Tracing your sketch with a pen gives a clearer scan to work from. If you’re using a photo of something to make a pattern, use tracing paper and trace the main lines of whatever it is you want to stitch. When it’s time to turn a drawing into an embroidery pattern, the first thing I do (after drawing the thing to my satisfaction) is trace over all the main lines with a fine-tipped micron art pen, in black. It’s just something I was playing around with one day while doodling in a sketchbook. Here you have a really hazy doodle of something that could eventually turn into some kind of embroidery pattern if I were inclined to finish it. All of them have good reviews, and you can find plenty of free tutorials on how to use them online. Inkscape is free and it’s relatively easy to learn. It’s made for PC, but will work on a Mac if you install XQuartz as well. If you use a Mac, you can try Pixelmator (about $30) or Affinity Photo (PC or Mac – about $50). For photo editing, check out Gimp (PC or Mac – free). However, they’re expensive, and if you’re just starting out, I’d go with any of several free or lower-priced (one time purchase) options. I like Adobe’s products because I’m used to them and can use them efficiently.
For vector images, I use Illustrator (and I also use Inkscape – more on that below), and for publishing, I use InDesign. For image and photo editing, I use Photoshop.
Softwareįor software, I use Adobe products. If you can’t doodle, but you can photograph something – like a scene or a flower or a bug that you like – then you can trace that photograph to make a design that’s stitchable. Seriously, though, if you can doodle, you can draw your own original pattern. (…which, weirdly enough, isn’t all that bad of a rendition…!) In fact, if I had to sketch the person sitting across from me drinking coffee, he’d come out looking like this:
Flowers, inanimate objects, scenery, and stylized designs are easier for me. I like to doodle, but I’d never call myself an “artist.” I don’t really draw in a highly artistic way, especially when it comes to realistic human forms or realistic animals. If you believe that you’re incapable of drawing your own patterns because you’re not an “artist,” I think you’d be surprised! If you can doodle, you can make up your own pattern.Įmbroidery patterns for me come about primarily as a result of doodling in a sketchbook (or sometimes, even on a paper napkin when sitting at the table). What Does it Take to Draw an Embroidery Pattern?
Instead, I’m going to talk about my own process, point you in the right direction for the tools you’ll need, and share some tips on what you really need to learn if you want to create vectors and things to avoid if you want to be efficient about it. I’m not going to take you step-by-step through creating vector images from drawings. If you’re not computer inclined, or you have no desire to mess with the learning curve involved in graphics programs, then don’t sweat it! Use pencil, paper, and pen.īut if you want to create a printable, scalable, smooth drawing to use as a pattern – maybe you want to sell your patterns or include them in kits or what-have-you – then it’s helpful to produce what’s called a vector image from your drawing. A good fine-tipped artist’s pen for the final line drawing will give you a decent image to transfer. In fact, I think you can get much more creative in planning a design from absolute scratch, using a pencil and perhaps some watercolors or colored pencils. A design that you’ve drawn with pencil on a piece of a paper works just fine! If you’re drawing your own patterns for your own embroidery, you certainly do not have to go all-out technical in the production of them. We’ll look at what you need to know to create a line drawing that’s smooth, scalable, and prints a clear, precise line drawing suitable for an embroidery pattern. So, today, let’s chat about a technical topic that’s somewhat related to embroidery, even though it doesn’t have to do with the actual Stitching of Things. The question of how to make embroidery patterns isn’t usually directed to the drawing or doodling part that’s done with a pencil, but rather how to take a sketch, painting, photo, or doodle and transform it into a clean line drawing that can be enlarged or reduced in size, printed, and used as a pattern for stitching. Over the years, I’ve had many, many queries about how to make hand embroidery patterns.
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