YouPatch

When Andi from Patch Andi contacted me a few weeks ago to see if she could use my Doctor Who pixel quilt in a YouTube video, I was honestly a little confused.  Yet, she went on to explain that she was launching a pixel program for quilters.  You can watch the video =====> here

If you have visited my blog anytime in the last month, you know my love of Pixel Quilts...having made two very large and extremely detailed ones in the last 12 months.  My first (Doctor Who) was in April of 2013 and my most recent (Sherlock) was just last month.

I had created my pixel quilts using Pic2Pat, a free online program meant for CrossStitch.  My method provided me with a pattern and DMC embroidery floss colors; which I then translated into fabric by using my handy Kona Color Card.  Yes, it was a labor intensive process; as I was matching colors and guesstimating yardage; but I enjoy that sort of thing.  You can learn more about my process ====>here.

When Andy mentioned that YouPatch would do all of the work for me, I wanted to learn more so I hopped online to check it out.



I uploaded the same photo that I used for my Doctor Who pixel quilt as I wanted a side by side comparison. This is what I learned.

  • Uploading a photo was ridiculously easy, just find the file on your hard-drive and press the big green button.
  • Next, you get to select how much detail you want, how many colors and what finished quilt size...all of which spits out some statistics so you know the number of blocks, and what the smallest potential piece is that you might be using
  • You are then given a chance to recolor your pattern with just a few clicks of the mouse.  Which allows you to swap colors if you are not happy, or even create something that looks a little more "Andy Warhol"  
  • Next comes pixel by pixel editing.  So let's say that you found your image was a little too fuzzy and you wanted to clean it up, now is your chance.  Just select the color you want to add and move the cursor over the area to be fixed.
  • The last step is to name your quilt or file for that matter, type your name and order your pattern...yes, I said order your pattern.  

YouPatch does cost $9.50 per pattern; which is comparable to most quilt patterns out in the market today.  I did not actually purchase a pattern, since my Sherlock quilt is to be my last pixel quilt; therefore I can not comment on the YouPatch pattern itself, except to provide info that is taken from their site.  YouPatch says that within a few minutes of ordering, you will receive a pattern with block by block layout, yardage requirements using Kona solids, and extremely detailed cutting information.  One thing I did notice right away is that the pieces you are cutting are not all the same size or shape, in fact if you have a large expanse of color...you might cut a single large piece of fabric. 

For reference, this is quite different then what I did on my pixel quilts; which relied entirely on tiny squares and rectangles. I wanted continuity in my piecing and for the overall look of my pixel quilt to be similar; yet that style is not for everyone...some just want a quilt that looks "pixelated" without all the fuss.

YouPatch is definitely worth playing around with for a few minutes, if for no other reason then to see what is possible.

So tell me, have you played around with YouPatch yet?  Have you purchased a pattern?  I'd love to know.


Happy Tuesday!!


*This review is entirely my opinion after playing around on the program for about 15 minutes.  
No compensation was provided in exchange for this review.