diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5edeeae78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "pyembroidery"]
+	path = pyembroidery
+	url = https://github.com/inkstitch/pyembroidery
diff --git a/pyembroidery b/pyembroidery
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..fe7609dc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyembroidery
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit fe7609dc59efb15f6a27d0ff7d82ac2ce7f6be53