Creating your own custom pet portrait

These captivating and beautiful hand embroidered pet portraits are the perfect gift for the animal lover in your life – whether it be you, or a friend! Not only can I stitch your pet in a multitude of styles, but I can embroider any species of pet. No fur? No problem! These custom pet portrait embroideries are a wonderful way to honor a beloved pet that has passed on. Celebrate your pet’s life by memorializing them with a completely unique piece of art. Portraits aren’t just limited to pets. I welcome all wild animal and fantasy commission requests! Visit my Special Interest page for priority commissions.

Interested in a custom embroidery hoop? Start by checking out my pricing page

 If you have any questions about the quality of your reference images start by referencing this guide – if you are still concerned about the quality of your images, feel free to email me first! Send order inquiries to order@stitchingsabbatical.com.

We will work together to create the perfect piece of art of your beloved friend.

Recent Work

PLEASE NOTE

I primarily take commissions through a waitlist.


Each portrait takes a different amount of time and creative energy so orders are not taken on a first come first served basis, but are accepted based on order complexity and what I can fit into my schedule.

Submitting a request to the waitlist does not guarantee you a commission.

Join my mailing list if you want updates on pet portrait availability.
You can also follow my Instagram or Facebook to stay up to date on waitlist updates.

Embroidery Details

✦ My work is hand stitched on clean cotton twill or Kona cotton fabric.

✦ All of my embroidery is done using a single strand of DMC and Anchor cotton thread.

✦ Detailed embroideries can take anywhere from 60+ hours. Detailed portraits with two pets can take 80+ hours.

✦ Depending on your request, the embroidery will arrive stretched in a hoop with the back finished, framed, or with just the fabric so you can have it framed yourself. The choice is all yours!

✦ Each embroidery design is handcrafted specifically from your provided personal photos. No two portraits are the same! This means your embroidery will look exactly like the reference photo it’s based on.

✦ All work is created in a smoke-free and pet-friendly environment.

After Ordering

Once I’m available to take your commission and the payment has been received, I will need photos of your pet. Two to three photos are best, but the more the better! Clear photos with good lighting are what I’m looking for. You can submit these photos with your waitlist request or send me updated ones when I can take your commission. Don’t know what kind of photos to send? Here’s a handy page to help guide you! I can only stitch what I see, so the better your reference photo is, the better your embroidery will turn out. Once I’ve received some photos, we can discuss all the wonderful ideas you have for your embroidery.

Next, I will create a mockup of your embroidery based on the chosen reference photo and send it over for you to see. This is your time to ask for any edits to the composition. Remember, your embroidery will end up looking just like the mockup. Once the embroidery starts I won’t be able to make any major changes to the colors or composition. You may ask for any amount of reasonable edits at this time, but if there are several composition change requests I may ask for an additional fee. However, do not be afraid to ask for any edits – I want this portrait to be perfect for you and you know the pet more than I do! After we are both in agreement with the mockup it’s time for me to start stitching!

Over the following weeks, I will start working on your piece. You can follow along with my progress through my social media, or request email updates to be sent to you. The current timeline for detailed embroideries is 8 weeks minimum. If your embroidery will be gifted to someone who might come across it just let me know and I will keep it offline until it’s been gifted. I don’t want to ruin any surprises!

When the embroidery is complete I will email you a photo of the finished piece. This is the last chance to let me know if something isn’t quite right! I can make small edits here, such as a few stitches of hair here and there or tweaking the expression slightly. When everything looks perfect I will get it wrapped up and sent out to you.

From Me to You

When I’ve finished your embroidery and you’ve given me the ‘go ahead’ to ship it, it’s time to get it packaged up! Before shipping, your embroidery will be lint rolled to remove as many stray cat hairs as possible.

Embroideries are then cushioned on a bed of tissue paper and placed in a sturdy gift box. All embroideries shipped through USPS with a provided tracking number and will require the customer’s signature. Please be aware of any customs fees your country has.

Frequently asked questions

I take commission work through a waitlist. Click here to read more info about it or sign up.

Pricing depends on the style and size of the portrait. Here is a pricing page with more information.

I can embroider any pet or wild animal species, including birds, fish, reptiles, and etc.! The only subjects I can’t embroider are human portraits. Have a unique pet or a cool idea for an embroidery? Check out my special interest page.

Unfortunately, no. However, feel free to create your own patch from one of my pieces! Let me know if you’re wanting to turn your embroidery into a patch and I’ll ship just the portrait on the fabric without the hoop.

Since I have a casual waitlist, there is no strict order to how I take commissions. There is no ‘place in line’. Please only sign up for the waitlist if you’re okay with waiting. I can only do so many portraits at a time and there are now hundreds of submissions on the list. However, please do not let that deter you from signing up! Not every submission is able to be taken due to photo quality.

If your photos aren’t very clear, I will ask you to submit different ones. I won’t be able to take your request if a good reference photo can’t be supplied. If you would like a detailed portrait but only have low-quality photos I can still make you an outlined one!

These are all great questions! Please refer to this page concerning what sort of images to send. I create your embroidery right from your photos so please send a good representation of what you want your portrait to look like! 2-4 images are ideal. You can send the photos to my email, hello@stitchingsabbatical.com, or submit them with your waitlist request.

Yes! I ship internationally. Shipping is included in the price of the portrait.

If you cannot access the Google form please email me the following:

  • Fabric color choice:
  • Type of pet portrait, detailed or outlined:
  • Size of portrait:
  • Framing choice (embroidery hoop, ACMS Frame, just the fabric):
  • Do you want embroidered flowers or any other additional accents?
  • Do you need this portrait by a specific date? Rush charges are accepted.
  • Short description of what you’d like embroidered:
  • Additional notes about your order:
  • What country do you live in? (For anticipating shipping times if the portrait is needed by a specific date):

And please include your choice of 2-3 good quality reference photos.

work with me