Pattern-making guide / From a photo
How to turn a pet photo into a kinusaiga pattern
A photograph contains more detail than a grooved foam board can hold. Reduce it to a clear silhouette and a few large fabric regions. This guide explains how to draw the pattern by hand. The site’s print tool works with its published patterns; it does not accept photo uploads.
1. Choose a photo you can use
Use a photo you took or have permission to adapt. A clear profile or front view with visible ears and a simple background is easier than a busy action shot. Decide which two or three features make the animal recognizable: ear shape, muzzle, patches, collar or posture.
2. Set the real board size
Measure the board or frame opening in millimetres. Draw its outline on paper and mark the animal inside it. At 200 mm wide, a 5 mm eye highlight is a different task from a 25 mm ear panel. Work at the intended final size before choosing small details.
3. Draw the silhouette, then the colour blocks
Trace the outer shape loosely by hand. Keep broad ears, face and chest as separate regions only if they need different fabric. Remove individual fur strands and most highlights. Use the fabric texture itself for soft colour changes that do not need a cut groove.
4. Close, number and test each region
Every fabric piece needs a closed boundary or the board edge. Check for slivers, sharp inner corners and tiny isolated islands. Number the pieces, make a separate colour key, then print a draft at actual size. Cut and tuck the smallest feature on scrap foam with your real fabric. If it is too tight, merge it into a larger shape or enlarge the whole design.
5. Print a final template
For a drawing you made yourself, print it from your drawing program at 100% and measure a known length before transferring it to the board. The KinuMaker size tool currently works with the ready-made patterns on this site; it does not accept a photo or your own file. Its printing guide still shows how to check scale and join pages.