Software for cross stitch design

[onesparesecond]

I'm a keen cross stitcher and sew gifts for many friends for weddings, new babies etc, but I'm struggling to find kits and patterns that I truly love - a lot seem to be a little old fashioned (I'm early 30s). I've found a couple of companies who's designs I love but I also hate sewing the same thing twice so I find myself running out of options!

I've recently been adapting patterns to suit but what I'd really like to do is design my own. But where do I start? Can anyone recommend software, or a course somewhere?

If you google 'free cross stitch generator' you should find a few. I make my own patterns by using bits and bobs from different ones and putting them together. I favour rude wording. Google 'subversive cross stitch' and you'll see loads - bored panda recently had a whole item on it and etsy had lots. I'm doing 'Assumption is the mother of all fuckups' at the moment. 😁

The easiest way to start making your own is with some graph paper. You can get loads of books which are full of alphabets, little motifs, borders, etc. that you can combine (with or without tweaking) into your own designs.

Software wise I really like MacStitch/WinStitch. I've used PC Stitch in the past but I don't think it's anywhere near as good.

Everything I cross stitch is my own design, either drawn completely from scratch or created from an existing picture with the software, and I find it so much more satisfying than using kits.