How the cross stitch pattern maker works
Choose a picture
Pick, drop or paste a photo. The cross stitch pattern maker charts it at once, with no account.
Set size and colours
Drag Width and Thread colours. The cross stitch pattern maker updates the chart, key and finished size as you go.
Check the stitched look
Open Stitched to see crosses on cloth. The cross stitch pattern maker lets you swap threads, crop, or paint single stitches.
Print the chart
Download PDF from the cross stitch pattern maker: thread key, numbered pages, bold tens and centre marks.
What the cross stitch pattern maker gives you
A chart should tell you what to buy and how to work it. This cross stitch pattern maker puts those answers beside the grid, free.
| Printable PDF | Symbols on colour, black symbols to save ink, colour squares, or text symbols for Pattern Keeper; Letter or A4; large print squares |
|---|---|
| Thread key | DMC or Anchor number, colour name, symbol, stitch count, backstitch length and skeins for every thread |
| Fabric plan | Finished size in inches and centimetres, plus the piece to cut with 3 inches spare on each side |
| Stitch tracker | Mark finished stitches and see what is left per thread; saved in this browser |
| Other files | PNG image, OXS exchange file, and a Save file to reopen later |
How this cross stitch pattern maker picks threads
A photo has thousands of shades and a project has a few dozen, so no cross stitch pattern maker can claim the one right chart. This cross stitch pattern maker follows fixed rules, so the same picture and settings always give the same chart.
From pixels to stitches
The cross stitch pattern maker shrinks the picture to one colour per stitch, favouring detail, then sharpens. Each stitch votes for its closest thread, using CIEDE2000, a colour difference formula; edge stitches count extra. Our cross stitch pattern maker is tested against the authors’ published pairs.
Reducing the palette
The cross stitch pattern maker merges the closest thread groups to your colour limit, then tries swaps, so a small red mouth usually keeps its thread. A thread under 10 stitches joins any close match.
Tidying stray stitches
Lone stitches, known as confetti, are slow to work. By default the cross stitch pattern maker gives each one close in colour to the thread around it; Tune the picture gives the count. A strong dark or bright detail usually stays. Set Single stitches to keep them, and raise Blend colours for smoother shading.
Cross stitch pattern maker fabric and floss sums
Finished size
size in inches = stitches ÷ stitches per inch
Aida is sold by count: 14-count has 14 stitches per inch. Evenweave over two gives half its count, so 28-count is 14. The cross stitch pattern maker adds 3 inches on every side for the fabric to cut.
Skein estimate
skeins = stitches ÷ stitches per skein, rounded up per colour
One cross uses two diagonals in front and two straight runs behind, about 4.83 stitch widths of strand. The cross stitch pattern maker multiplies by strands, adds 70% for tails and travel, and divides into a skein of 8 metres × 6 strands, or 48 metres. Treat it as a planning figure.
Worked example
The opening chart in this cross stitch pattern maker is The Great Wave at 120 × 81, or 9,720 squares. On 14-count Aida that finishes at 8.6 × 5.8 inches. With two strands, one skein covers about 1,611 stitches, so a thread with 2,963 stitches needs 2 skeins.
Getting the best from a cross stitch pattern maker
- Crop tight. In the cross stitch pattern maker, press Crop picture, drag the frame.
- Lift contrast. Thread has less range than a screen. In the cross stitch pattern maker, try Contrast at +15.
- Remove plain backgrounds. The cross stitch pattern maker leaves that cloth unstitched, which saves hours.
- Judge at arm’s length. The Stitched view in the cross stitch pattern maker shows how it reads on a wall.
- Click a thread in the key. The cross stitch pattern maker lights up its stitches so you can swap or remove it.
Where this cross stitch pattern maker stops
This cross stitch pattern maker charts whole stitches and straight backstitch, with no fractional stitches or French knots. Threads are DMC or Anchor stranded cotton, with no metallic colours or blends, and backstitch is drawn by hand rather than found in the picture. Files stop at 30 MB, sides shrink to 2,000 pixels, and the cross stitch pattern maker stops at 400 by 400. Chart only images you have the right to use.
Cross stitch pattern maker questions
Is this cross stitch pattern maker really free?
Yes. This cross stitch pattern maker works without an account or paywall, and the PDF only adds a footer credit. Charts run up to 400 by 400.
Does the cross stitch pattern maker upload my photo?
No. Your browser runs the cross stitch pattern maker, so the picture never reaches a server. The statistics on the privacy page never include it.
How big should a chart from a cross stitch pattern maker be?
Use 120 to 200 stitches wide for faces and pets, and 40 to 80 for logos. On 14-count Aida, 140 stitches is 10 inches across. The cross stitch pattern maker shows the size as you drag Width.
How many colours should I use in a cross stitch pattern maker?
Try 20 to 30 for photos, 4 to 12 for logos; 60 maximum. In the cross stitch pattern maker, add colours only while the Stitched view keeps improving.
Can this cross stitch pattern maker use only the threads I own?
Yes. Open "Use only threads I own", paste your DMC or Anchor numbers, and the cross stitch pattern maker rebuilds the chart from that list. Unknown numbers are named so you can fix them.
Can I draw my own design in the cross stitch pattern maker?
Yes. Open "Draw on a blank chart" and paint with any of the 489 DMC or 442 Anchor threads. Every cross stitch pattern maker drawing tool works on photo charts too.
Which software opens the OXS file from this cross stitch pattern maker?
OXS is an exchange format; no other app is tested yet. The cross stitch pattern maker writes the grid, backstitch and threads, and reopens it.
Can the cross stitch pattern maker chart in Anchor threads?
Yes. Set Thread brand to Anchor and the cross stitch pattern maker charts the picture again from 442 Anchor colours. A blank, reopened or hand-edited chart keeps its stitches and takes the closest Anchor thread for each colour.
How do I add backstitch in the cross stitch pattern maker?
Pick Line, choose a thread, and drag between stitch corners. Tap a line to remove it. The cross stitch pattern maker adds each thread's backstitch to the key, the skein count, the PDF and the OXS file.
Can I add words to a chart in the cross stitch pattern maker?
Yes. Pick Text, type a line, choose block, sans, serif or script letters and a height, then click the chart to place it.
Does the cross stitch pattern maker work with Pattern Keeper?
It has a Pattern Keeper PDF style, with symbols you can select as text. Pattern Keeper reads whole stitches only, so backstitch stays out. We have not tested this inside the Android app, so try a small chart first.
Does the cross stitch pattern maker show exact thread colours?
No. DMC and Anchor publish no RGB values, so every cross stitch pattern maker relies on estimates. Check numbers against real floss in daylight before buying.
Does the cross stitch pattern maker work on a phone?
Yes. The cross stitch pattern maker runs in mobile browsers: pinch to zoom, and tap with Track to mark stitches as you work.
Will the cross stitch pattern maker keep my chart?
The cross stitch pattern maker saves your latest charts in this browser. Save file makes a copy for another device, without the photo.
Cross stitch pattern maker sources
- Thread colours: 931 community colour estimates from the dmc package (MIT) and a DMC palette generator (BSD-3-Clause) for DMC, and go-cross-stitch (MIT) for Anchor.
- Colour difference: Sharma, Wu and Dalal, the CIEDE2000 implementation notes.
- The example paintings are credited on the About page.