Seek the Unseen — Stitched Hoodie Series
Motivation
Seek the Unseen is my reminder to chase what most people never notice, out there and within. It pushes me to explore new lines, remote places, and overlooked details, but also to keep leveling up: skills, mindset, and craft. It’s about becoming better and braver, creating work that hasn’t been done before, and turning curiosity into something tangible.
Seek the Unseen — Stitched Hoodie Series
Role: Concept, illustration, placement, spec
Scope: 3 themes · multi-panel embroidery · production-ready artwork
When: 2025
Keywords: softgoods, apparel graphics, embroidery digitizing, line-art, CMF
Context
I wanted to explore how minimal line art and tactile stitching can change the feel of a basic hoodie. Instead of screen print, all graphics are stitched/embroidered to add relief, durability, and a refined outdoor aesthetic.
Objectives
Translate simple motion lines (surfing, climbing, hiking) into clean stitch paths
Keep the garment “quiet” while letting the tactile texture do the storytelling
Validate placement logic across front, back, and sleeve (“Seek the Unseen” on arm)
Process
Sketch → line system: Rapid thumbnails to find continuous single-line figures with clean start/end points for embroidery.
Digitize for stitch: Vector cleanup (stroke weights & corner radii), then prepare embroidery-friendly paths (avoid acute angles, cap joins, thread jumps).
Placement grid: Map anchor zones that avoid seams, pocket bar-tacks, and high-stress folds; test readability at 1–3 m.
Spec sheet: Export final vectors, call out stitch type (primarily running + satin for text), stitch length (~2.5–3.0 mm), and thread PMS.
Material check: Mid-weight fleece; test swatches to avoid tunneling and to set proper underlay density.
Design decisions
Tactility over color: Single-color thread keeps focus on texture + form.
Wrap/continue graphics: Climb variant wraps a rope motif front→back to create a story across panels.
Sleeve signature: “Seek the Unseen” as recurring brand line; readable from a few meters but still subtle.
Materials & techniques
Base: Standard mid-weight cotton fleece hoodies (beige, tan, baby blue)
Application: Embroidery (not print)
Stitches: Running (artwork), satin (sleeve script), light underlay to reduce puckering
Threads: Polyester embroidery thread; warm brown/charcoal tones for contrast
Outdoor — Tan (Front) — icons distributed; sleeve script
Outdoor — Tan (Back) — icons grid
Surf — Beige (Front) — stitched surfers + waves; sleeve script
Surf — Baby Blue (Front) — stitched surfers + waves; sleeve script
Short “About this build”
Stitched, not printed. Minimal line art turned into clean embroidery paths with careful stitch length, underlay, and placement so the hoodie remains soft and wearable. Built as a library of motifs that can be remixed across colorways and sizes.
Climb — Beige (Front) — rope motif crossing chest; sleeve script
Climb — Beige (Back) — rope continues into an ice tool; sleeve script