Your First Pattern

This walkthrough guides you through creating a simple pattern from scratch. In just a few minutes, you will have your first saved design.

Step 1: Create a New Canvas

1. From the Home screen, click Create New Pattern (or go to File > New)

   

2. In the New Project dialog:

   • Give your pattern a name (e.g., "My First Design")
   • Choose a mesh count — this is the number of holes per inch on your needlepoint canvas. The default is 18 mesh, which is a good all-purpose choice
   • Set the canvas size. The default is 12 x 12 inches (216 x 216 stitches at 18 mesh)
   • Optionally change the canvas background color

3. Click Create

Your blank canvas will appear in the main workspace.

Step 2: Add Colors to Your Palette

Before you can draw, you need colors in your palette.

1. In the right sidebar, find the Thread Library section
2. Choose a thread brand (DMC is the most popular)
3. Click Browse Library to open the full thread browser
4. Search for a color by name or number — for example, type "310" for DMC Black
5. Click a color to add it to your palette
6. Add a few more colors and close the library

Your selected colors now appear in the Color Palette below the thread library.

Step 3: Draw Some Stitches

1. Click a color in your palette to select it — the selected color has a highlighted border
2. Select the Pencil tool from the left toolbar (or press P on your keyboard)
3. Click on the canvas to place a stitch, or click and drag to draw continuously
4. Switch colors by clicking a different swatch in the palette
5. If you make a mistake, press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo, or use the Eraser tool (press E)

Quick Tool Tips

• Pencil (P): Place stitches one at a time or drag for continuous drawing
• Eraser (E): Remove stitches
• Fill (G): Click to flood-fill an area with the selected color
• Pan (hold Space): Click and drag to scroll around the canvas
• Zoom: Use your scroll wheel, or press + and -

Step 4: Save Your Work

When you are ready to save:

1. Go to File > Save (or press Ctrl+S / Cmd+S)
2. Your pattern is saved as a .stitchalot file

By default, files are saved to your Documents folder. You can set a custom working directory in Preferences if you prefer a different location.

Auto-Save

You can enable auto-save to protect your work automatically. Go to the Preferences menu and choose an auto-save interval (1, 2, 5, 10, 15, or 30 minutes).

Step 5: Continue Exploring

Now that you have created your first pattern, here are some things to try next:

• Try different stitch types — Click the stitch type selector in the toolbar to explore the 21 available stitch types
• Use the Fill tool (G) — Great for quickly coloring large areas
• Add layers — The Layers panel lets you organize your design into separate levels
• Import an image — Go to Tools > Upload Image to turn a photo into a stitch pattern
• Preview your work — Click the Preview button in the toolbar to see a realistic 3D tent stitch preview
• Export a PDF — Go to File > Export PDF to create a printable pattern chart

The Workspace at a Glance

Here is a quick overview of the main areas you will use:

• Left Toolbar: Drawing tools (Pencil, Eraser, Fill, Line, etc.) and action buttons (Undo, Redo, Zoom)
• Center Canvas: Your pattern — zoom, pan, and draw here
• Right Sidebar: Color Palette (your active colors), Thread Library (browse and add colors), and Layers Panel (organize your design)
• Status Bar: Shows current tool, zoom level, canvas dimensions, and stitch count
• Menu Bar: File operations, Tools, and Preferences

Each of these areas is covered in detail in the following sections of this manual.