Is there an easy way to create a hand stitched look in Elements? I worked through Lauren's Photoshop tutorial but I am not able to follow it in Elements. For dynamic brush settings, there doesn't seem to be a way to set the angle jitter.

Am I just missing it? I really don't want to keep adjusting the brush angle to get the shape I want.

Stacy

i'm not familiar with the brush settings in elements, but you may be able to draw a line, and then erase parts of the line, that way it's straight.

haven't tried that techniquie, but makes sense that it might work.


HTH

Kristie

i've done just that. then added some texture to the line. or just put black dots over the line so it looks like it's going down into the hole. first i use the wave filter so the line's not perfectly straight too. i think i have a close up sample i shared before. this was a quickie and isn't too pretty up close. but printed, it's great. Ü

Attached Images

stitching.jpg (47.0 KB, 64 views)

Kristie & Margie, you both gave good ways to create straight stitching. Of course I have to be difficult. I want to stitch the outline of a leaf. So I need to stitches to roughly follow a contour. I think that the dynamic brush setting of "angle jitter" would cause my stitches to change their angle as I create an outline. But I can't find that setting in Elements.

I'm starting to think that I've spent more time trying to find out the "right way" to do the technique than I would have spent if I just carefully created each stitch. *sigh*

Stacy

okay, here's a thought. duplicate the leaf. add a stroke in a different color. now you need to be left with just the stroke so it's an outline. maybe there's an easier way, but here's what i do. hide all but the leaf with the stroke. create a new layer (but do nothing on it) then merge the two layers. now your leaf image including the stroke outline can be edited. (oh, no drop shadow on that leaf!) select your outline with the magic wand. then select inverse and hit delete. now you have a line the shape you want. just edit, free transform it until it's inside or outside or wherever you want it and the size you want it. then add texture to it or a pattern overlay. then add black dots on top. make sense? i made a wire leaf the same way by editing the stroke around a leaf shape i wanted. hth. Ü

oh, if it's too straight and perfect you can still do a slight wave to distort it just a tad. under filter, distort, wave. but adjust the settings so it's barely affected. hth. Ü

I had to play for a while but I got a result I like! Your directions did make sense though I didn't follow all of them. I liked the look I got from erasing some of the stroke outline so I didn't try adding black dots for the stitch holes.

Thanks for suggesting the wave filter! It gave the stitches a great nubby hand stitched look. I am trying to attach a picture of my result.


Thanks again for all the suggestions! I'm really growing and learning how to use my tools better because of sbb and its great user community!

Stacy

Attached Images

leaves.jpg (31.1 KB, 59 views)

ooh, great job! isn't it fun here?!