Design programs

[Mabel Figworthy]

While looking for a cross stitch design program I came across Jane Greenoff's Pattern Creator on eBay for very little so I thought I'd give it a try and so far, apart from a few annoying quirks (like a very odd-working 'undo' feature) it's been very useful.

One thing I'd like to be able to put in is things like lazy daisy stitch -- I think I can define things like that myself but it seems you can only define special stitches which use only straight stitches like Algerian eye.

Does anyone know whether you can open files made with one design program in others? There seem to be such a lot of them out there, are they at all compatible?

What programs do others use? What are the pros and cons?

And what do you use the programs for? Your own designs, or making clearer charts of things you've already got, or...?

[Rose]

Since I have only used the PC Stitch and then upgraded to PC Pro I can not tell you if the programs work with each other I would say probably not but I don't know.

I like the simpleness of the PC program. I am not terribly good at computer stuff and so simple is better and watching those tutorials just annoy me. So I got the one that was the simplest to use and get what I want out of it.

I use mine to design my own patterns, I make color changes to existing patterns, and combine many different patterns to make a single personal pattern all of which I have done.

[mags]

I have got Jane Greenoffs Pattern Creator too. I'm not totally into it - have done quite a bit but fairly simple stuff. One thing I don't like about it is that it seems very difficult to edit back stitch lines but perhaps I haven't got the hang of it yet.