Heather Martin

Many cross stitchers prefer to design their own patterns, rather than use someone else's design.  Others prefer to buy a pattern and choose their own colors instead of those stipulated by the original designer.

Either way, it does require a certain amount of thought leading to new ideas of your own in both creativity and composition. These designs can be either complex, with highly intricate patterns, or plain and simple that appeal like a breath of fresh air.  Clearly the choice depends on the individual, and their own level of cross stitch knowledge and expertise. A new design, or color scheme, should be thought out carefully, with the desire to stir the emotions and make an impact on the viewer.  Many designers work from the heart and trust their own instincts.

The web site Diannic Designs at www.diannicdesigns.com/info.asp has a brief but fascinating article on the believed origins of cross stitch and is an interesting read. A good range of historical designs are listed in addition to Diane's own modern art deco products. It follows if you want to create a unique design, you're likely to get some 'inspiration' from the past. After all, someone, somewhere designed the first cross stitch, and it was probably a very simple design to begin with.

When designing a new pattern or design for cross stitch, think of the stitches and their limitations.  Many web sites can transfer your original art work into cross stitch patterns with a similar look, yet will still look different because of the stitch limitations.  Think of using line, shape, space, size, values, color and texture while you are preparing the transfer.  And remember, cross stitch is not a photograph of your work, but a cross stitch design of original art work.

One particular web site can transfer all forms of art work and photographs onto cross stitch with amazing results.  "Photo Patterns Cross Stitch" at http://www.photopattern.com/ is a place where you need to go if your are serious about this style or you want to learn a little more of their technique.

Another important thing to remember is to use the principles of design in your designed cross stitch pattern: unity, harmony, balance, rhythm, contrast, dominance, and gradiation. One simple grape and a leaf on a vine can have all of these characteristics if done correctly.

It is not as simple as cross stitching a green grape with a green vine on it.  Shading, how the green threads blend together, using dark and light greens for shading, shading the grape to allow light to enter the picture, are all tools that need to work together in harmony for high quality and impact.

For myself, I quickly draw my sketches with a charcoal pencil or a black pen onto a paper as a white background, allowing the principles of design to become more balanced as I work the project.  Each step works into the next one, until you develop a feeling for the cross-stitch design.  This feeling is not because the work is simple; it is because of the simplistic designing result. 

When you are comfortable with working the threads and doing the cross stitch of other designers over time, only then will you feel comfortable with designing your own cross stitch or changing someone else's designs to fit your own creativity. 

Trust me, you will know when this change is ready to occur, because you will begin to think to yourself, "Maybe I need this shade of green instead of the one chosen for me," or perhaps you will begin to experiment with new ideas on color schemes, shades and hues that will fit your own creativity instead of that of the original pattern.

Eventually, you will want to add more grapes or move the leaves to different locations, instead of where they are at present.  These are all simple moves, but when added together, they will transfer the newly designed pattern from someone else's ideas to a new pattern of your own.  You will then justifiably have become the designer and creator of your very own unique cross stitch pattern.