creating a bitmap pattern for a window's HBRUSH

HDC dc=GetDC(hWnd);
COLORREF backColour=GetBkColor(dc);

// do something...

ReleaseDC(dc);

COLORREF bg = GetSysColor(COLOR_BTNFACE);
    bg = RGB(GetBValue(bg), GetGValue(bg), GetRValue(bg));
    COLORREF fg = bg - 0x00151515; //slightly darker than the background color
    COLORREF bits[30] = {          //would be problematic I guess if the color
      bg, bg, bg, bg, fg,          //was originally less than 0x00151515
      bg, bg, bg, fg, bg,
      bg, bg, fg, bg, bg,
      bg, fg, bg, bg, bg,
      fg, bg, bg, bg, bg
    };
    HBITMAP hbm = CreateBitmap(5, 5, 1, sizeof(COLORREF) * 8, bits);

hbr = CreatePatternBrush(hbm);

HBRUSH main_st_color_ev(HWND hwnd, HDC hdc, HWND hwndChild, int type){

  return stripes;

}

SetBkMode(hdc, TRANSPARENT);