Make lines look like thread

[nachot]

I'm trying to recreate the look of cross stitched letters to look like thread. I'm using lines created with the pen tool in Designer. (Or is there a better way?) I was thinking if I could get the color of the lines to have a texture or just not be so dang smooth/straight it wouldn't look so manufactured. I could actually stitch light colored thread onto dark fabric and take a pic, but I want it for a logo that could be used in various ways with/without a background. Suggestions?

[v_kyr]

There also seem to be some already available fonts you could reuse for these things ...

• 1001 fonts
• free stitch fonts
• free sewing fonts
• general images/ideas of stitched letters

Though don't know if these will look too manufactured for you, if yes you could convert the font letters to curves and alter/tweak them to be more irregular looking etc. - Other than that, you would have to play with the line style settings until you get some style you like!

 

[gdenby]

Something you might try. Using the node tool, select/add points along the letter stroke, and repeatedly break it into smaller pieces. That alone will change the dot phase for the different sections, giving slightly varied dot spacing. You can then select various portions, and slightly change the phase, stroke width, and spacing. Fill the stroke w. the background texture if you like, or a variant of it.

 

Top of illu, all same dot stroke. Bottom, the same w. a couple of dozen tweaks.