Getting a good pet portrait
Use a photo taken at the pet's eye level, in daylight, with the face filling most of the frame. Crop before you start. 70 to 100 stitches wide gives enough room for eyes and whiskers; 16 to 24 colours keep fur looking soft.
Eyes matter most. If they come out flat, add colours or go wider, then stitch a single white highlight by hand.
Questions
Is it free? Do I need an account?
Free, no account, no watermark. The pattern is made in your browser and your photo is never uploaded.
What makes a photo work well?
One clear subject, good light and strong contrast. Crop close before you start. Pets, flowers, birds and simple drawings come out best. Busy backgrounds turn into noise, so try Leave the background bare.
What is confetti and why clean it up?
Confetti is a single stitch of one colour surrounded by others. It looks like detail on screen but means starting and ending a thread for one cross. Hoop swaps each lone stitch for the colour around it, so the pattern is calmer to stitch.
How many colours should I pick?
Between 10 and 16 suits most photos. Fewer colours make a bolder, more graphic pattern and fewer skeins. Portraits with soft skin tones need 20 or more.
How is the skein count worked out?
From the number of stitches in each colour, the fabric count and two strands, with half again added for starting, ending and travelling on the back. A DMC skein is 8 metres of six strands. Buy one spare of any colour you use a lot.
Which fabric should I buy?
14-count aida is the usual start: easy to see and count. 16 and 18 make a smaller, finer piece from the same pattern. Cut your fabric 3 inches (7.5 cm) bigger than the design on every side.
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