Things You'll Need
KG-Chart
Image file to convert
Cross-stitch is a wonderful medium for needlework art, but what if you want to use something other than a pre-made pattern or kit? Perhaps you have a picture of a pet or a unique drawing to adapt. There are programs available to do this; moreover, for those on a budget, there is a completely free program available called KG-Chart that is capable of converting images into patterns that use the DMC color chart.
Step 2
Open up KG-Chart and familiarize yourself with the functions and pallet before going further.
Step 3
Select Import from under the "File" menu to start the importing process.
Step 4
Choose an image from your files.
Step 5
Set the size of the chart (KG-Chart tends to reduce their size), the company pallet (DMC is the default) and the number of colors for the chart. The higher the number of colors, the more exact the reproduction.
Step 6
Click "Ok" and the image will be converted automatically. Examine the pattern to make sure that you like it. You can edit the image as you please from just recoloring a single square to completely switching an entire pallet assignment.
Tip
A simpler image with less color and shading variations will convert more cleanly to a pattern than one with a lot of detail.
Use higher resolutions images with more pixels for larger cross-stitch patterns.
If you don't have access to a computer or have trouble downloading the software, try copying your image onto tracing paper and then transfer the image to graph paper.
Warning
Smaller images make charts that are easier to work with. Remember that on 14 count cloth, a 100x100 pixel image would end up being around 7x7 inches when stitched out.
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