Every pattern is an instant digital download. Nothing is posted to you — no printed chart, no threads, no fabric. You pay, you download the PDF, and you can start stitching the same evening.

What's inside the file

  • Full-colour chart — so you can see straight away how the finished piece will look
  • Symbol chart — the same design in black-and-white symbols, easier to print and to mark up with a pencil
  • Complete DMC thread key — shade number, symbol, and the exact recipe for every blend where blends are used
  • Stitch count and finished sizes for 14, 16 and 18 ct — in both centimetres and inches
  • Fabric recommendations — which count suits this particular design best
  • some patterns also include a page of backstitch notes

The PDF is high resolution and laid out for A4 and Letter. Large charts are split across several pages with an overlap and alignment marks, so taping them together involves no guesswork.

What language the patterns are in

Right now the files come in two languages — English and Ukrainian. Other language versions are in progress: the website is already translated into seven languages, and the PDFs are gradually catching up. The language of each pattern is stated in its listing, so please check before buying.

Worth knowing: this matters less than it sounds. The chart itself is a grid of symbols and DMC numbers that read identically in any language — 3808 is 3808 in Madrid and in Munich alike. The language only affects the labels, the notes and the headings in the thread key.

And if you've already bought a pattern and would rather have the other of the two available languages, just write to me — I'll send the second version at no extra cost.

How to get your file after buying on Etsy

  1. Your payment is confirmed — usually instantly, occasionally a few minutes if you paid by PayPal or card.
  2. The file appears in your Etsy account under Purchases and reviews → Downloads.
  3. Click Download files — and the PDF is on your device.

Two things cause almost all the confusion here:

  • The file doesn't arrive by email. The order confirmation does, but the PDF itself sits in your account. There's no point searching your inbox for it.
  • Downloads don't work in the Etsy app. That's a limitation of Etsy itself, not of the site or the pattern. Open etsy.com in your phone's browser, sign in, and it'll download without any trouble.

If you ordered through Instagram

Then I send the file to you personally in the same chat, as soon as payment comes through. Do save the PDF to your device — unlike Etsy, an Instagram message thread isn't a reliable archive. If the file goes missing, write to me and I'll resend it.

Downloading again later

Files bought on Etsy stay in your account permanently, with no limit on time or number of downloads. Take them as often as you like, from any device: new phone, reinstalled laptop, accidentally deleted folder — the pattern hasn't gone anywhere.

What opens the file

Any PDF reader. Adobe Acrobat Reader is free; Preview on a Mac, the built-in viewers in Chrome, Edge and Safari, and any PDF app on a phone or tablet all work fine. Nothing to buy, nothing special to install.

Printing

Print as many copies as you need for your own stitching — that's exactly what the pattern is for.

  • Format. The file is laid out for A4 and Letter, so it prints on a home printer without any adjustments.
  • If the squares come out small. Set a scale in the print dialog — 130% is a good starting point — or print on A3. The chart itself doesn't change, only the printed size.
  • Don't use "Fit to page". It rescales unpredictably, and pages of the same chart can come out at slightly different sizes, which makes them very hard to join afterwards. Choose "Actual size" or a specific percentage instead.
  • Copy shops. Perfectly fine: printing for your own stitching is allowed, and handing the file over for that purpose is too. Just don't leave a copy with them and don't send the file on to anyone else.
  • Saving ink. On large charts the black-and-white symbol version uses a fraction of the cartridge that the colour one does.

Stitching from a screen

Printing isn't compulsory. Plenty of people stitch straight from a tablet: you can zoom right into a section, which is easier on the eyes than a fine grid on paper. If you like tracking progress, use a PDF app that lets you draw or highlight directly on the page.

A common compromise: the colour chart open on a tablet for reference, stitching from the printed black-and-white one, crossing off finished areas with a pencil.

If something's wrong with the file

The PDF won't open, downloaded damaged, or you've spotted a mistake in the chart or the thread key — write to me within 3 days of purchase. Include your order number (or a screenshot) and describe or show exactly what's wrong.

I check it, correct the chart if the error is mine, and send you the new file. I reply within 48–72 hours. The full refund terms are on the Returns page.

What you may do with the file

In short: stitch it as many times as you like, print it for yourself, and sell finished pieces as long as you credit the designer. What you may not do is pass the PDF on to someone else, upload it anywhere, or use it in workshops. The full terms are on the Terms of Use page.

Free patterns

Some patterns are free to download right here, and others I send to newsletter subscribers. They arrive the same way — as a file on your device — and exactly the same licence applies to them as to paid ones.

Still have questions

The most common ones are already answered in the FAQ. If yours isn't there, write to contact@stitch-stories.com, send an Etsy message, or DM me on Instagram. I reply within 48–72 hours.

See also: FAQ · Terms of Use · Returns · Catalogue