FAQs

How can you draw your own embroidery designs?

You can draw embroidery designs by hand using a pencil and tracing paper or using a tablet that has digital drawing software on it such as Procreate. If you don’t know how to draw very well, another easy way to create them is by referencing embroidery designs or tracing reference photos. Just make sure the designs or images are allowed to be used and reproduced.

Where can I design my own embroidery pattern?

You can draw patterns by hand or use apps such as Procreate, Photoshop, or Canva.

Stitching Joy

Stitching Joy is another quick generator you can use to upload and convert images into a PDF cross-stitch pattern. You can choose your max number of thread colors, the number of stitches, and thread type. The step-by-step pattern includes the exact thread colors you’ll need for the brand of your choice.

A community platform for handicrafters, Stitchboard’s Free Pattern Wizard can be used to make designs for cross-stitch and beading—as well as knitting and crochet.

Stitchboard allows non-members to upload and transform .jpg or .gif images, with the standard selection of customizable options: your stitch type, color palette, number of stitches, etc. You can also sign up for a free account to access extra features, such as the option to upload more image formats (including .png, .tif, and .wbmp), as well as “image enhancements” like special effects.

How To Make Your Own Embroidery Pattern: Digital and Hand-Made Methods

When we think about embroidery, we often envision our Grandma, dutifully stitching a loving quote, perhaps adding a flower embellishment to some dishcloths. As younger generations are now re-discovery sewing arts, there is a newfound respect for embroidery. As The Guardian attests, last year’s lockdown really boosted different sewing arts. While you can certainly follow pre-made patterns, one of the fun aspects about this craft is you can add your own creativity to it. How to make your own embroidery pattern is fun and not as difficult as you may think. Instead, it just involves an idea, the right tools, and a bit of initial patience. All these put together will have you stitching your way towards a truly interesting design.

Extra Tips and Considerations

• I find it easiest to keep the design simpler to start. Sometimes adding too many marks in the design will make it confusing to follow and more challenging to transfer to the fabric. Remember, you can always go back in and add more marks later!
• The reference photo is just a guide; not necessarily the only way to draw something! You can change things around as you see fit or even add additional designs or subject matter.
• For even more information, check out my Patreon. I have exclusive tutorials for creating and planning thread painting designs as well as tutorials that go over illustration and design principles.

After you have finalized your design, it’s time to transfer it to the fabric! Learn a few different handy embroidery transfer methods.