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PRODUCT, ORDERING & WEBSITE QUESTIONS
If I buy the software....do I really need a book too?
Yes you need at least one book. The books show
you how to choose colors, lots of different techniques to make the quilts, guidelines to keep you out of trouble....the books guarantee that your project is successful, fun, and easy. The
software only makes patterns.
Do you think that I could successfully make a quilt just by using your book (which I have already purchased)?
Yes you can! Most of the
people who are making Quilted Photos have not taken classes given by me. But if you want some more instruction, try getting my new DVD with Nancy Zieman. It is a 3-part series and very
helpful.
Do you have a source of fabrics that are already sorted by value?
Yes, Click Here to get my fabric!.
Could you please explain what differences is between Quilted Photo Xpress1.0 and Quilted Photo Xpress2.0 and 3.0? And, if
1.0 is purchased, can one upgrade to get the 2.0? Do I need to buy both Quilted photo Xpress1.0 and 2.0?
You do not need all of the versions, the latest version is always the best
but all version are made to work just fine.
1.0 - gives you a
pattern based on grayscale (without any color suggestions),), the grid pattern is always printed in a small size and must be transferred to grid guide to be used.
2.0 - Has the
option for grayscale patterns as well as full color patterns with color suggestions. You can choose the size of the squares in the grid so that your pattern is in full working size,
just tape the pages together to use the fully numbered pattern.
3.0 - Has everything above plus - bigger swatches to help matching your fabric, the option to turn your pattern on
point automatically, better control of the finished size of your quilt, print preview before printing pattern, ability to print just one page if your printer jams.
I keep trying to order from you but having problems when I try to submit my details. I`m in another country, how can I order
from you?
The best way is to use the Pay Pal option or fax your order (on the checkout page, check the fax button to print the form) to me or you can e-mail me directly. I will
process your order and tell you the correct shipping charges.
I have the quilted photo 1.0 that I downloaded from the internet using
the book code in quilted photography (more amazing). I don't have a cover of the 1.0 software, can I still get the upgrade to the 2.0 version by
mail with the order form from the back of the book?
No the upgrade is for my customers who purchased the 1.0 software......If you
got it for free, you will need to purchase the full version of Quilted Photo Xpress 2.0 or 3.0
I ordered some products last week and would like to know when you ship your orders?
I ship out orders once or twice a week depending on how many orders I have. I try to ship on Tuesdays and Thursdays via USPS. If the package is light weight
they go first class mail, and if they are heavy they go out standard mail.
When do you return phone messages?
I try to return my calls on Wednesday afternoons, however, I am out of town
frequently.
If your questions are answered by this FAQ page I will not call back. I am trying my best to keep my phone line available to you...so please be patient. I need to
teach classes, write books, make quilts, keep this website up to date, care for my young daughter as well as answer your calls. Please use e-mail as your first attempt to contact me.
Does Quilted Photo Xpress work on MAC?
Quilted Photo Xpress 2.0 requires a PC Emulator to run on a MAC.
(Virtual PC is one we recommend; you can get more information at: http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/virtualpc/virtualpc.aspx?pid=v irtualpc)
It requires: Mac OS 7.5.5 or later, 250MB free Hard Drive space
A MAC version will be available for QPX 4.0 in the Fall of 2007
QPX 3.0 is not Mac compatible.
I Signed on for the online workshop/Lucky Quilt Code last week but I never received it....what happened?
The links are generated and sent automatically. If you did not get it, check you spam filters! They are probably blocking the email.
I would like to order some of the 505 spray adhesive on line but thru
you but cannot find it on your web site. Do you still have it?
I no longer sell it because after working with it more, I don't think the quality of
the adhesive is not good enough for Quilted Photography.
I have a question about the extra wide fusible tricot. Do I fuse the
squares directly to the tricot and then put a batting and backing on the quilt? For how many seconds should I press the tricot with the iron?
Yes you do, the tricot remains inside the quilt. The tricot is so soft that you can’t feel it or tell that it is there after the quilt is sewn closed.
What kind of Die Cut machine do you use?
I use a “BabyGrand” by Accucut.com
I can find preprinted fusible interfacing with 1, 1 1/2, or 2 inch squares
but not 1 1/4. Is there such a thing. I have decided to work my photo quilt with 1 1/4 inch blocks. I am not sure how critical this part is. I hope you can guide me.
The book “Simply Amazing Quilted Photography” has a whole chapter on this subject. I don’t use the preprinted fusible interfacing, I use plain fusible tricot.
