Stitching disappointments

One of my favorite quotes is one of my own, "expect the worst and you're not disappointed when it happens". I should have known that Maleficent would be too good to be true. As long as I'm throwing out quotes here, as my daddy used to say, "we have the luck of the Scottish, if it wasn't for bad luck, we'd have no luck at all".

Anyone with cross stitch software knows about dithering methods. There are different ways to create patterns that create different effects. A few months ago, I noticed that the patterns coming out of Heaven and Earth Designs had started to change, so much so that I even asked about it on the message boards because I recognized changes in the dithering. They assured me that it was just pixelation in the demo photos and that the patterns hadn't changed. But it still had me a bit worried because the dithering I recognized isn't one I particularly like, so I haven't even been wishlisting patterns lately. However, Maleficent was just so amazing, I just couldn't help myself and I bought it anyway. It took all of an hour of stitching before my worst fears were recognized...they have changed their patterns afterall and not for the better.

From Friday to Sunday, I worked a total of 17.95 hrs on Maleficent and I'll let the pictures explain things for me:
maleficent001
maleficent002
maleficent003

And here is a close up shot of the dithering:
maleficent001b

Anyone who has worked a HAED knows how they normally look. I also put in 5.82 hrs on Alice and the Bouguereau Princesses. It's an older pattern before the dithering changed. Ironically enough, both patterns started with the same color so it just adds to the proof of the change:
alice001

And here is a close up of it, non-dithered:
alice001b

Any pattern I've ever designed for myself, I've always turned dithering off because I prefer the block look on stitching, but I've never actually stitched dithered before, so I can't truly attest to my dislike of it...until now. It's definitely NOT fun. Too much counting, too much skipping, just too much "dithering". It is so much easier stitching solid blocks of color versus this...it's just weird! When you're dealing with patterns this size, anything that makes them easier makes them more enjoyable or else you spend months or even years miserable. I don't know how it's going to look in the end, but I'm hoping the overall darkness of the pattern will take away this awful checkerboard look. At least, from a distance and to the non-trained stitching eye, it's not going to matter, but the months I'm going to be albatrosed to this project, it's going to matter a whole hell of a lot and it's going to suck, big time. Bloody hell.

Comments

Tama said…
Oh, dear. I don't like that, either. At least I have a lot of older patterns on my wishlist. Hope they don't redo them :C
Tama said…
Still, lovely starts! I meant to put that :D
Justine said…
I hope HAED see this post. I wonder when/why they changed? Will you carry on with Maleficent?
That is quite the change in pattern. It seems to be a rather useless one as well, as, when all is said and done, it won't make that much difference to the overall finished design. But to the stitcher, it makes a huge difference.

I'm with you on this one.
Miamina said…
It's not a recent change as I am stitching one of their first charts (Endless Dream) and that also has the same shading. Personally I prefer it and hate that blocky looking background. I don't really have any problem stitching it either. As there isn't just 1 person who does the charting, it may be as simple as it depends whoever charts that particular image.

Sorry it's not as you wanted :(
Linda said…
You made amazing progress on it Keiley. I have never heard of dithering. Can you explain it to me.

Linda
Vickie said…
I am still lost on dithering...what exactly is it?
Mimi said…
I am still as lost as Vickie. What is dithering??