Texture in Digital Pattern Design: Essential Guide to Pattern Effects
Hey texture explorers! 💫
You know that moment when you're staring at your pattern design thinking "why doesn't this look like the ones I love on Pinterest?" Yeah, we've been there too (like, a lot 😅). After countless hours of trying to figure out why our designs felt... flat, we finally cracked it: TEXTURE.
We're not talking about those overwhelming, over-the-top textures that scream "I just discovered filters!" We mean those subtle, gorgeous details that make digital patterns feel alive. You know the ones!
Here's what we've learned on our texture journey (and we're still learning!):
→ Sometimes the smallest grain makes the biggest difference
→ Abstract textures aren't as scary as they look
→ Gradient textures? Total game-changer
→ Those "happy accidents" with mixed media often turn out to be the best designs
We've put together everything we wish someone had told us when we started - all the trials, errors, and tiny victories that got us here. Because honestly? We're all figuring this out together, and that's what makes it fun!
✨ Check out our full guide here: https://design2repeat.com/texture-in-digital-pattern-design
Let's keep exploring and creating together! Drop us a note if you've had any texture "aha!" moments - we'd love to hear about your journey too!
I have hit a wall when it comes to commercial patterns. Because I'm 'not conventionally shaped' (An actual term I read on a pattern blog. Ew.) things don't fit me well. Most, if not all, commercial patterns think we're all proportioned the same. Meaning even if you're plus sized, all your measurements are just scaled up from a petite.
We're not all five foot eight, with C cups and a narrow waist. I know I sure as heck am not! So that's where pattern blocks come in.
An important note: These instructions do not include seam allowances or ease. I chose not to include them because I think seam allowance sizes are heavily dependant on the fabric you choose for your garment, while ease is dependant on the style you want. For example, if you want to have a tight fitting pencil skirt with smooth lines, you will probably want to have minimal ease (The difference between your body and the garment) and thin and knit fabrics generally favour narrow seams, while woven fabrics need wider ones to prevent fraying.
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A pattern block is what most garment designs start out as. Think of them as a foundation to build future patterns off of. They are made specifically to your body measurements. Unlike draping (Which I will cover in the future) they are done flat, with some easy calculations.
We'll start with the easiest block first, which is the Skirt Block.
Materials needed:
A roll of paper. I used Kraft wrapping paper. If you can find wrapping paper that has a grid pattern on the back, that would make things MUCH easier for you! You can also tape a few sheets of printer paper edge to edge, which would make folding and storing your block easy as well.
A flexible measuring tape, or a tailor's tape. If you don't have one of these, you can use string, as long as it has zero stretch.
A straight edge, pencil, and scissors.
Measurements needed:
Your waist at it's narrowest point
Your full hip*
Distance between Waist and Hip
Distance between Waist and Knee
Side to side across the front waist and full hip**
Side to side across the back waist and full hip**
*Another negative about commercial patterns is that they don't take into account belly protrusion. To measure your FULL hip, place a ruler against your belly button, vertically, so it hangs past your groin. Then wrap your measuring tape around your bum and the ruler. The only time you would need the measurement of your 'unfull' hip is for items that you wear below your tummy, like undies.
**Don't just divide your measurements in half. Again, bellies are involved here. Look at yourself side on. Does your body stick out the same distance on the back as your tum? Probably not! To make this measuring easier, wear a tight shirt with side seams, and measure from seam to seam.
Map your measurements:
The process for both the front and back panels are the same, it's just the measurements that are different.
Your full hip should be your largest measurement. You need your paper to be at least half of your side to side full hip. For example, if your full hip measurement is 30 inches from side to side across your back, you need your paper to be at least 15 inches wide.
Measure 1/2 inch down from the top of your page and make a mark. This is A. With a straight edge, draw a line across your page. This straight line will be your waist.
From A to B is the distance between your waist and your hip. At B, draw a line across the page. A to C is the length from your waist to your knee.
You should have a rectangle now. But, we're not tubes, and neither are our clothes! We need to create a dart. Which involves *Shudder* math...
I promise though, even I was able to do it, and I have to take off my shoes to count to eleven.
The measurements you need to create a dart are the side to side waist and side to side hip, which we already have marked down on our page. To calculate, simply take the waist measurement from the full hip measurement.
Mark the halfway point between edges of your rectangle. This is D. Draw a line from D down to the line we have for the full hip measurement.
Divide your dart measurement (The difference between your waist and hip) in half. Place a mark on either side of point D with that number. For example, if your dart measurement was 4 you would put mark 2 inches on one side of D and 2 on the other.
Draw lines from those two points down to the full hip line.
In the diagram, imagine that the thin line is the top edge of the paper. Draw two lines from your dart edges up to the top of the paper to create a small point. This is so that when the eventual garment is made, that point will sit flush against the waist as opposed to make a pocket.
Cut the 1/2 inch of extra paper away. Your pattern block is ready to go! With it you can design all sorts of skirts. If you create a bodice block, you can combine the two to make dress patterns.
