Can StitchThis make an embroidery pattern for me?
Yes. The embroidery pattern maker turns a picture you upload into stitches, directions, thread colors and a printable transfer. It is free to design and preview.
Hand embroidery · stitches, transfers, floss, patterns
Hand Embroidery Patterns, Stitch Guides and Floss Tools
The stitch you need is explained one way on one site and another way on the next, the transfer advice contradicts itself, and the pattern lists a floss brand you don’t own.
Everything for hand embroidery in one place: step-by-step stitch guides with numbered diagrams, every way to get a design onto fabric, how many strands to use, a free floss converter, and a pattern maker for your own designs.
A pattern maker for your own designs
Have a picture of your own you would love to stitch? The hand embroidery pattern maker turns it into a pattern with a stitch and direction for every shape, real thread colors and a printable transfer.
Embroidery stitch guides
Each guide has a numbered needle-path diagram, the strands to use and the mistakes that trip people up. Start with the embroidery stitches guide for an overview, or go straight to the stitch you need:
French knot
Dots, eyes and flower centers. How to make a French knot that stays on top of the fabric.
Satin stitch
Smooth, glossy fills for small shapes. Satin stitch without gaps or snags.
Long and short stitch
Soft shading for petals, fur and faces. Long and short stitch, the heart of thread painting.
Lazy daisy
Petals and leaves in a few loops. Lazy daisy stitch step by step.
Backstitch
Crisp outlines and lettering. Backstitch embroidery with even stitch lengths.
Getting the pattern onto fabric
- How to transfer an embroidery pattern to fabric: tracing, transfer pens, carbon paper and stick-and-stitch stabilizer, and which suits light, dark or stretchy fabric.
- How to use an iron-on embroidery transfer: why the image has to be mirrored and how to use the mirrored sheet in every StitchThis pattern.
- How many strands of embroidery floss: separating six-strand floss and choosing strands for fills, lines and knots.
Floss and thread tools
The pattern calls for DMC and you own Anchor? The embroidery floss converter finds the closest match across eight brands, shows how close it is, and converts a whole list from a CSV. It is free and needs no account.
Appletons to DMC
Crewel wool shades and their stranded cotton equivalents: Appletons to DMC conversion.
Paternayan to DMC
Persian wool to cotton floss: Paternayan to DMC conversion.
Loops & Threads to DMC
The craft-store floss, matched approximately: Loops & Threads to DMC conversion.
DMC and Anchor
Cross stitchers can use the DMC to Anchor converter and the DMC Anchor conversion chart, and keep count of what they own in the floss stash tracker.
Designing your own pieces
Want to understand what goes into a pattern before you let a tool make one? How to embroider a photo walks through picking the picture, simplifying the colors and mapping each area to a stitch. How to make your own embroidery pattern covers drawing one by hand, writing a key and what every good pattern includes.
Both end in the same place: if you would rather skip the drafting, the pattern maker above does it for you, and you spend the time stitching.
Frequently asked questions
Is this cross stitch or machine embroidery?
Neither. These are free-style hand embroidery patterns with stitches like satin, long and short and French knots. For counted cross stitch use the cross stitch pattern maker; we do not make machine files.
Which embroidery stitches should a beginner learn first?
Backstitch, stem stitch, satin stitch, lazy daisy and French knots cover most simple designs. The stitches guide shows each one with a numbered diagram.
How do I get an embroidery pattern onto fabric?
Trace it on a light box or window, iron it on with a transfer pen and a mirrored print, use carbon transfer paper, or print it onto stick-and-stitch stabilizer. The transfer guide compares them.
Can I use a different floss brand than the pattern lists?
Yes. The floss converter finds the closest shade in another brand, and the generator can switch a whole pattern between DMC, Anchor, Cosmo, Loops & Threads, Appletons and Paternayan.
Do I need an account?
The guides and the floss converter need no account. Making and editing a pattern needs a free account; saving it or downloading the PDF uses a pattern credit or a plan that includes embroidery.
Turn your photo into a hand embroidery pattern
Making and editing a pattern is free with a StitchThis account. Saving it or downloading the PDF uses a pattern credit ($5.99 per pattern, or 5 for $20). Embroidery is included in Maker ($5.99/month) and in Craft Unlimited, with unlimited patterns.