I've been asked several times to share how I make my embroidery "designs", but at first, I did them one by one using special software. Now, I've developed a method that uses the fill patterns I've created in that software and the graphics program you already use.

These instructions are written in a way that should work with any good graphics program - but that's why they aren't "specific".

step one: select an image to use for your "design" - make sure it is fairly simple. A complicated image could take hours to create! I used built in shapes to create a simple flower for this demonstration. (This image and a few others are provided in the crop kit.)



step two: resize that image to get it the size you want your final design to be. Select the background and invert the selection - copy this selection and copy into a new - transparent - image with some extra space. This part is optional but helpful when you are starting from a pre-existing image. The key is to have an image that is sized the way you want it and has extra space around it.

step three: create a new layer for your "stitches" - this will be the boundaries of the design and what give it the "clean" look.

step four: create your stitches! I suggest using a darkish color for the "thread". Make them close together, but not quite touching. Follow the instructions I gave in the "stitching" Gotta Do It! tutorial.



I find it easier to do the remaining steps if I "hide" the original image layer now. Once you have all the stitches drawn, you can texturize them and bevel them to make them look more real.



step five: Create a new layer - under the stitches - and draw in the "holes" for the stitches. Use a darker grey - set slightly larger than your stitch width. Make sure you use the holes to connect the stitches - they must touch all the way around!!!!!



step six: Once you have a "solid" looking outline, merge the top two layers.

The hardest (and longest) part is over now.

At this point, you should have two layers - the image and the stitching layer. Make sure your stitching is "solid". IOW, no gaps in the line.

step seven: create a new layer for your fill stitching (the colored in parts) - this layer needs to be under the outline stitching.

step eight: in a seperate window, open one or more of the fill patterns provided in the crop kit (or use the sample provided at the bottom of this tutorial). Recolor and adjust the brightness/contrast of the patch fill to get the desired color for your fill stitches.

step nine: go back to the "design" image and make the outline layer active. Use your highlight selection tool to highlight the area(s) you will be filling in. Now, use Select; Modify; expand - to make the selection slightly larger (no more than about half the size of the stitch width) this will ensure you have a selection that will go under the stitches and not leave any gaps. Make the layer under the outline active now.



step ten: now you are ready to "fill in" your design. There are many methods to do this... but using the clone tool is the most reliable and should work in all software programs. Set the clone tool to a large size - 100 or so should work well. Pick up your "source" from the patch fill pattern that you prepared; then go back to the design and fill in.



I found I needed to go over the area at least twice - if I only did it once, it looked a little "thin". You might play with the settings to get the look you want. I created the fill patterns at 6x6 inches to make it easier for you. However, if you are using the sample in the tutorial, you'll probably have to keep selecting a new area to clone from in order to fill your entire area. Try to make sure you match the pattern - on the example, this wasn't needed.



Once you get that area filled in, repeat the last few steps for each remaining area.



tips:

Rotate your patch fill to vary the angle of the stitching (I rotated for each petal).

Use different textured fills for different areas (I used a different fill pattern for the flower center).

I've explained in the stitching tutorial that individual stitches are usually straight... not curved. Here's a close-up to show you how you create a curved look with straight stitching:



Finally, so that you can try this out even if you didn't attend the crop.... here's the fill pattern I promised to you: