iPad Apps for Rug Hookers

At the most recent Thursday gathering, we were talking about using iPad apps to help with the design of our projects.  There are 3 products that could be quite useful.....and they may well work on other types of tablets if you don't have an iPad.  There are lots of similar products out there.  These are just a couple that work well for me.  

The first is a paid application - i think the cost right now is $5.49, but IMHO well worth it, if you like to goof around with your photos.  It's called Waterlogue.  

What it does is take your photos and turn them into a watercolour painting.  It's very easy to use - you just click on the camera icon, select a photo from your library, and it automagically reconfigures it into a painting.  You can choose from several different styles of painting - some more fuzzy than others, or darker in tone etc. I find that the "travelogue" style works best for most of my photos.  

If you like the end result, all you need to do is to save it, and it's now part of your photo album.  Not all photos will work but it's worthwhile testing out some of your favourites.  Here are some examples from stuff i have done.  It's easy to see how the waterlogued image would be something you could use as a basis for a hooked project.

The next app that i like is called PicsArt.  It's a tool for editing your photos, and it's free! (there are paid features available).  

You can do quite a bit with it, but what i like is the FX choice - there are lots of things you can use to apply specific effects to your photos.  Within that is something called "Magic", and it's a great tool to visualize how something could look in different colours or styles.  Here are a few examples:

Upper left is the original photo of a village in the Azores.  These are just 3 of the examples of what PicsArt Magic can do.

The original photo is in the upper right.  I don't know how i managed to get the lower right image, but it's interesting....

The 3rd product is actually a website that you can access from any computer or tablet.  It's called Blockposters.com.  I use it to enlarge my photos for transfer to linen.  It will enlarge your photo and print it on multiple pages and then all you have to do is tape it together.  It's a useful alternative to the local Staples.

At left is the photo i started with, and the final result below, with grid lines on it to mark out what would be on each page.  This project will be 25x28 inches, but there's the option of going up to 66 inches across (and bigger for paid versions of the product).  To save on toner, i would probably use a photo in black & white.

What apps have you been using for your projects?