Hi Arlenes,
This is our design it was created using a computer program, however we did not not just put the image into the software and that's all.
If you have ever used cross stitch software, you would realise that just taking an image and putting it straight in the software does not make a perfect pattern. No matter how good the software is, it always takes a human touch to correct colour errors and improve the look of the pattern, and our patterns have certainly improved over the 15 years we have been designing with our designing experience.
Many hours go into making each pattern, we do a lot of work on each image in various photo editing programs before it is put into the cross stitch software Patternmaker Pro, then we go through each pattern and eliminate colours which do not belong and sometimes we may have to totally redesign areas that have not converted well. We also go through and reduce colours as much as possible and reduce scattered one-off confetti stitches.
Designs created in software are not for everyone, they are a challenge as there are many colour changes however this is what makes the patterns very detailed and photo like.
When stitching these designs we suggest to make it a little less daunting for you to just concentrate on 1 page at a time and each 10 x 10 square at a time. Stitch all the stitches of the same colour in that 10 x 10 square or nearby before changing to the next colour. As the pattern is totally filled you will not see your cotton travelling behind the fabric a small distance. If you are stitching one stitch at a time of each colour this would be very annoying. Note if you stitch in blocks or sections like this you can sometimes see the lines between each section, especially if you leave a project for awhile, so it is recommended to stitch a few colours to the left, right up and below, just so you do not have straight square blocks of stitches.
Many customers also stitch these in a cross country style so they stitch as many stitches as they can of the one colour in the same area, before changing colours. Some use highlighters on the pattern to mark stitches done if you have trouble following the stitches you have completed. I personally use a yellow highlighter on the pattern to mark the stitches of one colour I am going to stitch on a page and then after I complete those stitches I uses a blue highlighter to go over the yellow ones stitched and then I know I have completed them. Then I move onto the next symbol and colour. Just using highlighters seems to help break up all the symbols and make them easier to see.
Hopefully this information will help.
If you have any further queries please let me know.
Thanks and Best Wishes
Tereena Clarke
Artecy Cross Stitch