Buying a digital cross-stitch pattern for the first time can feel slightly uncertain.
You have seen the artwork and chosen the design you want to stitch, but what actually arrives after you buy it? Is there a printable chart? Will it work with Pattern Keeper? Does it tell you how much fabric and thread you will need?
Every Sunflower Stitches pattern includes two files:
- A black-and-white PDF chart
- A Pattern Keeper-compatible chart
Both files contain the same design, but they have been prepared for different ways of stitching.
Here is what you will receive and which file you should use.
The black-and-white PDF chart
The black-and-white chart is the main pattern file.
It is designed for stitchers who prefer to print their chart or view a traditional symbol chart on a screen. Each colour is represented by its own symbol, allowing you to follow the pattern without relying on colour alone.
The front of the chart includes a mock-up showing how the finished design is expected to look. This lets you check the overall picture and see how the colours and details come together before you begin.
The chart also contains the information you need to plan your project, including:
- The total stitch count
- Finished dimensions for a range of fabric counts
- The complete symbol key
- The number of stitches in each colour
- The amount of floss required for each colour
This information can help you choose your fabric count, calculate the correct fabric size and prepare your threads before making the first stitch.
Remember to add approximately three inches of fabric on every side of the stitched area. For example, if the finished design measures 20 × 30 inches, you will need a piece of fabric measuring approximately 26 × 36 inches.
The Pattern Keeper-compatible chart
The second file is provided for customers who prefer to use Pattern Keeper.
Pattern Keeper allows you to view the chart digitally, highlight symbols and mark stitches as you complete them. This can be especially helpful with large, detailed full-coverage projects where keeping track of your position is important.
The Pattern Keeper-compatible file has been prepared specifically for use with the app.
When importing your pattern, make sure you select this file rather than the black-and-white chart.
If the pattern does not work in Pattern Keeper
Most Pattern Keeper problems happen because the black-and-white version has been uploaded to the app by mistake.
Both files relate to the same design, so it is easy to select the wrong one without noticing.
If Pattern Keeper is not reading the chart correctly, check the filename and make sure you have imported the Pattern Keeper-compatible version.
The black-and-white chart is intended for printing or traditional PDF viewing. It has not been prepared for Pattern Keeper, so the app may struggle to recognise its symbols and grid correctly.
Before trying anything more complicated, return to your downloaded files and import the other version. This will usually solve the problem.
If you are still having trouble, email hello@sunflower-stitches.com and explain what is happening. It is helpful to include the name of the pattern and details of any error message you can see.
Choosing your fabric count
Your chart includes finished dimensions for a range of fabric counts.
The stitch count remains the same whichever fabric you choose, but the physical size of the finished picture will change. A pattern stitched on a lower fabric count will be larger than the same pattern worked on a higher count.
Choose a fabric that you can see and stitch comfortably. A higher count may create a smaller finished piece, but that is not necessarily helpful if you find the holes difficult to see.
Once you have found the finished dimensions for your chosen fabric count, add the extra three-inch border on every side before buying or cutting your fabric.
If you prefer to use gridded fabric, you can buy fabric with a removable grid already in place. I prefer this because I would rather start stitching than spend my time adding the grid myself.
Working out which threads you need
The chart tells you which colours are used, how many stitches there are in each colour and how much floss you will need.
This is particularly useful for full-coverage patterns because some colours may only appear in small details, while others are used across large areas of the design.
Before beginning, check the listed quantities and purchase enough skeins to complete each colour. Different production batches of the same floss colour can have subtle differences in shade. These may not be obvious when the skeins are viewed separately, but they can sometimes be noticeable when stitched next to each other.
Where possible, buy all the skeins you need for a colour at the same time and check that their batch or dye-lot numbers match. This is especially important for colours used across large, continuous areas where a slight shade change may be easier to see.
Preparing enough floss at the start can also prevent you from running out partway through a section and discovering that the original batch is no longer available.
You can organise your threads in whatever way works best for you—on thread cards, bobbins, project rings or in labelled bags. There is no need for a complicated system as long as you can match each thread to the correct chart symbol.
What stitches are used?
Every Sunflower Stitches pattern uses full cross stitches only.
You will not find:
- Fractional stitches
- Backstitch
- Beads
- Specialist stitches
- Other added embellishments
This keeps the stitching method consistent across the entire design. Although the patterns can be large and highly detailed, you do not need to learn several different stitch types to complete them.
The detail is created through full crosses and changes in colour.
Can I print the chart?
The black-and-white PDF is the version to use if you prefer a printed chart.
How you print and organise it will depend on your own setup and the PDF software you use. Some stitchers keep the pages in a folder, while others work with one section at a time and mark completed stitches as they go.
If you prefer not to print, you can also view the PDF on a computer or tablet. Just make sure you have a reliable way of remembering where you stopped.
For digital tracking in Pattern Keeper, use the separate compatible file supplied with your purchase.
What if I have a problem with my chart?
If anything appears to be missing, you cannot open a file or you have a question about the chart, email hello@sunflower-stitches.com.
Please include the name of the pattern and as much information about the problem as possible. Screenshots can be useful if you are seeing an error message or something does not look right.
If the issue concerns Pattern Keeper, first check that you have imported the Pattern Keeper-compatible file rather than the black-and-white chart.
You do not have to struggle with a file problem on your own. Get in touch and I will help where I can.
Patterns are for personal use only
Sunflower Stitches charts are sold for personal use.
You may download and use your pattern to create your own stitched project, but the chart files must not be copied, uploaded, resold or shared with another person.
Sharing a digital pattern may feel different from handing someone a physical item, but it still gives them access to a product they have not purchased. Every person using the chart needs their own copy.
Please keep both files for your own use and do not post chart pages, symbols or readable sections of the pattern online.
You are welcome to share photographs of your stitching progress and finished piece. It is lovely to see the designs coming to life.
How to give a pattern as a gift
Please do not buy a pattern and forward the downloaded files to the recipient.
If you would like to give a Sunflower Stitches chart as a gift, email hello@sunflower-stitches.com before purchasing.
Let me know which pattern you would like to give and who should receive it. I will send you an invoice and arrange for the chart to be sent directly to the person you have chosen.
This ensures that the recipient receives their own authorised copy and that the pattern is not shared in a way that breaks its personal-use terms.
It also means I can make sure the files are sent to the correct person.
Digital purchases are not refundable
Digital pattern purchases are non-refundable.
Unlike a physical product, a digital file cannot be returned once it has been supplied. Please check the design, stitch count, finished dimensions and mock-up carefully before buying.
If a pattern is available in Regular and Large, compare both mock-ups and stitch counts rather than choosing by the size label alone. Pattern-size labels are not standard across different designers.
Choose the version that contains the level of detail you want and suits the amount of time, fabric and stitching involved.
The non-refundable policy does not mean you should stay quiet if there is a genuine problem with your files. If something is missing or not working as expected, contact hello@sunflower-stitches.com so I can help.
Everything you need to begin planning
To summarise, every Sunflower Stitches pattern purchase includes:
- A black-and-white PDF chart with a finished-design mock-up
- A separate Pattern Keeper-compatible chart
- Stitch counts and finished dimensions for different fabric counts
- A complete symbol and colour key
- The stitch total for each colour
- The amount of floss required
Once you have downloaded the files, take a moment to make sure you know which is the black-and-white chart and which is the Pattern Keeper version.
Then choose your fabric, gather your threads and decide where you would like to begin.
The files may contain a large and detailed project, but you still only have to make it one stitch at a time.