Patterns made easy

 Making patterns for cross stitch seems complicated and intimidating at first glance. You don't need a unique computer program; some do exist, all that you need is graph paper to get started. Beyond that, you need to know the count of your fabric. Cross stitch uses 14ct Aida cloth, to begin with usually. It means that there are 14 squares per inch on the fabric. If you use 28ct Aida cloth, it is 28 squares per inch, etc. You will need to mark out the 1-inch blocks to know how big to cut your fabric when starting your pattern. Each small square in the inch block will contain one stitch. 

There are several different types of stitches used for cross stitch. The basic stitches often get depicted like this. A whole stitch has two steps and shows how the floss should lay on the front of the fabric. You bring the floss up in the top corner, cross over the middle, and go down in the bottom corner on the opposite side. Then you repeat the other direction. A 3/4 stitch starts similarly, with the stitch coming from the top corner to the bottom opposite corner. The difference is that you don't take it entirely to the corner for the second step but bring the stitch down in the middle of the square. The 1/2 stitch comprises just the first half of the whole stitch. The photo shows another style of 1/2 stitch called a vertical 1/2 stitch. This stitch has a full X like a whole stitch, but only half the square is covered. It has a counterpart called a horizontal 1/2 stitch. The next main stitch is called a 1/4 stitch. It consists of an entire X again but only covers 1/4 of the square. The last stitch of the basic stitches is the backstitch. It is often used for outlines and illustrated by straight-line in patterns.

The first step of a pattern is sketching out the design. Using the stitches discussed previously, make sure the drawing uses the shape of the stitches. The sketch shown here uses whole and 3/4 stitches. Note that the direction going through the squares shows the path to stitch of the 3/4 stitch. The smaller line of the stitch always goes into the design.

There are three ways to mark out colors in a pattern, and the first one is just coloring in the spaces. In this picture, you would use your purple floss to stitch where the purple is on the pattern and the same for the pink. 

The second way is to color it and write a unique symbol in the squares. It helps, mainly when you use several similar colors, and it helps distinguish the colors from one another. Using three shades of a similar color can get confusing and unique symbols to help combat that issue. Notice the dark outline around the edge of the heart. It would be a line of backstitch around the piece. It often helps define features and makes the details pop. When using symbols, keep a key to know what symbol means what color, and adding the floss number means that you can recreate the same piece again later. 

The final way people often make patterns uses just symbols. Notice the key is the same as the previous pattern, and including the floss number is essential. Sometimes, using only symbols allows the pattern to read more precisely. When choosing symbols, use unique ones that differ significantly at a glance. You don't want to use an O and a Q in the same pattern as they appear very similar, and it causes issues when stitching.

When you've made a few of your own patterns, you can do digital ones similarly using excel to grid paper. If you enjoy making patterns, software is available with colors that correspond to the major floss brands like DMC. My recommendation is Win/Macstitch. It does take a lot of trial and error to learn, but it works smoothly once you get the hang of it. 

You don't need anything fancy to start patterning, and I hope this small tutorial post helps. If you don't have any graph paper, you can even print it out off the internet. There is nothing wrong with buying patterns from someone else but don't feel like you can't do it yourself. If you can't find a pattern you like, why not try making it yourself. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy designing it.