Hello! I did this on stream sunday (FehInProgress on Picarto) and then promissed a proper tutorial, I hope this was usefull, feel free to send me an ask if you have any questions!
It is a very simple tecnique that can bring a lot of details to your piece!
I want to do more tutorials, so if there is anything that I do that you would like to know the process, or just anything in general, please let me know!
This is the stitch I previewed last week. I’ve seen it also called “Cross Over Block Stitch” and “Cross Over Dc” but from here on, I’m just going to refer to it as the Cable stitch. What I mainly like about this stitch is that it’s a rather simple change to regular C2C, but it provides such a different look. And it makes a springy/stretchy piece of crochet. If you can do the regular C2C crochet, you can do this stitch.
Below are some notes and instructions I’ve written up for making this C2C Cable stitch:
Making the Cable Stitch
A Cable stitch is made over the space of four stitches. To start, you skip the first stitch, make 1 dc across the next 3 stitches, then move your crochet hook back to the first stitch and make a dc. When you insert your hook into the stitch for the fourth dc, make sure to draw up a loop longer than you did for the other dcs. Otherwise, the Cable stitch is going to be too tight.
For the Cable stitches made in the ch-3 spaces, make 3 dc, then insert your hook before the first dc (the part of the ch-3 space that's between the first dc and the sl st) and make the fourth dc.
Starting the C2C Cable Stitch:
Just like a regular C2C stitch, you're going to start a row by making a Cable stitch across chain stitches and then work the Cable stitches in the ch-3 spaces made in the previous row.
Row 1: ch 7, make a dc in the 5th ch from the hook and in the next 2 stitches. Go back to the 4th ch from the hook (the ch before the first dc made) and make a dc.
Row 2: ch 7 and make a Cable stitch across the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th* chains from the hook. Insert your hook into the ch-3 space from the previous row and make a sl st. Ch 3 and make a Cable stitch.
(*The order of the chains being worked would be: 5th, 6th, 7th, then go back to the 4th.)
Row 3+: For each row after this, you repeat Row 2. Start your rows with an increase made by chaining 7 and working a Cable stitch across the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th chains from the hook. Then in every ch-3 space of the previous row, do the following: sl st, ch 3 and make a Cable stitch.
Decreasing the C2C Cable stitch:
When you get to the size you want, you'll decrease in the same manner as you would a regular C2C project.
Decrease Row 1: ch 1 and make a sl st in each of the 4 dcs and the ch-3 space of the previous row. In the ch-3 space, ch 3 and make a Cable stitch. Move to the next ch-3 space and *sl st, ch 3, and make a Cable stitch*. Repeat * * for the rest of the ch-3 spaces of the previous row until you reach the last ch-3 space. In the last ch-3 space, you only make a sl st. Then turn your work and repeat Decrease Row 1.
For some reason tumblr’s being weird about me editing in more photos, so here’s a picture showing a starting and ending of rows 1, 2, and the decrease row:
A bit late, but here’s the full tutorial for how to use the pattern here, this was done with a smaller scale of the plush(that I was using to test the pattern), so it was hand stitched, but it should be easier to use a sowing machine on the larger size. The pattern I used was an older one without Millie so I wont be getting into that here ><”
*Warning: Image Heavy
First: cut your pieces out: Ive shown above which pieces go where.
We’ll start with the head first:
The Head will have you stitch around the longest piece, make sure that you line it up at the hairline, not just where the fabric begins, but also account for the seam allowance. Pin here.
Stitch around the head on both sides until you have his lil muppet head.
Next, construct his arms and legs.
Make sure the lines and “gloves” line up when stitching them together. Pull the arms inside out and stuff them, a stick(like a pencil or choptsick) will be helpful in this.
The legs are made by folding them in half and leaving the “top” part of the leg open. You can stuff these at this time if you wish.
Align the arms on the front of the uniform, making sure the stripes are on the right, top off and pin with the “back” of the uniform so all you see is the white of the inside. Stitch along the sides over the arms as well. If you’re using a sewing machine, I’d advise to go slow over the arms and make sure you don’t have any stuffing in the part you’re stitching so that you can make sure you get all the fabric and dont break your needle. Leave the neck and bottom alone for now.
Take the head and slide it into the body, make sure the face is facing “forward” or the front of the uniform, all you should see is white. Pin the front and back of the head first, then go around and pin the fabric around the neck to make sure you’re stitching the head on evenly. This is better done by hand than machine, as the area can get quite small, and if you make a mistake its easier to rip hand stitches out. The third pic is another way you can do it, if it makes more sense to you visibly. The trick here is to make sure to do it evenly and to not leave any gaps, as there is a chance of a turkey neck if its stitched too together. Flip inside out and inspect your work!
Muppet man!
The circle itself is bigger than it needs to be, so cut it down to the size of your gap(it varies) His legs should have the boots pointed toward you, with the stitch line facing towards the body. Stitch the legs and the bottom circle to his front like shown
Stuff him
Stitch the circle closed (a ladder stitch is useful here)
