Cross Stitch Pattern Maker: Turn Any Photo into a Stitchable Pattern
Upload a photo and get a ready-to-stitch cross stitch pattern in seconds, with floss colour references and stitch counts included. Choose your size and fabric, preview the result, and start stitching.
From photo to pattern in four steps
- Upload your image. Choose a photo, drawing or artwork. Portraits, pets, landscapes and logos all work.
- Pick your size. Go from a small 50 × 50 stitch design to a detailed 160 × 160 stitch piece.
- Choose your fabric. Select 11, 14, 16 or 18-count Aida and see how big the finished piece will be.
- Preview, refine and download. Check the symbols and colours, paint over any stitches you want to change, then export your pattern.
Control every detail of your pattern
Four stitch sizes. Start small or go big: 50 × 50, 80 × 80, 120 × 120 or 160 × 160 stitches. Smaller patterns stitch up quickly, while larger ones keep more detail in faces and fine lines.
Accurate colour matching. Choose how your photo colours are matched to floss: Balanced (fast), Accurate (CIE Lab) or Most accurate (CIEDE2000). The more accurate modes follow how the eye sees colour, so skin tones and skies look right.
Dithering options. Pick flat colours for a clean, graphic look, or use Floyd–Steinberg, Atkinson or Sierra Lite to blend shades and give photos more depth.
Fabric count and real-world size. Choose 11, 14, 16 or 18-count Aida. On 14-count, an 80 × 80 stitch pattern comes to about 5.7 inches (14.5 cm) square, so you know the size before you buy fabric.
Symbols and colour references. Turn on symbols for a chart you can follow, with floss colours and stitch counts so you know what to buy.
Edit before you stitch. Zoom in and paint over individual stitches to tidy edges, remove stray stitches or change a colour.
Made for stitchers, not designers
- No software to install. It runs in your browser, so there is nothing to download and no learning curve.
- Results in seconds. Change a setting and see the pattern update.
- Honest sizing. Stitch count and fabric count are shown together, so there are no surprises.
- Your choice of output. Download the whole folder, or just the file you need.
Patterns for every kind of project
- Personalised gifts: pets, family portraits, wedding dates, baby announcements.
- Beginners: start with a small, simple pattern and work up.
- Hobbyists: turn travel photos and favourite artwork into something to hang on your wall.
- Pattern sellers: make a first draft of a design, then refine it.
How to get the best pattern from your photo
- Choose a clear photo. Good lighting and a simple background give cleaner results.
- Crop to your subject. Crop first so the stitches go on what matters.
- Match size to detail. Faces need more stitches than logos or silhouettes.
- Compare dithering modes. Flat colours suit graphics, and dithering suits photos.
- Try the more accurate colour matching if skin tones look off.
Frequently asked questions
Upload your image, choose a size and fabric count, adjust the colour settings, and download your pattern. The whole process takes a minute or two.
What size should my pattern be?
Use 50 × 50 for simple designs and small projects, 80 × 80 for most photos, and 120 × 120 or 160 × 160 for portraits and detailed scenes.
Which fabric count should I choose?
14-count Aida is the most common and a good default for beginners. Use 11-count for larger, easier stitches, and 16 or 18-count for finer detail.
What do the dithering options do?
Dithering mixes pixels of different colours to imitate shades the pattern doesn’t have. Without it, you get flat blocks of colour. With it, photos look smoother but use more colour changes.
How is colour matching different between the modes?
Balanced is fastest. Accurate (CIE Lab) and Most accurate (CIEDE2000) compare colours the way human vision does, so they usually produce better skin tones and gradients.
Can I edit the pattern?
Yes. Zoom in and paint over any stitch to change its colour.
Is It Free?
Yes. Cross Stitch Mate Is Free forever.
Is It Free Do I need an account?
No. Cross Stitch Mate does not require any account for you to start converting your images into Cross Stitch Patterns. Just upload images by clicking on the browse files button above and have your image converted to a cross stitch pattern in an instant.
Are my photos stored?
Cross Stitch Mate never stores any photos or images on it’s servers, every photo is processed and converted in your browser, nothing is ever sent to the site.