Convert SVG drawings into a list format that TurtleStitch can scale, rotate and reuse freely — great for generative designs and student projects.
🚌 Bus example SVG
Try this to get started
⬇ Download
Start with a simple SVG
🖌️ Keep it simple. The best results come from clean, simple line drawings — think single strokes, outlines, or basic shapes. Avoid compound paths (holes, cutouts, boolean operations) and combined path objects. If a shape was created by merging or subtracting paths in your editor, break it apart first.
Good source material: hand-drawn outlines, simple icons, geometric shapes, letter forms traced as strokes. The simpler the drawing, the more predictable the result.
💡 In Inkscape: use Path → Break Apart if your object contains multiple sub-paths, and Object → Stroke to Path if you are working with filled shapes.
Path order matters
TurtleStitch stitches the paths in the order they appear in the list. Put your main object paths first, then add details. This way the main shape defines the position on the canvas, and the details fall into place around it.
Step by step
1
Drop your SVG
Drag and drop a .svg file onto the drop zone, or click to browse.
2
Select paths 02b select paths
Tick only the paths belonging to your motif. Inkscape often includes invisible guide and construction paths — untick those. The paths are stitched top to bottom in this list, so make sure your main shape comes before the details.
3
Set scale 02 options
Adjust Scale until the Stats panel shows a size close to your target. A typical embroidery motif is 3–10 cm. Leave Flip Y checked.
4
Convert 03 convert
Hit Convert. The preview shows your path in orange. Dashed grey lines are pen-up travel moves between separate paths.
5
Set the starting point 05 start points
Drag the slider to move the red start marker around the path. Aim for a spot near the bottom of the motif where the path runs roughly horizontally — this keeps the shape upright and easy to position in TurtleStitch.
6
Download and import
Click ⬇ Download CSV and import it as a list in TurtleStitch. Your motif is now ready to scale, rotate, and place anywhere.
How the format works (for the curious)
Each CSV row is a turtle instruction: turn by an angle relative to the current heading, then walk forward a number of steps. A ! row lifts the pen so the turtle can travel to the start of the next path without stitching.
Because angles are relative, scaling only changes the step distances — the shape stays perfectly proportional. Rotating shifts all angles uniformly. This is what makes the format so flexible inside TurtleStitch.
⚠️ The first turn matters. The turtle starts pointing right (0°). A large first turn tilts the whole shape in TurtleStitch. This is why choosing a good start point (step 5) matters.
Supported SVG commands: M L H V C Q Z and lowercase variants. Curves are approximated as short straight segments — use the samples per curve slider to control smoothness. Arcs (A) and smooth curves (S T) are not yet supported — convert them to cubic beziers in your editor first.