Chapter 1: Stitch Vocab & Motif Design

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Stitch Vocab & Motif Design for Costume Concept Artists

Focus: embroidery, beading, appliqué, quilting — with repeat, placement, and scale choices that work from concept to production (game/film and physical builds).

Why stitches matter to concept reads

Stitches are tiny vectors of light and shadow. Their direction, height, density, and finish (matte vs metallic vs reflective) sculpt micro‑forms that can clarify anatomy, imply rank, and add tactile realism. Good stitch planning keeps embellishment readable at gameplay distance while avoiding moiré, snag risk, and time sinks in fabrication.

Embroidery: core stitch vocabulary (artist’s lens)

Line & outline

  • Running stitch: dashed baseline for basting seams, echo lines, and low‑contrast borders; scalable; fastest.
  • Backstitch: continuous line; great for glyph contours and small type stems.
  • Stem/outline stitch: rope‑like texture; reads well on curves (vines, script).
  • Split stitch: fuzzy line for organic edges (fur, moss, halos).

Fill & shading

  • Satin stitch: glossy fill with strong specular streak; ideal for crests; watch for long floats snagging.
  • Long‑and‑short shading: painterly gradient; alternate lengths to avoid banding.
  • Seed stitch: scattered dots; tone‑on‑tone texture fields; reduces moiré.
  • Couching: lay thick thread/cord; tack with small stitches; high relief without long floats.
  • Chain stitch: looped texture; reads as decorative stitch lines; good compromise of speed and coverage.

Texture & highlights

  • French knots / colonial knots: raised dots for eyes, pollen, starfields.
  • Bullion knots: tiny coils for thorns, stamens, rope details.
  • Whip stitch / blanket stitch (edge): visible edge finish for appliqué borders; also useful as silhouette framing.

Thread choices

  • Cotton floss (matte), rayon (high sheen), silk (lux), polyester (durable), metallic (sparkle), wool (lofty). Mix to create value steps without changing hue.

Beading & sequins: light engines

Attachment methods

  • Bead backstitch: secure strings of seed beads along a path; best for outlines.
  • Couching beads: place larger beads/paillettes and tack across their centers.
  • Tambour (hook): chain‑stitch beads rapidly from the back; high speed for couture looks.
  • Hot‑fix / adhesive: fast for mass motifs but lower durability; avoid flex zones.

Component types

  • Seed beads: sizes 6/0 (large) → 15/0 (micro). Smaller = more sparkle, higher moiré risk.
  • Bugles: linear shimmer bars; align with form flow to avoid aliasing.
  • Sequins/paillettes: flat or cupped; holes center/offset; lay as scale armor (overlap ≈ 1/3 diameter) for fish‑scale reads.
  • Cabochons / stones: focal highlights; anchor to interfacings; keep away from seam allowances.

Specular management

  • Alternate matte/shine beads to prevent strobe; use value zoning so highlights sit on peaks and darker beads in valleys.

Appliqué: shape language with edge control

Techniques

  • Turned‑edge appliqué: edges folded under, stitched invisibly or with edge stitch; premium finish.
  • Raw‑edge appliqué: edges exposed; secured with satin/zigzag; graphic and fast.
  • Reverse appliqué: cut top layer to reveal underlayer; great for glyphs and heraldry.
  • Inlay (marquetry): pieces joined edge‑to‑edge; ultra‑flat; high skill.
  • Trapunto: padded shapes raised from below; pairs well with quilting.

Materials & support

  • Base fabric, contrast fabric(s), fusible web, stabilizer, potential interlining for weight and opacity. Heavier stacks need seam allowance offsets.

Quilting & stitch‑through patterning

Quilt patterns

  • Channel / parallel: athletic, militaristic, modern.
  • Crosshatch / grid: classic, sturdy; can echo garment panels.
  • Echo quilting: follows motif silhouette outward; aura effect around crests.
  • Stipple / meander / vermicelli: random curves that dampen moiré.
  • Sashiko / kantha: visible hand‑running stitches in linear motifs; cultural cues—use with respect.
  • Free‑motion: drawing with thread; signatures, sigils.

Batting/loft

  • Low loft for sleek lines; high loft for armor‑like puff; synthetic batts resist compression, cotton breathes.

Motif design: from silhouette to stitch plan

  1. Start with silhouette. Embellishment should reinforce form (pectoral arcs, deltoid caps, waistlines) not fight it.
  2. Choose a stitch role per region:
    • Outline (backstitch/stem/chain) to declare borders.
    • Fill (satin/long‑short/seed) for masses.
    • Highlights (French/bullion/beads) for sparkle or specular beats.
  3. Direction of stitches = light direction. Align satin stitches with the direction you want specular streaks.
  4. Density map. Mark dense zones (crest cores, focal lines) vs open zones (breathable grounds). Avoid uniform coverage that buzzes.
  5. Edge safety. Keep long floats and rigid bead clusters out of high‑flex seams, elbows, bust apex, seat.
  6. Finish recipe. Mix matte thread fills, metallic edge lines, and a few high‑shine beads for readable hierarchy.

