We are working with a client who manufactures granite counter tops. The company’s logo in print and on their website features a granite “look.” 
The challenge was to translate that granite look into thread for embroidered shirts and embroidered caps. It would have been easy to tell the customer, “No, you can’t acheive that appearance with thread” and then work on a compromise. But we wanted to see if it could be done. After consulting with our digitizer and with our thread supplier, we came up with a plan to use a combination of a variegated thread (i.e., alternative colors on the same spool) along with a shading effect. The stitched design turned out looking beautiful. Even the client said it turned out far better than expected.
