what do you think of the DMC Linens?

Not a ridiculous question at all. The colors for this line of linen floss is wonderful. I tried doing needlepainted flowers with them and found the linen difficult to work with, in that it frayed out quickly and got slubs in it readily as you worked. However, the results were worth the effort.

I haven't purchased the newest set - only their introductory set of linen threads. And I haven't worked cross stitch with them, as that's not what I usually do. :-)

Dianne

KCat wrote:

The colors for this line of linen

Interesting - I finally saw them last week and I thought they were hideous! Of course, I'm a bright purple and red kind of gal lol.

I'm dying to try them, but won't until they come out with some colors more to my liking.

mm... yeah, to each their own. The only colors I don't like are multi-colored metallics. But everything has it's place. Most of my pens are muted - though lately I've been venturing into bright, shocking colors to bring some contrast to my collection. The linens are - well, they're what I would expect from linens - soft, subtle, and even perhaps a little "fuzzy" - as if you're not quite able to focus on them. :) But I also love the bright colors. This is seen in my ink choices as well (for my fountain pens) - have all sorts of bright, intense inks. But lately have been addicted to a very soft blue.

BabbleCat

Interesting observation. I feel this is why we choose some designs over others: the color choices. I realize "design" is also a strong consideration, but after that, I truly believe color is what draws us. That is, why you would choose one rose pattern over another. Dianne

absolutely - it's also what we perceive since as individuals we often see colors quite differently from what others see. I'm not referring to more profound differences like color blindness. But subtle perception differences. on the pen groups we often discuss "the perfect blue ink" or a "true" blue ink - and everyone their opinion about what constitutes true blue and some see more green or red in a blue than others and so on. Finally, and more to your point, how we react to a particular color is subtle. People talk about power colors and soothing colors and so on. There are some standards - soft rosey colors are soothing to most. But to some it might just be nauseating. :)

And what a terrible, boring world it would be if we all liked the same colour!

Pat P

I think a lot of individuals have little or no color "sense". By that I mean that they are unable to see how much green or red might be in a shade of blue. Or that it is a gray-blue as opposed to a brown-blue.

While I think this can be taught, I think it's what separates the artist from the amateur. :-) An artist just *knows* and knows how to work with color.

I will never forget a local hair salon owner who decorated her shop. A green plaid was on the walls and green cafe curtains at the door and windows. Only the greens didn't match. However, the shop owner was absolutely certain that they did. She could not see that, not only did they not match but that they clashed (one stood out like a sore thumb against the other). And this woman was normally quite excellent at putting outfits to wear together and always looking good in clothing choices.

Dianne

Hmm...while some folks "just know," many artists are taught how color works. Art students go through lots of training on color-- very specific training. Not all artists go to art school, but I don't think your color sense has to be innate for you to be an artist. Barring physical limitations, much about color *can* be taught very nicely to anyone, artist or not, who is interested in learning.

Best wishes, Ericka

"KCat" wrote

And Felice added: And then we have people with what I call "color memory". I have one daughter who can tell almost always if something in a store matches something at home.

heh... yeah... hubby always makes sure I pick out the paint, etc. for the house. He's gotten better at the subtleties but for a while... He doesn't distinguish between red and maroon and purple for example. Not that he can't but that he sees no reason to most of the time. He'll never wear a shirt those colors anyway - strictly a blue/grey guy - so why does he need to know the difference. :)

I can do that - very useful!

A silly thing I`ve always thought is whether the colour I call blue (for instance) might not look a totally different colour if suddenly seen through someone else`s eyes? If your eyes were transplanted into me, maybe I`d see a red sky!

Pat P

Well, that would be nice if it were true! I'd like to think I could learn. I just assumed it was a "gift", much like highly-skilled piano players. :-) Dianne

Pat P wrote: .> A silly thing I`ve always thought is whether the colour I call blue (for

That's so funny - me too! And people who don't think like this just think I'm weird. . .

Well, being an *artist* is a gift, and having an artistic vision is a gift (in the same sort of way that being a very gifted musician is), but not everyone artist is automatically gifted with the knowledge of how to work well with color. I can learn a lot about color, but still not be enough of an artist to create what a gifted artist would create. On the other hand, a gifted artist with little color sense could learn about color in order to be able to realize his or her artistic vision. Obviously, some artists are recognized particularly for their ability with color, just as some musicians are recognized particularly for their tone or technique or what-have-you. I had college roommates who were in art school, and often sat with them or helped them through their color class projects. They were fascinating. When you looked at the class projects as a whole, some folks were clearly better artists, but they were pretty much all getting the lessons on how to work with color. Don't know if that makes sense, but that's my experience ;-) If you want to learn about color, maybe look at see if a nearby college/university offers a class in color theory.

Best wishes, Ericka

Now, Pat

That takes me back to school!! As you remember in UK, Religious Instruction (RI) was mandatory, under the Education Act of 1947. Most kids left school at 16 with their O-levels and got perfectly good jobs, with career enhancements. There were a few of us who stayed on till age

18 to get A-levels ( for non-Brits, one started school at age 5). We ( the Sixth Form) were considered too old, and too intellectually advanced to learn the Bible ( been there, done that). So, at my school we discussed different "thoughts". I am looking at a solid table, but it is not solid, it is a mass of moving molecules/atoms etc. The other instance, and I cannot tell you fifty years later who authored it, was " I see this color and it is blue; You may seem the exact colour and call it pink. What, or who, is true. Is there truth??). Man. you have taken me back eons in history!!

Gillian

To me, there is a difference between a highly-skilled piano player and one with natural talent. While there is a certain something that some people are born with, much of the skill of music can be taught. You don't have to have perfect pitch to be a musician, why would you have to have an innate color sense to be an artist or fine craftsperson?

Elizabeth

I feel the DMC is trying to fill a need for finer linen threads, especially when working with whitework techniques. I've gotten both sets, and appreciate the gentle colors and the matte appearance. Since the color is another discussion, I won't go there.

I've tried a few projects (Schwalm, Tvistsom, Naversom) and would suggest that shorter lengths and at least two plies be used for the stitching. In contrast to imported linen threads, the DMC floss does not have the tensile strength of some of the others. (Most of the imports use 2 or 3 strands twisted together to achieve a very fine, extremely strong thread - used for lace making, etc.) In addition, you need to be aware of the occasional slubs, and the fact that you will need to work the floss in the direction it comes off the skein.

I'm not much of a cross-stitcher, but I think it would be interesting to use both regular floss and linen floss in a design (especially as a way of emphasizing or muting certain areas of the design.) For the 24 colors available, it would be easy to make a substitution, since the colors are the same as standard DMC colors, but use an "L" prefix to indicate the linen.

Phyllis Maurer