Fabric

Stitching

Choose how your raised parts are made, from 26 stitch types in six groups, each with its own control, and set the density of satin cords.

Matelume Guide. Upcoming features are marked separately.

Stitching decides how your raised parts are made, on the height you set in the step before. Every area you picked is stitched right to its edge, thin parts too. Arriving from Height, the side view swings back up to the top and the picture switches to a live, true-scale view of your stitches.

Stitching or fur

How the raised parts are made has two cards:

• Stitching: stitch types, beads, sequins, quilting and knits.
• Fur: real hair on your raised parts instead of stitches. Fur is part of the Max plan, coming soon. On plans without fur, and in the trial, the card is greyed out and reads "Part of the Max plan, coming soon". Fur never goes into your maps: your 3D program grows it as real hair with its own hair tools.

Types

The Types come in six groups. Click a group to open it. Pick a card, and that type's own control appears under the groups. Every size is in real millimetres, so a type reads the same on any tile size.

Satin

• Along each shape: satin following every shape. Recommended; no control of its own.
• One direction: every fill stitched at one angle. Angle, 0 to 180°.
• Basket: blocks of stitches turning a quarter. Block size, 2 to 20 mm.
• Chevron: bands leaning one way, then the other. Band width, 2 to 30 mm.
• Wave: rippling rows of stitches. Wave length, 2 to 30 mm.

Machine stitches

Each card shows a thread diagram of its pattern.

• Straight stitch: running stitches in rows along the shape. Stitch length, 1 to 4 mm.
• Zigzag: floss zigzags along the shape. Zigzag width, 0.6 to 3 mm.
• Triple zigzag: every leg sewn three times. Zigzag width, 0.6 to 3 mm.
• Satin stitch: solid bars of strands side by side. Bar width, 0.8 to 3.5 mm.
• Blind hem: straight stitches with a sideways bite. Bite depth, 0.5 to 2.5 mm.
• Overedge: loops wrapping over each row. Loop width, 0.6 to 3 mm.
• Decorative vine: a stem with satin leaves. Leaf length, 0.8 to 3.5 mm.
• Buttonhole: two dense satin bars, a slit between. Width, 0.8 to 3 mm.

Hand stitches

• Cross-stitch: an X in every little square. Cross size, 1.5 to 5 mm.
• Seed stitch: pairs of tiny stitches scattered every way. Stitch length, 1 to 4 mm.
• Chain stitch: rows of linked loops. Link length, 1.5 to 6 mm.
• Sashiko: running stitches on a grid. Stitch length, 2 to 8 mm.
• Couching: thick shiny cords tied down, like goldwork. Cord thickness, 0.6 to 2.5 mm.

Knots and loops

• French knots: a padded bump covered in little knots. Knot spacing, 1 to 6 mm.
• Loop pile: dense yarn loops, like punch needle. Loop size, 1.5 to 5 mm.

Beads and sequins

• Beads: glossy glass seed beads side by side. Bead size, 1.5 to 4 mm.
• Sequins: overlapping shiny discs in rows. Sequin size, 3 to 10 mm.

Padded, knitted, folded

• Quilted: a padded bump quilted in diamonds. Diamond size, 3 to 30 mm.
• Vermicelli: a padded bump with one meandering line. Line spacing, 3 to 12 mm.
• Cable knit: two strands braided over each other. Cable width, 6 to 25 mm.
• Pleats: sharp knife pleats. Pleat width, 3 to 25 mm.

Density

Cords per cm (3.3 to 20) sets how close the cords sit on the five satin types. Its value reads, for example, "8.0 per cm · a cord every 1.25 mm".

Density sets the spacing, never the line: each cord keeps its width, as a real thread does. The hint on screen gives the feel: about 9 per cm leaves a hairline of cloth between the cords, at 5 per cm about 1 mm of cloth shows, and from about 10.5 per cm the cords touch. The other types have no separate density: their own size sets their spacing.

Where the cloth shows

• Satin: a line of cloth between the cords, wider at a lower density.
• Hand stitches, French knots and beads: the cloth shows between them, and in the beads' holes.
• Loop pile, sequins and cable knit cover the cloth.
• Quilted, vermicelli and pleats are the cloth itself, with its weave.

Gloss follows the pattern: beads, sequins and couched cords come out glossy, the gaps between them matte.

Live stitches and the real maps

While you move a slider, the picture draws Live stitches · true scale: a lit close-up of your own material with a 1 cm ruler. Drag to move the light, scroll to zoom, Shift-drag to move. The 3D view updates once the slider rests. The real maps switches the picture to the maps themselves, and Live stitches brings the close-up back. The live stitches and the export make the same stitches.

Tip: Try other types on the same selection. Your picks, the height and the ground stay as they are.