This chapter also tells you why I think 1 1/4” squares are best.
Can your software be purchased at your studio in Pasadena?
My studio is a private work space, not a store open to the public. It is best to order on the website because you can get sales and package deals not available any place else.
I don’t like sending my credit card information over the internet....how can I order?
Send your order by fax! You just shop online as if you are going to check out, then at the bottom of the order form you will check the “Order Offline” box. You
will get a complete order form to fax! If you ever change your mind about ordering online, my order form is on a secure server and is safe.
My question is do you have the service of charting pictures for quilting for us that do not have a scanner for our computer.
I don’t offer this service....... I offer the software and it is much better. Having the software gives you the freedom to choose your own quilting style, your own
photo, make as many patterns as you want and at a price that is better than I would charge to make just one pattern for you. Also, you don’t really need a
scanner. You can use a digital camera or you can get your film developed onto a CD, or take your photographs to Kinko’s to have them scan for you.
TECHNIQUE QUESTIONS
I was very taken by the Moda "Bright Vivid" children’s prints. Would
this work using these types of colors? Or would the "old fashioned" work better! I don't see any of your quilts done in bright/bold colors.
I actually have used bright colors as well as old fashioned colors....I like both and both work well. Just don’t mix the two together.
With the new book and software, will we have the freedom to make the
quilts using more fabrics, let's say 50 or 100 different kinds? or just the 25 fabrics?
You can choose a few as 6 fabrics and as many as 100.
One question I do have. I noticed all the pictures are close up. Can the
same process be done with a photo a little further back and take in a little more background area?
I do this because the face is really the most interesting part of the photograph. Also the background doesn’t look like anything special when it is translated in
fabric.....including the background creates a lot more work, and a lot more fabric too.
I am working on a new technique that will allow more background, click here to
find out how you can learn it.
I noticed that some of your samples in the Quilt Gallery are done on
point and others are not. How do you decide whether or not to put the blocks on point?
I just like the look of quilts when the grid is turned on point. I don’t have a
special reason. You can make your pattern like this by scanning your photograph on point before opening it in “Quilted Photo Xpress1.0 or 2.0”
QPX 3.0 will do this with just the click of a button.
Your computer program gives you a choice of a lower number of
fabrics, say 12 or 15. What would the overall effect be on my quilt to use a lesser number of fabrics? Would I loose detail? Would the quilt look bland?
The good thing about the software is you can change the settings, and instantly see the results! There is no way for me to know how changing the settings will
affect the image with out seeing you photo and understanding what technique you will be using. I have made quilts with as few as 7 fabrics, yielding fantastic
results.......just change the settings and see if you like it!
I started the Mona Lisa (pattern printed in the book “Simply Amazing
Quilted Photography”) and I cannot figure how to get the whole thing on the 19X28 grid. I can get part of it on. Do I have to add more grid
paper? Have my 30 degree line marked and ready to go!
You must use more than one grid guide. Tape them together to create the size you need.
How do you know what colors to select? I downloaded your demo,
and printed the grid, but I am confused about the selection of colors and how to determine the colors.
If you are asking a question like this, you should get one of my books....The
chapters teach you step by step how to make your fabric choices. It is really helpful and can’t be answered in a few lines of text.
I only want to make the quilt about 36 x 36. However, when I put it in
the software the details are not as good. Does this mean that if I want good details I will have to make the quilt bigger?
You will either have to crop some of the background out making the focal point of the photo more prominent or add more pieces (yes making it bigger) to get the desired clarity.
I’m not finished placing all the squares but why does my quilt look like
it's just one big blob? I am following the numbers....should I just trust that the photo will appear as you said in your book?
Yes! You are probably standing to close to it to see the image. I am assuming that you followed the chapters for choosing your fabrics.... however, if your
fabrics are correct, you can look at it through a distance viewer to see it better before it is finished.
Do you pre-wash your fabric?
No, because I use my quilts as art. If I were to make a quilt that is intended to
be washed, I would pre-wash the fabrics.
Would a landscape picture be too complicated to do for the first photo quilt?
I think a landscape is harder to do as a first quilt because of the small details you must capture...it would have to be very large to see the full landscape. I
also think it is better suited for the techniques taught in the second book “More Amazing Quilted Photography” because you can cut your fabric pieces as small as you want.
