Download the Pattern Below
I did not draw the original graphic for this pattern. I was asked by someone to make a pattern of an owl. They had a relative who collects owls and wanted to make them something for Christmas. I drew up a couple of designs and they did not look good so I went and found free clipart of these owls.
The clip art was almost ready to cut but I wanted to clean it up and add a little detail. If you look at the bottom graphic you can see where I closed up a few interior cuts and added some feather detail. I then made a backer board pattern and the design was done.
I mention this because you will come across occasion when you need a very specific type of pattern. You can often find graphics that are available for use. Sometimes they have to be licensed for use with a fee and sometimes they may be free to use for non-commercial use for free. There are even public domain graphics that are available for personal and commercial use.
You can do a search on Google for images. In the image below I did a search for "horse silhouette". Across the top, you can select the type of results you wish to see. I clicked on images. They even have a selection where you can select what they believe is the available usage of the image. It is often not correct so you have to click through and look for details. If you are only using the graphic for your personal use then there is not much of a problem. If you plan to sell the project then make sure it is available for use, or pay the license fee.
Many times the graphic can be cut as is. Other times you may need to load it into a graphics program and do some edited or maybe add some text.
As a quick example, I did a search for a "horse silhouette". You can see the image I used on the web page capture above. I copied it into my graphics program and added a base and some text. I drew in a few veins and within five minutes I had the pattern below completed.
The next time you need a specific subject for a pattern, give this a try. You can even print the graphic on paper and add the detail by hand if you are not a fan of using the computer.
Example
Click to Enlarge.
