Color Theory — Online Class
This is a PDF product 🙋♀️
You can download it right after checkout!
Color Theory — Online Class
Confident color choices. Cohesive portraits. No more second-guessing your floss.
If you’ve ever stared at your thread stash thinking “why does this look off?”—this class is your answer.
This deep-dive into color theory is designed specifically for Stitch People stitchers who want their portraits to feel polished, intentional, and visually cohesive—without needing a formal art background. You’ll learn how to trust your instincts, understand why certain color combinations work (or don’t), and confidently build palettes that bring your portraits to life.
Class Details:
🎥 Length: ~37 minutes - PRE-RECORDED. Watch anytime!
📚 Slides: 16-slide PDF included as a download
🧑 Instructor: Lizzy Dabczynski-Bean, founder of Stitch People
What You’ll Learn:
- How color actually works: A practical breakdown of the color wheel—primary, secondary, and tertiary colors—and how they translate directly to embroidery floss
- The 3 key “dials” of color (Hue, Saturation, Value): Learn how to adjust brightness, intensity, and tone to fine-tune your palette so your colors feel balanced and cohesive
- Warm vs. cool tones: The single most important concept for creating realistic skin tones, cohesive outfits, and florals that actually look good together. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it
- How to build color palettes that work: Use complementary, analogous, triadic, and monochromatic schemes to create everything from bold, high-contrast designs to soft, harmonious portraits
- Why your “eye” is already smarter than you think: Understand the psychology behind your gut reactions to color—so you can trust your choices instead of overthinking every decision
Real Stitch People Applications:
- Choosing flattering skin tones across a range of undertones
- Coordinating outfits across multiple figures
- Making florals, greenery, and backgrounds feel cohesive
- Avoiding common mistakes (like mixing warm florals with cool greens… it matters more than you think)
What This Means for Your Stitching:
Your portraits will stop looking “almost right” and start looking intentional. Your color choices will feel faster, easier, and more intuitive. And instead of guessing—you’ll actually understand what you’re doing.
Forget art school. This class unlocks the creative instinct you already have. Because there’s no single “correct” palette—but there is a difference between random and intentional.
Ready to finally trust your color choices? Click Add to Cart and transform the way you see floss forever! 🎨✨
👉 HELPFUL: You may find Stitch People's Color Guide useful for picking out your skin tones and hair colors!
📥 Digital Download: Class video and PDF slides are delivered instantly after purchase. No physical items will be shipped.
📜 Usage Rights: This class is for personal use only and may not be shared, redistributed, or resold. It is intended solely for the purchaser.
Utah Warehouse
Some of our books are still in stock at our warehouse in Salt Lake City, UT. If you order a book in stock at the warehouse (indicated on the product page) it'll typically ship within 1-2 business days via the shipping method you choose at checkout. Tracking numbers will be sent out once your package hits the mail stream!
Shipping Rates
Shipping rates for products at our Utah warehouse are calculated in real-time at checkout. Within the US, books can be shipped via USPS Media Mail, often in the $5-6 range (though it does take 8-10 business days to arrive). For customers not in the United States, shipping rates do not include any customs/tariffs/duties due when your package arrives in your country, and any such additional fees are the responsibility of the customer.
Print on Demand
Some of our books (and soon, all!) are part of our new Print on Demand program! This means the books you order will be printed and shipped from near where you live, anywhere in the world! This takes 2-3 weeks, and you can use the PDF version in the meantime ☺️ This makes it cheaper for our customers outside the US, and simplifies our logistics so we can keep prices low! If the closest printer to you is outside your country, any duties/customs/tariffs imposed on your order are the responsibility of the customer.
PDF (Digital) Products
Once you complete checkout, you'll get immediate access to any PDF products in your order! And you'll have lifetime access to these files 😁
If you're unhappy with your order, send us an email at hello@stitchpeople.com and we'll make it right! Refunds are given on a case-by-case basis, and we're generous with store credit and exchanges!
Got questions? We've got answers 😉
How soon will my order arrive?
Any PDF products in your order will be available for download immediately after you complete your purchase!
For books in our Print on Demand program, you can expect to receive your book 2-3 weeks after placing your order. Your order is printed at and shipped from the printing facility closest to you.
For books still at our warehouse in Salt Lake City, UT, books typically ship within 1-2 business days. Orders are shipped via the method you choose at checkout, and tracking information will be available once your package hits the mail stream!
Please note: Media Mail, while the cheapest option, can take 8-10 business days to arrive, and the tracking can be spotty. It's a great, reliable option, but the tracking can't always be trusted.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes! For books in our Print on Demand program, those orders are printed at and shipped from the printing facility closest to you, significantly reducing shipping times and costs!
For books still at our warehouse in Salt Lake City, UT, international shipping can be pretty hefty, but it's an option if you'd like it!
Please note: We don't collect or charge any customs duties, import taxes, or VAT (Value Added Tax) on international orders at checkout. Any such fees imposed by your country’s customs office are the sole responsibility of the recipient. Please check with your local customs authority before you place your order if you have any questions.
What's your return policy?
If you're unhappy with your order, send us an email at hello@stitchpeople.com and we'll make it right! We offer refunds on a case-by-case basis, and we're also generous with store credit and exchanges! We're pretty chill people, so as long as you're not trying to take advantage, we'll be accommodating!
Can I sell my finished portraits?
What you CAN sell
You're more than welcome to sell finished, cross-stitch pieces you've stitched using our patterns! Yes, this means you can open a shop and take commissions to stitch someone's family 😘 If you do, we'd love a shout-out! Something like "Inspired by Stitch People" is great—it lets people know about Stitch People without suggesting an affiliation.
What you CAN'T sell
We kindly ask that you don't sell patterns you've designed with Stitch People patterns, or based on the Stitch People style, in any form. (considered "derivative works"). That starts to encroach on our intellectual property (copyright), which is sort of the magic sauce that makes our business work. If you have questions, or would like to discuss designing Stitch People style patterns in collaboration with us, you can reach out to us at hello@stitchpeople.com.
How long will I have access to my digital products?
As long as we're in business! And we're not planning on going anywhere anytime soon! 😁 Even if we update our website or change platforms, you'll always be able to access your digital products from your account. So whether your laptop dies, you drop your iPad in the pool, or your phone is run over by a gang of 4-year-olds on tricycles, you can always come back to your account and re-download!
All we ask is that you don't share your digital products with others who haven't purchased them!
Who's behind Stitch People?
Lizzy and Spencer Bean! Back in 2011, Lizzy saw the idea for cross-stitch portraits in a Martha Stewart Magazine, but didn't like the designs, so she made her own! That year, she made the first Stitch People portrait of her own family—Lizzy, mom, dad, husband, sister, and brother-in-law, and the combined 6 pets between them!
From there, Lizzy started taking commissions online, stitching hundreds of portraits over several years. Then in 2014, Lizzy published the 1st edition of Do-It-Yourself Stitch People book (now in it's 2nd edition!) and that started the next chapter of Stitch People—designing patterns so other stitchers could make their own portraits!
We're still publishing patterns, many of which are collaborations with other talented stitchers! If you're interested in collaborating, send us an email to hello@stitchpeople.com!