When I got home and could lay out the whole grid and
interfacing I discovered that there wasn't enough fusible interfacing to do
the bottom of the grid. Do you have a suggestion what I should do about
finishing off this area?
Since the Fusible Tricot is fusible, you can just overlap another piece of tricot on the edge of the existing piece. It will fuse together to make a larger piece.
I have received your software and the supplies to make a photo quilt.
My question is, when I chose the photo to make the quilt of, I get 33 fabrics with 11,200 pieces. This is really a lot. What should I start with
to make a small version of a picture. Just one flower or tree or what?
This is way to big a project to start out with! Starting out with a face is much
easier and a much smaller project. If you must make a landscape, I think it is better suited for the techniques taught in the second book “More Amazing
Quilted Photography” (because you can cut your fabric pieces as small as you want).
I am currently sewing together my first photo quilt. I am a bit concerned
though, because once I've sewn all the rows my edges keep rolling inward, and there seems to be significant bulk in the 2 layers (fusible
foundation and fabric). Once you add the batting and backing, isn't it going to be difficult to quilt through so many layers, including seams?
If the quilt top is rolling, iron it flat. And to reduce the bulk you are experiencing, try using my Fusible Tricot. It is much thinner that the non-woven fusible
interfacings and doesn’t create a problem to quilt.
I printed my pattern after setting all the software options, but instead of
24 fabrics it gave me only 18. Numbers 1,and 20 thru 24 had a ‘0’ for number of squares, is this common? Why did this happen?
This means your photo is not balanced. Either it is kind of light , or kind of dark. You can still use the pattern, just make sure that number 2 is your lightest fabric
and number 19 is your darkest. Your goal is still to have values from light to dark represented.
In your book you state you can put "24 totally unrelated fabrics
together." In the 888 rule, you state it is important to stay in one color range. Does this apply to the random color palette? Or is a random
color palette any color without regard to color range?
I mean intensity of color. For instance, I would not put muted colors like what is
used in country fabrics with the really bright colors....the brights will over power the muted colors even if the values are right.
I put in (Quilted Photo Xpress to determine the values) all of the fabrics
purchased thinking they were all different in shade, but several of them come up as the same shade. example 20,20, 18,18 etc... I know in the
book you say to get different colors and start the process again or make a choice whether to use or not. But am scared to go buy more
material and have the same problem. Do you have any suggestions?
As long as you don’t have more than 3 fabrics that are really similar you should
still be fine. If you are uncomfortable with that, ask someone at your quilt shop for help choosing more fabrics. Remember to bring the fabrics you already
have with you. You also might be interested in my new tool "Quilters Ultimate Color Value Solution" It is designed to help with this problem.
SOFTWARE QUESTIONS
When I try to print a pattern with my Quilted Photo Xpress 2.0, the size
of the squares don’t come out the right size! What is wrong?
Change the dpi setting on the software. It is in the upper right corner.....and it
must match the dpi setting of your printer. If the patterns are not printing the right size, change the setting!
Why does the “Detail” jump around while trying to use Quilted Photo
Xpress 1.0? I am having trouble making the grid stop at a certain number. If I move the arrow it just keeps jumping around and I can't get it to stop. what am I doing wrong??
Your image file is probably to large. When you scan a file for Quilted Photo Xpress, scan it at 72dpi. This will result in a smaller image file and your
computer will handle it better without jumping around. QPX 2.0 and 3.0 don’t have this problem.
Does your software which I own generate an angled grid? I understand
instructions for aligning it on interfacing, but for some reason I cannot figure out how to generate the angled grid in the first place. It seems to me this should be in the software.
You can make your pattern like this by scanning your photograph on point before opening it in “Quilted Photo Xpress”. This option is automatic in “Quilted Photo Xpress 3.0”
Does Quilted Photo Xpress work on MAC?
Quilted Photo Xpress1.0 - requires a PC Emulator to run on a MAC.
(Virtual PC is one we recommend; you can get more information at:
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/virtualpc/virtualpc.aspx?pid=v irtualpc)
It requires: Mac OS 7.5.5 or later, 250MB free Hard Drive space
Quilted Photo Xpress2.0 - requires a PC Emulator to run on a MAC.
(Virtual PC is one we recommend; you can get more information at:
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/virtualpc/virtualpc.aspx?pid=v irtualpc)
It requires: Mac OS 7.5.5 or later, 250MB free Hard Drive space
Quilted Photo Xpress3.0 - Does not work on MAC
I am attempting to use the software to determine the color value of my
fabrics. I have scanned my fabric in one inch squares on the form, but I can't seem to get it to read it right. What am I doing wrong?
