Cross stitch pattern maker

How it works

The photo is shrunk to the number of stitches you choose across, and every stitch takes the closest of a small set of colors picked from the picture itself. Fewer colors give a simpler, bolder pattern; more colors keep more detail but mean more thread changes. Fewer single stitches folds lone stitches into the color around them, so the chart has less confetti to work.

Fabric count is the number of stitches per inch: on 14-count Aida, 70 stitches make 5 inches. Leave at least 2 to 3 inches of fabric on every side for framing. The chart prints with a heavier line every 10 stitches, the stitch numbers along the top and side, and red arrows at the center, which is where most stitchers start.

Choosing thread

The key gives each color a number, a symbol, its color code and how many stitches use it, with a line to write in the thread you pick. Thread makers do not publish exact screen colors for their floss, so match by holding the thread against the printed key or a photo, in daylight.

Photos with a clear subject and a plain background work best: a pet, a face, a house. The photo stays on your device. For drawing a pattern square by square, try the pixel art maker.