Create your own stitching patterns!
margaret | August 15, 2009
Use Adobe Illustrator (or a free drawing program) to help decide stitching patterns for your quilts.
Just take a photo of your quilt and use the [Place] command under [File] and place the photo into Illustrator. Next, use [Layers] to create a new layer above the photo. If [Layers] isn’t visible, go to [Window] and pull down to [Layers]. Look across the bottom of the [Layers] window to a small row of icons, the one next to the trash is the [New Layer] icon to choose. The icon looks like a page with one edge folded; click it. Now you have a second layer above the photo. Because you don’t want to draw on the layer with the photo, you will lock that layer.
Look to the left of the word “Layer 1” to see a small blank area; to the left of the blank area is an icon of an eye. The eye will allow you to view the layer and if you click the eye the layer will not be visible. The blank area to the right of the eye is where you will lock the layer (to prevent you from drawing on that layer); click right in the blank and a lock will appear. Both the eye and the lock are simply toggle switches, so you may switch them off and on at will. (more…)