Repeat, placement, and scale

Repeat options

  • Borders: linear repeats along hems, cuffs, plackets; module = medallion + spacer; ensure corner solutions (mitered or turn modules).
  • All‑over scattered: small motifs (sprigs, stars) with Poisson spacing; rotate ±20–30°; maintain 40–60% ground to reduce shimmer.
  • Panel‑engineered: crest at CF/CB with echo‑quilting; stitch path maps split per pattern piece with match points and bleed.

Placement anchors

  • CF chest, CB yoke, outer bicep centroid, collar stand, gauntlet plate, belt tabs. Use caution across darts/princess seams and zips.

Scale rules (on‑body)

  • Primary crest fills: 80–120 mm tall; satin stitch stems ≥ 0.8–1.2 mm in print terms; in‑engine keep counter‑spaces ≥ 2–3 px.
  • Border repeats: module widths 12–40 mm; corners planned.
  • Bead clusters: smallest elements ≥ 2–3 mm if physical; if digital, smallest bright bead should render ≥ 2 px at camera view.

Engine/real‑time construction

  • Geometry vs texture:
    • High‑end hero: model limited geo for appliqué lips and bead clusters (cards); bake height/normal for thread; place decals for crests.
    • Broad crowd: shift all micro detail to normal/roughness; avoid 1‑px alternation in albedo.
  • Anisotropy: thread sheen reads with anisotropic specular; align tangent with stitch direction.
  • Cards for sequins: billboard cards with masked paillettes; randomize rotation and roughness to stop synchronized sparkle.
  • LOD plan: fade beads/sequins to roughness sparkle → to flat color; swap embroidery fills to lower‑contrast normals.
  • Compression: use BC7 for decal/crest albedo; BC5 for normals; premultiply alpha on lace/appliqué edges.

Physical build considerations

  • Stabilizers: tear‑away vs cut‑away vs wash‑away; choose based on base fabric and density.
  • Backings & interfacings: protect skin; distribute load under heavy beadwork.
  • Thread weight & needle: heavier thread = larger needle holes; plan for fabric type.
  • Wear & care: bead edges snag; keep away from high‑friction zones (underarms, seat); reinforce with bar tacks.
  • Weight budget: log grams per panel; balance left/right.

Cultural respect & safety

Cite origins (e.g., sashiko, kantha, tambour), collaborate with culture bearers, and avoid appropriation by aligning technique and symbolism with narrative context.

Testing protocol

  1. Distance ladder: 1/3/6/10 m checks for shimmer and read.
  2. Motion: walk/run turns; watch specular crawl on sequins/bugles.
  3. Lighting sweep: rotate key 0–180°; check anisotropy alignment and hot spots.
  4. Flex test: bend zones in sim or on form; look for cracking, puckers, or stitch distortion.
  5. Wash/abrasion (physical): rub test on seams and seat; re‑spec thread or move motifs if failure.

Common failure points & fixes

  • Moiré from dense satin fills → break fill into alternating stitch directions; reduce contrast; add seed stitch texture.
  • Bead ladders catching light in sync → randomize bead size/finish; offset rows; interleave matte beads.
  • Appliqué edges fray → switch to turned edge or widen satin stitch; add fray‑check or heat‑seal where safe.
  • Quilting compresses silhouette → reduce loft, widen channel spacing, or shift quilting to strategic panels.
  • Long floats snag → swap to couching, or break floats with micro tacks.

Documentation & handoff

  • Spec board per outfit: map of stitch types by region, thread types/colors, bead charts, appliqué pieces with grainlines, quilting pattern overlay.
  • Engine pack: hi‑res normals/height for embroidery (tileable + panel versions), decal textures for crests (BC7), anisotropy maps for thread.
  • Print pack: vector files for appliqué shapes, stitch paths (AI/SVG), corner modules, quilting templates; include bleed, match points, stabilizer notes.
  • Naming: IP_Outfit_Embellish-Type_Zone_Scale_v###.

Quick reference

  • Direction = light. Aim stitches where you want specular.
  • Hierarchy of sheen. Matte fills, satin accents, bead highlights.
  • Keep out of flex zones unless engineered.
  • Test in motion and at distance.
  • Spec clearly. Paths, materials, sizes, and cultural notes.

Stitches are micro‑architecture. Plan the paths, budget the shine, and let the cloth tell your story up close and from afar.