stixiva

Embroidery software · free during the beta

The embroidery software for hand embroidery

Turn a photo into a chart, draw your design stitch by stitch, choose your threads and print a clear pattern. For cross stitch, backstitch and beads, in your browser or on Windows.

Open the softwareTry it with a photo
  • Free during the beta
  • Nothing to install
  • Printable PDF pattern
A cross-stitched rose in a hoop, next to its chart on a tablet and skeins of floss
The chart drawn in the software, then stitched in the hoop.

What it stitches

Software for hand embroidery

Counted charts, from classic cross stitch to beads.

  • Cross stitch

    Full crosses, half stitches, quarter and three-quarter stitches, petit point: 21 stitch types on the same grid, with 3,173 DMC, Anchor, Madeira, Sullivans, Gamma, PNK Kirov, Splendor and Mandarin Floss threads.

  • Backstitch and blackwork

    Outlines, fine lettering and whole motifs in backstitch, drawn stitch by stitch, in straight lines or Bézier curves.

  • Bead embroidery

    Mill Hill seed beads placed on the grid next to the crosses, with their own symbol in the pattern.

  • Fuse beads and diamond painting

    The same charts in Perler, Hama and Artkal S beads… or in diamond painting drills.

In four steps

From idea to printed pattern

Without leaving your browser.

  1. Start from a photo or a blank page

    The photo becomes a chart with 2 to 64 colors that you can edit. Or draw your design stitch by stitch, with shapes, text and symmetry.

  2. Choose your threads

    3,173 threads from 8 brands, searchable by number, name or color family. The whole chart changes brand in one click.

  3. Make it pleasant to stitch

    Isolated stitches are flagged, and you choose which to merge. The skein list follows every edit.

  4. Print and stitch

    A PDF pattern with symbols and key, in A4, Letter or A3. Stitching mode then marks off your stitches on a tablet.

Hand embroidery or machine embroidery?

“Embroidery software” means two very different tools. The first prepares a file for an embroidery machine: it digitizes a drawing into needle paths and saves it as PES, DST or JEF. The second prepares a chart you stitch yourself, square by square, with its threads and its pattern. stixiva belongs to the second family.

If you own an embroidery machine, the studio still helps: it opens PES, DST, JEF, EXP, VP3, HUS and XXX files and turns them into a cross stitch chart, with the closest threads. It doesn’t create machine files.

What the software does

  • A photo turned into a chart with 2 to 64 colors, which you then edit.
  • Stitch-by-stitch drawing: pencil, shapes, curves, paint bucket, text, selection and 32 layers.
  • 3,173 DMC, Anchor, Madeira, Sullivans, Gamma, PNK Kirov, Splendor and Mandarin Floss threads, and brand switching for a whole project.
  • Isolated stitch detection and the list of skeins to buy.
  • A PDF pattern with symbols and key, and stitching mode to track your progress.
  • Reading a scanned, photographed or PDF chart, square by square.

For cross stitch only, the cross stitch software page compares free and online programs. The tool-by-tool details are in the tools guide, and the comparison with other software in the cross stitch software comparison.

What it costs

The whole studio is free during the beta, no credit card. The site’s free tools stay free with no account. The stitchers’ reviews are published as they come in.

FAQ

What people ask us about the software.

Another question? Email us at contact@stixiva.com.

Which free embroidery software should I choose?

For hand embroidery (cross stitch, backstitch, beads), stixiva is free during the beta and runs in your browser. To create embroidery machine files, you need digitizing software, often supplied with the machine.

Does stixiva work with an embroidery machine?

It opens PES, DST, JEF, EXP, VP3, HUS and XXX machine files and turns them into a chart to stitch by hand. It doesn’t create machine files.

Do I need to install the software?

No: the studio opens in the browser, on a computer, tablet or phone. There is also a Windows app for those who prefer installed software.

Is the software really free?

Yes: the whole studio is free during the beta, no credit card. The site’s free tools stay free, no account needed.

Can I open charts from other software?

Yes: .oxs, .wxs and PCStitch (.pat, .xsd) files open in the studio, as do photos, scans and PDF pages of symbol charts.

Can I sell the patterns I make?

Yes, your designs belong to you. The PDF pattern can carry your name, your logo and your shop’s address.

Stitch your next chart

Create your free account and open the software in your browser.

Open the software for free

Free during the beta, no credit card.