Your selection must be perfectly square....right on the line of the form. The program only reads perfect squares, if your selection is less than square, it will
round it out to be less squares or more squares. My solution is to scan the area bigger than your fabric area....this way you can select it over again (see you
instruction sheet to learn how to make selections with the software) if it is not perfect.....this is when you will use the restore original button. I sometimes
select the area perfect the first time but most of the time I have to try a few times! Be patient, it does work.
What kind of photo files can I use for Quilted Photo Xpress?
Jpg. files scanned at 72dpi. You can also use the jpg. files generated by a digital camera.
I love this program! I am currently getting ready to make a quilt of my
father (who passed away a few months ago) for my mom, and am using fairly realistic colors. I'm having a hard time with the color values. My
lights & darks are fine, it's my mediums I'm having a problem with. I'm using shades of pink & mauve. When I line them up as I think they
should go, one of the pinks is actually darker on grayscale than what my eye sees. If I put it where it goes by grayscale (#16), it seems lighter
than my #15 fabric. Help! Do I trust my eye or the grayscale?
I think that if the colors are that close, either way would work.....this technique is very forgiving.
I installed Photo express but cannot view the whole page on my
computer. It is down too far in the lower right hand corner, what can I do?
Click the window at the top edge, hold the left button down and drag the
window up where you want it.
I would like to know when you print out the pattern it comes out in 4
pages. How do you put the pattern together? When it says row 2 column 2 of 4 pages, does the part go before or after page 1?
Tape the pages together. The columns are vertical and the rows are horizontal.
My question is about the software. I do not have a scanner, but do have
a digital camera. Would I be able to use photos from my digital camera with your software?
Yes! You just have to save your photos as a jpeg. file....you can use a scanner,
or a digital camera.
Will the program print to a plotter (large format printer) and if so which one?
Yes it can print to any plotter, as long as you have a windows driver for your plotter.
What kind of computer does your software work on?
Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP
I'm stumped. How do I get my picture from my scanner to the screen.
You must save your photo as a jpeg. file some place on your computer. Open your image file the same you would open any other file on your computer.
note:
the demo version will not allow you to open your own photo. You must have the full 1.0 or 2.0 version.
Want to get started but can't get my picture into the program. What am I
doing. Will the picture come up where the Mona Lisa is? I have my picture on a jpeg in My Pictures gallery.
You must have your photos saved as jpeg. files. Click the button that says “Open Photo”. Find the photo that you want the same you would open any other
file on your computer. It will then open up in the original photo box.
note: the demo version will not allow you to open your own photo. You must
have the full 1.0 or 2.0 version.
When using “Quilted Photo Xpress”, how clear are the pictures when
they are printed out? Can they look as clear as the photograph?? Can you use any size photograph?
The photo pattern will be as clear as the selections you have made. If you like it in the processed photo window, then you will like the finished quilt. you can
start with any size photograph.
Does ”Quilted Photo Xpress” convert my own photos into a format that
will allow me to complete projects by scanning into my computer?
Yes, that is all ”Quilted Photo Xpress” does....make patterns from your photos.
The grid patterns have numbers that tell you what fabric to place in what square.
QUILTED PHOTO BUSINESS QUESTIONS
Can I sell quilts I make from the patterns in your book?
No, not the patterns in the book. I don’t want lots of people trying to sell the same quilts and competing with each other. If you get the software, you can
make your own patterns and sell your own images as much as you like.
Can you give me some advice on how to get good clear photographs of my quilted photo quilts?
I don't do anything special...just focus on the quilt, be sure to use a tripod and push the button!
How do you know what price to put on the quilts? Obviously cost of
materials is included but what how much for labor? Have you ever sold these quilts, made of the client's picture?
You must decide how much money you want per hour.....then keep track of the time you spend....add up the total to determine the price.Your price per hour
will go up as you earn a good a reputation as a quilt artist. Take in consideration your fabrics choices, your skill level and your reputation. Yes, I do sell quilts made for my clients.
Do you sell your products wholsale?
Yes I do. You must have a resale liscense and make the minimum order size.click here to get to my wholsale information.
I want to teach Quilted Photography! Do you have a teachers support product?
I have a teachers guide just like the guide I use to teach classes. I also offer techer certification classes. Please sign my guest lis and send me an email
stating your interest in teaching.
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