the flosses (eg. sheen) so I think blending the two is a success. I've been griding with a pencil which has been helpful, but the horizontal lines are ghosting through a bit so I think I best invest in a soluble pen.

Here is a page map to help help show where I am and where I'm going. The pages are 60W x 80H.

[richardandtracy]

Wow.

I just don't know what else to say. You are a brave man taking this on, with the enormous number of colours.
I am amazed at how much detail there is already visible in the sail.

I really hope it all works out - but it looks like it should, on the basis of what you've done so far. I really look forward to seeing your progress (admittedly with a slightly nervous attitude, as any program errors can be squarely laid at my door!).

All the best with it,

Richard.

[rcperryls]

Awesome start on an incredible design!!! I hope that you will continue with lots and lots of updates, not just for a completed page. The colors alone for this page are mind boggling! I also would recommend using a water soluble ink pen for gridding instead of the pencil. The last thing that this beautiful piece needs is for your grid lines to show through. I have never had trouble with the pens and have had to do regridding on occasion, though not often. I grid page by page with a few columns and rows extra since I cross country stitch. That makes the gridding a bit less tedious.

So looking forward to your updates.

Carole

[lavenderbee]

Oh my goodness, what a lot of threads. This will be such a beautiful creation when finished. You have made a great start & your stitching is so very neat. Well done. Look forward to seeing more updates. This will be sooo fascinating to watch

[SteveM]

Thank you all for your kind comments. So far I've been averaging about 100 stitches an hour which produces right about a 200 stitch block per evening. So just imagine that column of stitches being 20 rows taller and that's where I am now.

Now that Richard has confessed to ripping out 130 stitches on Gryff I must confess to doing about 100 of my own my second day stitching this pattern. I triumphantly put in the last stitch of the block and leaned back to admire my work before heading to bed and just like a line in the sand I could see where I started getting my blended floss from the wrong bobbin. One or two stitches and you'd never know, but this symbol was about half of the symbols for the 10x20 block so it had to come out. I was a little late in getting to bed that night as I couldn't rest till they were all ripped out. Now I try to only have out the bobbin for the symbol that I am working on as many blended colors are very similar and not easily discerned.

Not seeing a water soluble pen at Chestnut Pens I placed an order elsewhere and should have it soon. Some of the lines that I marked more lightly are not ghosting through, but I'd rather not take that chance.

Not to worry Richard, I know I'm taking a bit of a risk but I think you and Allyn have proofed it enough to have confidence. But just in case, where would I find your door in case I have any complaints to register?

[richardandtracy]

I think a public pillorying here would be fairly effective...

Regards,

Richard.

[Allyn]

Steve, I know I'm late to the party, but it's looking fabulous. I know the colors can look a bit off when you scrutinize them just inches from your face, but just relax and keep going. As you get more of the area done, it's easier to see the bigger picture instead of just a few stitches. The colors look accurate to me from your pictures, but I know the camera doesn't always capture what we see. Try squinting your eyes just a little when you look at it; helps blend the colors for you without having to put it down and stand back.

[fccs]

Holy moly, this is fantastic!!! I'll be following your progress on this - it'll be a masterpiece!!

[SteveM]

Pillory - I had to look that one up as I've only ever heard of them called the "stocks".

Never too late to party Allyn, you had a decade or two to jump in. Using Richard's new mock up tool I zoomed in to the corner that I had stitched and sure enough, it looked a bit more yellow than when looking at a larger area. And the further I stand back from the stitching the less yellow it looks. The picture doesn't match what I see with my eye but that isn't an accident, it was Adobe Lightroom.

Now I am not unaware of the affects of light bulbs on colors, but I even stood outside in the sunlight while agonizing over this. Most of our lights are soft white CFL's, but the kitchen just got a bunch of 2700K 94 CRI LED lights put in and the yellow is a little less pronounced there. When taking the photo I set my white balance accordingly and set to exposure a full stop overexposed to ensure the picture wouldn't be dark. Once downloaded to the PC I used the white Aida to tweak the color temperature and tint till it looked white which resulted in the image above.

Just a few minutes ago I got the idea try one of those "GE Reveal" incandescent bulbs (2900K 100 CRI) with the blue coating to correct the color of light... so much better! Pretty much what you see in the picture above. I'm now feeling a lot better about the colors and will stop building the pillory.

[richardandtracy]

I get the feeling that if you end up being happy with the results, then the most demanding critic will have been satisfied & I need never worry again!

Regards

Richard

[vanessanjf]

What an amazing design

[Squirrel]

(gulp) WOW what an awesome start on this oh so fabulous design. The array of threads would stop me before I started. A fabulous update and WELL DONE.

[seedreemer]

This is a beautiful image. I love anything to do with ships. You've made great progress too. Having never done this type of stitching (HAEDtype) I appreciated seeing the floss you've gathered so far. Wow!!

[Allyn]

...Having never done this type of stitching (HAEDtype) ...

This is so far beyond HaED.

[SteveM]

This is so far beyond HaED.

Or over their HAEDs.


Thank you to everyone that recently commented. I'm happy to see more people interested in following this unusual pattern.

I'm about 2300 stitches in (not a single one is a solid color) and am waiting until I'm at least 2/3 done with the page before posting another photo. The up side to 20 count is that I don't need as good of light as my 25 count HAED in order to stitch, but my stitching speed is still about a third slower due to the extra time needed to manage the blends and care taken to get the stitches to lay reasonably flat.

I was about 2000 stitches completed when I pulled up the pattern image and compared my stitching to the photo and ... (to be continued)

[richardandtracy]

..and I'm on tenterhooks...


[Can I breathe yet?]

Regards

Richard.