Need guidline/hint/ideas for creating embroidery patterns

[edpatterson]

I searched the forums but it turns out 'pattern' is a really silly search term :-)

My sister is trying to recreate/repair a quilt my mother made. It consists of many 8x8 embroidered squares sewn together. Genius that I am I figured I could simply take a photo of each square, load it up into paint.net, add a layer and trace over the lines.

Turns out I really, really suck at tracing. Next I tried embossing the image and finally posterizing (sp?) it.

Now I am here. What is the easiest way to make a pattern from a photograph. This are pretty simple line art kind of things, lots of chain stitches.

I would be more than happy to send a sample picture of one of the squares if that would help.

I'd like to get the patterns done before she figures out just how much work she is in for :-)

Thanks,

Ed

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Hi Ed, Welcome to the forum!

Are we talking about "peggy" squares (crochet in wool) or embroidery (fancy stitching on a backing fabric)?

A pic of the square and one of a sample pattern would help us figure out if there is an easy transition from one to the other.

[edpatterson]

Thanks, here is a sample. I put a yard stick on there for a size reference.

Hi Ed, Welcome to the forum!

Are we talking about "peggy" squares (crochet in wool) or embroidery (fancy stitching on a backing fabric)?

A pic of the square and one of a sample pattern would help us figure out if there is an easy transition from one to the other.

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Give me a few hours and I'll see if I can come up with a simple, repeatable method of isolating the pattern.

At first impression I'd be thinking of using the Isolate Lineart plugin on a greyscale version of the image.

[MadJik]

Majority in "Reduce to primal color" seems to work well with this image...

[Ego Eram Reputo]

First attempt:

1. Adjustments > Black and White

2. Effects > Color > Color to Alpha (Strength around 136 - everything else at defaults)

Second attempt:

1. Effects > Artistic > Ink Sketch (Ink outline = 28, Coloring = 36 ( a nice option if you wish to retain some color information)

Try those and madJik's suggeston and see if we're getting close with any.

[yellowman]

If you have a scanner, and if the quilt is thin enough, then try to put a solid sheet or a book behind the squares shapes, wrap and stretch them well and scan them instead of photo them, then use EER and/or MadJik methods.

You can scan them in black/white or gray scale.

[edpatterson]

Thanks! I'll give them a try. I live in Florida, she lives in Iowa so it would be real nice if I could get it all done while I am visiting.