Monday, June 30, 2008

Changing colors from what the pattern calls for



When I first started Mirabilia's Mermaids of the Deep Blue Sea, I didn't like how the colors of the mermaids were about the same as Mirabilia's Emerald Mermaid that I had already had finished. Plus, I thought as people are different from each other in looks, so the mermaids should be different. The first step to changing the colors is, pull the colors that the pattern calls for one of the mermaids. I did one mermaid at a time. After you pull the colors of the mermaid, what I do if I don't have a particular color group in mind, is to go to the floss card of DMC which shows all the color families that DMC offers. I picked the color family of 550 for one of the mermaids. Then pull the thread that is just in the body of the mermaid, not the fin colors, and line them up from light to dark. With the color family you choose, line them up light to dark. There were 5 colors in the first mermaid in mine, so I had to come up with 5 colors in another family. If there isn't enough colors in the color family you choose, as I needed one more color to do my change, what I did was look through the DMC floss card and find a color that is close to the color family that you chose and see if it would work. I found 153 would work with the 550 color family. Plus, you have to keep in mind, does this new color that you want to use, work with the colors in the fins of the mermaid? Mine did, so I have the 5 colors that I want to use instead of what the pattern calls for, so I mark the new color on the symbol chart of the pattern and I also write on the pattern where there is space not used by the pattern and write out the symbol and the new color that I chose.

Now for the second mermaid, I use a color wheel for the chosing of the second color. To me, both mermaids had to look good together. I could not use two colors that did not gel together. Like one mermaid is red and the other is blue, to me, that would not do. Take the color wheel and find the color of the 550 DMC color and look at it's compliment. I chose 158 -160 colors. Again, you pull out the colors that the pattern calls for in the body of the mermaid and line them up light to dark. You pull out the color family that you choose and line them up light to dark. If you don't have enough as I did again, I chose 792 to go with the 158, 156,159,161 colors that I chose for the second mermaid. The new colors will need to also go with the colors of the fins in the mermaids.

I chose to use the colors called for to do the fins. You can change those colors also if you would want. But in my opinion, I thought they should stay as they were I did change a color in the one mermaid bottom fin that I have finished. It called for a light, light blue and I thought it looked out of place, so I went to my trusty DMC floss card and found another color that would go good with the colors of the bottom part of the fin.

Another point, don't limit yourself in using what the pattern calls for in fabric. Just because it states it was done on a certain count, certain color of material, doesn't mean it is set in stone that, it is what you must use. I use alot of overdyed fabric for my projects. I think it gives your pattern a boost. The MODBS was done on PTPlus Fathom, to me it looked like the ocean depths. I am going to do Crystal Symphony on PTPlus Glory fabric and do the gown in greys. I am doing the L&L Fairy Grandmother on PTPlus French Lilac. I am going to do Fairy Moon on Sugar Maple's Burnt Papyrus. I have had several people say they like my choice of fabric that they would have never thought of doing that particular project on that color of fabric.

Be daring! Make your project one of a kind, put alittle of "you" in every project that you do.

9 comments:

Stephanie said...

You have made quite the start to your blog! Well done! I'm not brave enough to change colors on a pattern....or it may be that it just takes too much time....lol.

Cathy said...

Your mermaids look great. I like the colors you have chosen. Thanks for explaining the process. I might give color changing a try.

Lisa said...

What a great explaination on changing colors!!!

Jennifer said...

Excellent explanation!!! I'm always interested into the thought process that goes into personalizing pieces, and yours was quite thorough.

I, too, find my DMC color card indispensable for stitching. I used a 40% off coupon and picked one up at Joann's, and keep it in my stitching box. A very handy tool to have - every stitcher who uses DMC should have one.

wichitastitcher said...

Hi Stephanie;
thanks for your kind words on my blog. I am having fun doing it. If you follow how I do the changing of colors it doesn't take too much time, maybe have a color in mind would probably speed things up a bit.
Hi Cathy
Please give changing colors a try. It is like putting a bit of yourself into the project and it is just not everyone else's project that does the same design as you.
Hi Lisa
I tried to explain how I change the colors to a pattern where it would be easily understood.
Hi Jennifer;
Changing colors gets easier and easier the more often you do it. I change something all the time in my projects.

thank you all
Paula

Bex said...

I love your adaptation! It looks amazing!!!

wichitastitcher said...

Thanks Rebecca for your kind words. I am almost done with them, I plan to enter them in the Kansas State Fair in Sept.

Paula

Wendy said...

I really love your blog , you have done some very beautifull pieces ! my next project will be Deepest Love from Nora Corbett, and I looked at your work and was immediatly inspired. don't think that I will change the collours, but I did find a different piece of fabric, since I did not like the original one.
I hope you put an update on your blog soon, I can't wait to see your progress !
Love, Wendy from the Netherlands.

Anonymous said...

Your mermaids, especially your color choices, look awesome! Can you e-mail me your colors?