Every sweatshirt, bag and cushion that leaves our Cambridge studio started life as somebody's photo. 🧵 What happens in between is a proper craft process, with an artist, a stitch file and a machine that lays down over 15,000 individual stitches. Here is exactly how your pet gets from your camera roll to your wardrobe.
How is a custom embroidered pet portrait made?
You upload a photo of your pet. An artist draws their portrait from it and sends you a proof, which you can change as many times as you like. Once you approve it, the drawing is digitised into a stitch file that tells an embroidery machine where to place every stitch. Your chosen garment is then hooped and stitched, steamed, checked and packed by hand.
Key takeaways
- Five stages: photo, drawing, proof, digitising, stitching
- An artist works on every portrait, not a template or a filter
- You approve a proof before anything is stitched, with unlimited edits
- Digitising is the hidden step that separates good embroidery from bad
- Embroidery holds detail and outlasts print, which is why we do not print
- Everything is stitched, checked and packed in our Cambridge studio
From sketch to stitch, step by step
Takes you about two minutes
📸 It starts with your photo
You place your order and upload a photo of your pet, or several pets. A sleepy snoot, a proud pose, the signature head tilt. Whatever shows their personality is the right one.
Photo quality matters more than anything else you do, because everything downstream is built on it. If you are not sure which photo to send, our guide to taking the perfect pet photo covers exactly what our artists need.
Usually within about three days
✏️ An artist draws your pet
One of our artists studies your photo and draws your pet's portrait: the exact markings, the set of the ears, the fur, feathers or scales, the slight squint they do when they are pleased with themselves.
This is the stage that decides whether the finished piece looks like a cat or looks like your cat. It is also why we send you a proof before anything else happens, and why you can ask for as many changes as you need. Nothing moves forward until you tell us it is right.
You are in control here
💛 You approve the proof
You receive the drawing to review. Want the ears higher, the eyes greener, the tongue included? Say so. Edits are unlimited and there is no charge for them, because a portrait you are not certain about is not worth stitching.
Once you are happy, you approve it and the order moves into production.
The invisible craft step
🧵 The drawing is digitised
Your approved illustration is converted into a stitch file: a set of instructions telling the embroidery machine exactly where to place each stitch, in what order, in which direction, and in which thread colour.
This is skilled work and it is where most cheap embroidery falls down. Get it wrong and you get puckered fabric and a muddy face. Get it right and thread behaves like brushwork.
The part that makes the noise
👕 Stitched, steamed and checked
Your chosen piece is hooped, stabilised and stitched, building the portrait up in layers of thread. A typical portrait runs to over 15,000 stitches, which is what gives embroidery its depth and texture.
It is then steamed, quality checked, folded and packed by hand in the same studio where we stitched our very first portrait, of our rescue dachshund Lola. 🐶
What is embroidery digitising?
Why digitising decides how good embroidery looks
Digitising converts a flat image into a stitch file that an embroidery machine can read. A digitiser chooses stitch types, directions, densities and the order colours are laid down. Satin stitches suit outlines and small details, fill stitches cover larger areas. Poor digitising causes puckering, gaps and lost detail. Good digitising makes thread read as fur, feather or scale.
It is the step nobody sees and the reason two embroidered sweatshirts made from the same drawing can look completely different. Stitch direction is doing the same job that brush direction does in a painting, guiding your eye along the shape of the muzzle or the curve of an ear.
Embroidery vs printed pet portraits
Printing is faster and cheaper, which is why most personalised pet gifts use it. We do not, for these reasons.
| Embroidery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Texture | Raised thread with real depth | Flat on the surface |
| Wash durability | Stitched into the fabric, does not crack | Can crack, fade and peel over time |
| Fine detail | Interpreted by an artist and a digitiser | Copies the photo exactly, including its flaws |
| Feel | Textured, weighty, keepsake quality | Smooth, disposable feeling |
| Production time | Longer, because of the drawing and stitching | Almost instant |
| Best for | Something kept for years | Something worn a season |
What happens when
| Stage | Who is doing it | Roughly how long |
|---|---|---|
| Order and photo upload | You | Two minutes |
| Portrait drawn | Our artists | About three days |
| Proof and any edits | You and us | Two to three days per round |
| Digitising | Our studio team | Part of production |
| Stitching, steaming, checking | Our embroidery artists | Part of production |
| Packed and shipped | Us, from Cambridge | Worldwide delivery |
Want to watch it happen to your own pet?
Send us a photo and we will draw them, show you a proof, and change anything you want before a single stitch goes in.
Start your custom orderFrequently asked questions
How long does a custom embroidered pet portrait take?
You receive a proof within about three days of ordering. Once you approve it, the design is digitised, stitched, checked and shipped from our Cambridge studio. Edits are unlimited, so the total time depends partly on how many rounds you want before approving.
What is digitising, and why does it matter?
Digitising converts the approved drawing into a stitch file that tells the machine where to place every stitch, in what direction and in which colour. It is the difference between embroidery that looks like artwork and embroidery that looks like puckered thread on fabric.
How many stitches are in one pet portrait?
A typical portrait runs to over 15,000 stitches. That density is what creates the depth and texture you can feel, and it is why embroidery holds up over years of washing in a way that printing does not.
Can I change the design after I have seen the proof?
Yes, as many times as you need, at no extra cost. Ask for different ears, a different expression, a tongue added or a collar removed. Nothing is stitched until you have approved the drawing.
Why does the portrait not match my photo exactly?
Thread has a minimum size, so detail finer than a single stitch has to be interpreted rather than copied. Our artists focus on the features that make your pet recognisable: markings, ear shape, eyes and expression. If something is not right on the proof, tell us and we will change it.
Where is everything made?
In our Cambridge studio, by our own team. The drawing, the digitising, the stitching and the packing all happen in the same place, a few metres from where our very first pet portrait was made.
Can you embroider more than one pet on the same item?
Yes. Send a clear individual photo of each animal rather than one group shot, and tell us in the order notes how many you would like included. Multi-pet designs are available across most of our range.
We cannot wait to stitch your story next. Lucy, Andy & Lola 🧵💛
Leave a comment