I see this frequently all over the internet and let me be honest with you. When someone posts in a Facebook group for cross stitchers that they want to start designing, that they're inquiring about design software, my first instinct is… You're not ready.
I come across as maybe insensitive, but I'm trying to be honest. What designers do is not easy, and I'll try to explain this as best possible so you understand my perspective. I'm not trying to gate-keep. I'm trying to open potential designer's eyes to what they are facing.
Making your own patterns for personal use is completely different than making patterns for public use, especially if you plan on selling them. Let's break that down:
I want to make patterns for my own use to stitch.
Awesome! That's cool! I'm sure you've looked everywhere to see if there was already an existing pattern of what you want to stitch, and nothing quite fit what you have in mind. There are many web-based apps and software you can use to design your perfect pattern. Maybe you want to convert a family photo and stitch it. Maybe you have a cute quote or song lyrics you want to stitch. Maybe you want to stitch your favorite Pokémon and you couldn't find the right one out of the 10,000 Pokémon patterns that are already out there. Go for it! Use those free resources and design the perfect pattern.
I want to make patterns to sell.
And here comes the wall of text from someone who has been slinging pixels for years.
Firstly, if you're in a FB group, asking about becoming a designer to sell patterns, you have not done your research, which is indicative of your readiness. What most new designers skip in the whole business part of becoming an artist is Market Research.
Let's talk about Market Research before we even get to the art part. Market Research is a constantly changing entity that artists and businesses should be conducting frequently. Market Research prevents you from duplicating or copying work that's already out there. The point of this research is to ensure that the product you're throwing into the world is unique enough to stand out from the rest.
Let's example with a popular design theme. I want to design a pattern that says, "Don't do coke in the bathroom." We've all seen this one. I can't tell you who designed it first. It uses a pretty font and a vintage-feel floral border. It's ironic and would be a fun jest in your bathroom for when company comes to visit. I get the appeal.
But look at this. This was a Etsy search for 'Don't Do Coke in the Bathroom Cross Stitch" and the results actually go several pages in.
Let's take a closer look at the search results shown in the image.
We've got the same quote, but with different fonts, with backstitching, and variations of floral elements. All of them are ok designs that could appeal to any stitcher who likes this aesthetic. Now look at the range of price points. Of course some of these patterns are bigger / more stitch counts than others, but you typically want to price your patterns appropriately. In looking at this selection of patterns, I can see the 2nd pattern, the one composed of backstitching, is significantly pricier than the much larger full-stitch versions.
The first, third, and fourth patterns are all under $4. One of them is on sale for $1.93. Aside from this being a dime a dozen pattern, they have seriously undercut themselves and depreciated the value of their product. Sure, a $2 pattern may entice some shoppers, but then I start to worry about the integrity of the pattern when they're so cheap. By pricing your patterns so low, you're creating a Market Standard that all patterns should be priced this low. This is highly discouraging for designers, especially if you're spending weeks, if not months on one design.
So what's the appeal? You see that one person is making it with their 'Don't Do Coke' pattern and you want in on some of that action. Well, sure, you can do that. But make it different. If you're done your market research, you can see that there's already pages and pages of this pattern in slightly different variations. Why go through all the effort, only be to be glossed over by shoppers?
I'm not a market professional by any means. But I do recognize that the market is saturated with pattern designers and having your own unique style will take you further than copying what is already out there.
Be a Stitcher
If you want to jump into the industry, be a stitcher. Stitchers know what stitchers like. Get some experience stitching different types of designs, from the Antique Pattern Library, from your favorite modern designers, even freebies that you can find everywhere.
Support other designers! Look at their work. Look at how they compile their PDFs. Find the stuff you don't like (for example, why are there so many confetti stitches? Why did they split this pattern up over so many pages in a weird way? Why didn't they put the color key in numerical order? By being a stitcher and discovering the things you like and don't like, you'll be better prepared to make your own patterns.
Now let's talk about Trademark, Copyright, and use of Generative A.I.
Let me preface this with a disclaimer that I am also not an authority about trademark, copyright, or anything artificial intelligence. Laws are different in every country, but when all else fails you, think of the ethical implications.
Trademark and Copyright - Art, music, film, theater, cartoons, poetry, characters, literature, and drawings, are all typically trademarked to the original artist or corporate entity that owns them. We all know that you can't do anything Mickey Mouse or the Big D will get you. Making a design of your favorite anime character --- that's infringement if you're selling the pattern / product. Taking your favorite song lyric and making a cross stitch pattern and selling it… copyright infringement. If someone else created the original content, it's not yours. And I'm sure some people will say, I make derivatives! I get that, I make derivative art, too. I'm just saying be very careful. What you think could be a cool artistic side hustle could get you in a lot of trouble if you start using other people's intellectual property without their consent.
Parallel Thinking - Sometimes something big happens in the world, like the Barbie movie. An influx of Barbie and Kenough patterns took over the stitching spaces in a big wave. People want to stitch the things they love, I get that. And designers want in on that action, and a surefire way to do that is to design something that's pertinent in current events and pop culture. But all those Barbie patterns? Copyright and Trademark infringement. Those that are selling designs like that will get tapped on the shoulder by some lawyers someday.
Now let's talk consent! If there's imagery that you'd like to use, contact the artist and ask if you can license their artwork for the express purpose of designing and selling a pattern. It's harder to contact major corporations, like Disney, but it's much easier to contact your favorite artists through email, their website, or even their social media. Licensing typically costs money, and be prepared to pay. And be sure to set terms that everyone can agree with. Will you be selling this pattern just digitally? Will it go into print form and distributed across the world? Set expectations and be sure to pay the artist appropriately and give proper credits within your listings and pattern documentation.
Use of artificial intelligence to generate patterns.
This is a modern day conundrum that's swept over the cross stitch world like a brushfire in Texas. AI doesn't know art, it scrapes imagery that has been fed to it to create a hodge-podge of art. For example, you can ask a prompter, 'Give me an image of a giant fish as if it were designed by Studio Ghibli." And the program will spit out some weird rendering that pulls imagery, color combinations, drawing styles, etc. from Studio Ghibli. Artists would call this theft. There's no credit or compensation given to the artists who did not give anyone permission to use their artwork as a teaching / art pool for AI programs. I have a lot to say about AI generated work which will come at another time, but please do not use AI or clip art "stock photos" that were made with AI in your pattern making. It creates soulless work that is actually a burden for stitchers to stitch, along with the uncanny valley that comes from imagery like this.
Now onto the Actual Art.
Being an artist actually helps here. Build your style, build your aesthetic. Pull out your drawing pad and start drawing. Follow some youtube videos if you need help! There are lots of tutorials out there to get you feeling comfortable with your tools of choice (paper and pen, paint, digital drawing, etc.). And speaking from my experience, work on subjects that you want to work on, on themes that interest you. If you are creating art for other people, this will be a completely different journey for you, which usually ends up in burn-out. Translating your art into pixels is something that will require trial, error, and experience, if you've never worked with pixel art before. Cross stitch is just acoustic pixel art, you know. Consider taking a Pixel Art class!
Also knowing color palettes will be beneficial, especially if you intend on using multiple colors in your designs. Are you using DMC floss? Get yourself a threaded color card, or collect all of their skeins. Understanding the range of floss colors available to you is extremely important.
Now get to work, we haven't even made a pattern yet!
Stay tuned, I plan on making this a multi-part series. Share this article if you feel it will help someone looking into becoming a designer! If you like what I do, feel free to subscribe to blog updates! I love validation! Click me to submit your email address!
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