gimp

One problem when creating cloth textures is trying to get tileable thread patterns. To help make this process easier I created a small pattern which when used on a number of offset layers creates lots of different believable thread patterns. This is the threads.tga file in the attached zip. Also in the zip are two Gimp examples of how a pattern like this can be used.

I've just come across a useful tutorial on using The Gimp, Inkscape and Blender to create tileable patterns from photo references. You can create your own unique patterns for this technique by drawing it in Inkscape rather than using a photo reference.