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-   -   I made a Pixel Portrait Quilt of Tom Hiddleston - Need help finishing (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/i-made-pixel-portrait-quilt-tom-hiddleston-need-help-finishing-t243513.html)

pw6 03-21-2014 10:51 AM

how did you do it? I bought the program from Mosaic studio.. but have never made anything that clear.. yours is so much like a photo, it is just perfect.
thanks for sahring

LauraLynn 03-21-2014 12:02 PM

4 Attachment(s)

Originally Posted by pw6 (Post 6638087)
how did you do it? I bought the program from Mosaic studio.. but have never made anything that clear.. yours is so much like a photo, it is just perfect.
thanks for sahring

It's a combination of very high resolution (most pixel quilts are not even 100 x 100, much less 200 x 200) and a lot of source fabric for the mosaic to choose. I bought tiny 0.2 samples of over 250 fabrics to scan in and create my fabric pool.

The thing about andreamosaic is that it doesn't just assign the colour of a fabric to the mosaic as a whole - it looks at the content inside the fabric. So, say, if the swatch was yellow with a black corner, it would try to stick that black corner in areas where the corner is black, such as the edge of hair.

It uses half-tones as well. I set the parameters so that no two same fabrics would touch. This is just one of the settings on the program. It also has the option for no repeats up to four fabrics away (but if you look at my "bad" renders, that one looks really gritty)

Another thing that's necessary for a good clear render is a good source photo. I did a render with this photo originally, but it came out rather dark. So I took the source photo into photoshop, bumped up the brightness and exposure a LOT and then re-rendered it. The computer picked entirely new fabrics for the pattern based on the new values, which I liked much better.

Playing with the saturation and values of your source photo will give you a different render, just like having different fabrics in your source pool will give you a different one.

Here are some samples of my scanned fabric swatches:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]468359[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]468360[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]468361[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]468362[/ATTACH]

Notice on the last swatch how there is a bit of black in the corner? The program I use will rotate the swatch and place it in the best possible position for accuracy. (it can also mirror tiles, but that'simpossible in real life, so I disable that feature)

btiny36 03-21-2014 06:13 PM

I downloaded the program and wow going to need alot of tutorial lol

Gerbie 03-22-2014 12:24 AM


Originally Posted by roserips (Post 6636116)
WOW, WOW, WOW!!! I hope you plan on entering it in several quilt shows, quilters will want to see this one. I have seen a few pixel quilts but this one takes the prize it is so well done and I would love to hear how you selected your fabrics. A friend of mine does what she calls under quilting where you layer your quilt but fold back the top and sew the under seams down so the seams become the quilting. Not sure I am being very clear. But I would do that for the face so no quilting would show on the top but it would be totally stable then. You could maybe do something else for the hair and shirt and background but as I think about it I would probably under quilt the whole thing. Since the impact is your color selections and the small squares. Their would be nothing else then to detract from the eye but the back would then have a whole other impact of straight lines.

I would love to now or see a tutorial on how your friend does this type of quilting work, could you pm me on this? Thans

Gerbie 03-22-2014 01:22 AM

This is absolutely "Jaw Dropping" fabulous. What an artistic masterpiece. Your work of art is truly a Gift from God, you were blessed with a natural gift, even though you used a computer for help, God gave you a gift in my opinion. My first and best advice to you is insure this piece of work immediately, before taking it to a quilter or anyone. I have no idea of how to stabilize this beautiful piece of art work. My suggestions would be as others have stated, to check with quilting museums. No one has mentioned the Quilting museum in Paducah Ky. or the Smithsonian in D.C, they might be able to give you some advice on this. Perhaps an award winning quilter like Sharon Schambers or someone else might be of some help. You can check out her site on the web.
Definitely let this actor know about this beauty - send him a photo immediately I would contact, Fox News or one of the other major networks for a personal interest story on this. I have seen many pictures of photo quilts, but none that were as realistic looking as yours. You did not say if you did the sewing by hand or on the machine, however, this is beautiful-you did outstanding for lack of any other word.
As others have stated, if this is your first quilt and you are only 25 yeas old, what a future in quilting you have. I only wait with anticipation for your next beauty, and can say I saw a picture of your first quilt posted on this board. Oh, welcome to the Board. I just feel privileged to have clicked on your thread, to view this beauty. Please keep us updated on what happens with this beauty. Also please consider entering this in the Houston Quilt show and also in the quilt show in Paducah when you have it finished. If this quilt does not win every award these shows have to give, then the judges are completely nuts and no one else deserves a ribbon. Many on this board can give you advice on how to enter these shows. It doesn't look like you need much advice on your quilting.

amh 03-22-2014 05:25 AM


Originally Posted by roserips (Post 6636116)
WOW, WOW, WOW!!! I hope you plan on entering it in several quilt shows, quilters will want to see this one. I have seen a few pixel quilts but this one takes the prize it is so well done and I would love to hear how you selected your fabrics. A friend of mine does what she calls under quilting where you layer your quilt but fold back the top and sew the under seams down so the seams become the quilting. Not sure I am being very clear. But I would do that for the face so no quilting would show on the top but it would be totally stable then. You could maybe do something else for the hair and shirt and background but as I think about it I would probably under quilt the whole thing. Since the impact is your color selections and the small squares. Their would be nothing else then to detract from the eye but the back would then have a whole other impact of straight lines.

Underquilting. I have never heard of it before, and have never thought of it either. I`m going to file that away for the future. It would be quite an undertaking on this particular quilt, but I think it would work.

jimsmom 03-22-2014 06:23 AM

I have been reading this site for years but have never responded before. This is just to amazing to keep quiet. Nebraska public TV has a show put on by the university called Quilt Nebraska. Just last week they showed a quilt from the museum that was all 1/2 inch squares. There was no batting used because the seam allowances were so dense that none was needed, it was just backed and quilted. Deffinatly spend the money for a very good LA

Heartstrings 03-22-2014 09:24 AM

Your work is truly amazing. I think quilting it on a longarm might distract from your work. If this were my quilt I would make sure that it is basted really well and then stitch in the ditch with a good quality clear thread. That might be the only way the quilting won't distract from the face. It looks like your rows are even so you could quilt in the ditch in rows. It might be possible to stitch in the ditch with a longarm and rulers. I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

QandE2010 03-22-2014 07:44 PM

I just have to chime in with all the others and say that your work is amazing! And your patience is superb. And I am so very impressed! By the way, welcome to the board. Be sure to share how you finish this. And yes, you should contact Tom and also a large quilt gallery. The one in Nebraska is the largest in the USA, I believe.

rainbowcat 03-23-2014 01:06 AM

Hello

I join everybody in saying that the quilt is gorgious.
Also, I suggest a fairly tight quilting, as this will further stabilize the quilt.

Thank you for sharing the program you used. I downloaded it and "testdrove" it. I love it, it was exactly what I was looking for. Have been playing with GIMP before but it didnt come out quite that nice. Will collect fabrics now for my own pixel quilt.


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