As a designer immersed in the world of cross-stitch, I’ve long celebrated the joy of creating something slowly, carefully, and meaningfully. This craft, like many others, is built upon time-honoured traditions of handwork—of taking needle to fabric and watching, stitch by stitch, a picture come to life. Yet, in recent months, I’ve found myself increasingly reflecting on a difficult question: What does “handmade” mean in 2025, when patterns can be created in moments with the help of artificial intelligence and auto-conversion tools?
The pace of technological advancement in our creative world has been astonishing. With tools like DALL·E, Midjourney, and increasingly sophisticated cross-stitch converters, it is now possible for anyone to generate an image and have it transformed into a pattern almost instantly. In many ways, this accessibility is a wonderful thing. It opens doors for creativity, lowers barriers to entry, and brings more people into the stitching fold. But it also raises a crucial question—where do we draw the line between something that is thoughtfully handmade, and something that is merely auto-generated?
For me, the answer lies in intention. When I create a pattern, it doesn’t begin with software—it begins with emotion, with resonance. A piece of art must first speak to me, stir something, suggest that it might sing in thread and fabric. From there begins a long journey: enhancing colours in Photoshop, adjusting tones and textures, trialling dimensions, testing stitch counts, previewing and rejecting many options before a single design makes it through. Only then does the laborious process of refinement begin—removing stray stitches, curating colour palettes, ensuring that the end result doesn’t just look good, but stitches well.
It’s not just about aesthetics—it’s about usability, readability, and joy in stitching.
By contrast, an auto-generated pattern, while often impressive at first glance, can sometimes lack this human filter. It may contain 100+ colours for a small piece, scattered symbols that confuse rather than clarify, or imagery that blurs into noise when reduced to stitches. The machine can replicate beauty—but it cannot yet replicate taste, patience, or care.
We’re currently seeing an influx of patterns flooding marketplaces—many made rapidly, sometimes in bulk, using AI-generated images and automated conversion. Some of these are genuinely lovely. Others, sadly, show the signs of haste: a lack of editing, unclear charts, or overly ambitious detail that won’t translate well to fabric.
This glut of content can make it harder for stitchers to discern what they’re buying. It also risks devaluing the incredible craftsmanship behind well-made patterns. We’ve all been tempted by a beautiful mock-up or a stunning digital image, only to find, after spending time and money, that the actual stitching experience falls short.
That isn’t to say that AI or auto-conversion tools are inherently “bad”—far from it. I admire the ingenuity behind them and use some myself, as part of my toolkit. But I firmly believe they must be tempered with human editing, judgment, and above all—heart.
To stitch is to slow down in a world that rarely allows for it. To create a pattern is to honour that slowness, to meet the stitcher where they are with care and clarity. This is why I spend so much time refining symbols, reducing colours, building clear contents pages, and preparing colour and black & white versions for each pattern. It’s not just about presentation—it’s about respect for the person on the other end of the needle.
As we move forward into an era where digital tools are becoming inseparable from design, I think it’s more important than ever to celebrate and protect what makes cross-stitch special: the human touch. The flawed, thoughtful, and deeply satisfying process of turning an idea into a chart, and that chart into a tapestry of time, care, and skill.
I don’t believe we need to divide the community into “handmade” vs. “machine-made,” or dismiss every AI-assisted design out of hand. What we do need is transparency—honesty about what goes into a pattern, how it’s created, and what a stitcher can expect. And, yes, before you comment, the banner for this blog is a AI generated image – created purely for this blog, rest assured, it will never become one of my patterns!
Let’s not fear the new tools, but let’s not lose the soul of our craft in the process. Whether created by hand, by software, or by a careful combination of both, what matters most is that each design respects the stitcher’s time, wallet, and experience.
If you have any concerns about the patterns available here on my website or in my Etsy store, I want to reassure you that transparency is very important to me. Every pattern listing includes a full page preview from the actual pattern—not just a random sample page—so you can see exactly what you’re getting before you buy.
I also provide a detailed explanation of how each pattern is created (see https://www.dragoneyecreative.com/how-we-do-it/ ). I use software to enhance, recolour, and refine the original artwork, followed by essential conversion software to turn it into a stitch pattern. It’s at this conversion stage where many issues can arise, because the software generates a “stitch preview” that shows what the finished piece would look like—without needing to stitch it by hand.
As you might imagine, many of my patterns require months to complete, so stitching each one fully to test it isn’t feasible. However, I do personally stitch my own designs—currently I have two works in progress: one available on Etsy and another special piece for my family.
The above images show the sample image, as produced by the software, it looks stitched, but it is not “real”. My WIP, is “real”, you can see the fabric, the folds/creases, variations in the stitches etc. Also, the difference in colours – I’m using the threads I have, like many of us, we have a stash! so, this WIP is using a mixture, hence the slight variation.
So my request is this: please don’t dismiss a pattern simply because the image isn’t a photo of a finished stitched piece. Take a moment to read the description and review all the available information. If a deal seems too good to be true, think carefully before purchasing—or even better, reach out to the supplier for more details. I’m always happy to help and provide any information you need to feel confident in your choice.
I’d love to hear how you feel about this shift. Have you used AI-generated patterns? Do you prefer handmade ones? What matters most to you when choosing a new project? Your voice is an important part of this conversation—because this community belongs to all of us.
If you’re interested in exploring more about the evolving role of AI in creative industries, especially within the UK context, here are some valuable resources and current discussions:
Mother of Two boys, and needed to carve a business niche for myself. Realised that the world of cross stitch is still stuck in the past, and can see a need for Bold new and classy designs, as well as a slightly new approach. I hope you will join me on a professional cross stitch revolution.
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