HOME |
RSS | 
I am at a loss to explain why I love Downton Abbey, but I do. This is not an unusual sentiment. And the Dowager Countess has become my favorite character. She’s unflappable, faithful to her sense of honor, and knows how to lay down a few words. Sunday Avery summarized her neatly in this cross stitch.
No, that’s not a picture, it’s a cross stitch created by Adam Jon Moore. That’s right, she’s made with nothing more than x’s.
Comments Off
You’d never know from just looking at her work, but cross stitch artist Peng Jiangya doesn’t have any fingers. She lost them in a fire during childhood. In order to earn extra money for her family, she learned this challenging craft. Now she’s faster than many other cross stichers with fingers.
Link (warning: self-starting video) -via Oddity Central
Comments Off 
The sampler was created by man.
There are no copies.
It does not have a plan.
No one should feel obligated to join this crafting project in any way. This is a design decision I have made for myself. If it turns out that there are not enough personnel to complete a cross stitch, I will make a crocheted cozy with anyone who is willing to join me.
Photo: Steotch
Comments Off 
To Lithuanian artist Severija Incirauskaite, everything is an appropriate target for her needle. She cross stitches images onto car doors, old shovels, watering cans, and more. She’d probably stitch a pattern on to you if you’d hold still long enough. You can view other works by her and read an interview at the link.
Link -via Colossal | Photo: Don’t Panic
Optimus Prime is the Chosen One, and into him shall be stitched the Matrix of Leadership. Lord Libidan made this Optimus Prime model using plastic canvas. Thanks to his clever use of magnets, it actually transforms.
Link -via Feeling Stitchy
Comments Off 
And while you’re at it, use proper diction. Emily and Matt Fitzpatrick of Steotch, who also made the Locutus of Borg Serenity Prayer sampler, created this Judge Judy-themed cross stitch.
This is definitely not your grandmother’s alphabet sampler. If your interest in old-school gaming overlaps with an appreciation for needlecraft, then this may be your new favorite thing. The Space Invaders sampler measures about 7.8? (h) x 6? (w), and was handmade by Knitforvictory, and is available over on Etsy for $25 (USD). Link
via Technabob
Comments Off 
CraftZine has a great interview with the guys who run the Steotch website, a haven for humorous cross stitch, and while the interview is worth a read, it’s this “Bless This Hizzy Fo Shizzle” cross stitch that really caught my attention. It’s the first cross stitch I’ve ever seen that makes me think of Snoop Dogg.
Comments Off 
Flickr user WhateverJames (who calls himself a “manbroiderer” has created this cross-stitch masterpiece that mashes up Luke Skywalker with the iconic Barack Obama political poster designed by Shepard Fairey.
James’ “I’m a person and my name is Anakin” piece is another must-see. Not being a huge fan of Star Wars, my favorite piece is “In Case of Emergency, Break Dance.”
Via Geek Crafts
I don’t have any information about this clever piece of street art except that it was discovered by Flickr user Bear in Mind. I wonder what material was used.
TL;DR stands for “too long; didn’t read.” Redditor theshe works at a newspaper. She commissioned this cross-stitch for her boss, who is always trying to shorten wordy stories. These should be mass-produced for all bloggers to hang over their computers! Link
Comments Off 
Craftster user Omega Chicken made this sampler as a simple way to remember her WiFi password:
My housemate got the idea from when friends come over with laptops and mobile devices and always need to connect to her wifi. It was a hassle looking at the router every time and she doesn’t know how to change the password to something memorable and whenever she wrote it down on something, it’d get lost. So here it is to be framed and hung on the wall.
Link via Geek Crafts
When I was working on my geeky cross stitch article, I happened to come across this amazing piece, but I couldn’t include it because it just wasn’t nerdy. Even so, I thought that you guys would appreciate this stunning rendition of the Sistine Chapel done in cross stitch. There’s more detail at the link.
Etsy seller yumeleona23 made this dandy cross stitch featuring Gambit from the X-Men. Since Gambit uses playing cards as weapons, it seemed best to surround him with a frame of them.
Link via Geek Crafts
I recently posted a ton of awesome videogame cross stitches, but these are by no means the full extent of geeky cross stitches. This set may not appeal to gamers as much, but the projects are equally nerdy and just as intricate. Whether you prefer Star Wars, Keyboard Cat or Twitter, there’s certain to be something here to tickle your geeky side.
Fans of the British series The IT Crowd will instantly recognize Flickr user a440’s depiction of the the characters from the show’s intro, as well as Roy’s catchphrase, “Have you tried turning it on and off again?”
Craftster’s forums are always filled with excellent examples of geeky crafting, but when user Jessii shared two years of projects, it was hard to choose the best of all of her works. While her pieces featuring characters from Rocko’s Modern Life, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Futurama and Cowboy Beebop are my favorite, but I highly recommend clicking on the link to check out the whole post.
Over on the Sprite Stitch forums, user Liquid Karma (aka Deviant Art user Karma Pudding) shared a huge collection of her past projects which include the Megaman project seen in the videogame stitching post, along with these depicting characters from Futurama, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Full Metal Alchemist and the Star Wars inspired “Come To The Darkside We Have Cookies” (if you like that one, be sure to check out the similar shirt in the Neatoshop).
Sprite Stitch user Bamiyan is yet another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fan and his Donatello cross stitch is yet another great take on the characters.
While this piece by The Autumn Society looks like it might belong in the videogames post, Rainbow Brite and Strawberry Shortcake are most certainly cartoon characters. There’s also a similar piece on the post with two Care Bears fighting it out.
If you like Pokemon, you’re sure to enjoy the cross stitching works of Deviant Art user Skyregabbro. There are plenty more at the link, but I chose Pikachu to display since he’s my favorite character.
more …
Did you know that March is National Craft Month? In order to get your revved up and ready for the holiday, I’ve gone ahead and rounded up some of the best videogame cross stitch designs I could find. Cross stitching is a perfect medium for old school videogames because the pixels can easily be transformed into geeky stitching patterns. So sit back, relax and get ready to get crafty.
Special thanks to Sprite Stitch, a wonderful website dedicated to video-game-themed crafts.
This great design by Flickr user CrystalPowell combines four of the greatest Nintendo classics in one.
For those that like their videogames really old school, this Commodore 64 cross stitch by Craftster Forum user Maltririel is just the ticket.
The classic Space Invaders cross stitch by Flickr user Cross-stitch ninja is fun, but I must admit that I prefer the Space Invaders/Futurama cross over piece featured on Let’s Get Radical.
Personally, I was never very good at Space Invaders, but Arkanoid was a serious addiction for me for a while. That’s why I’m in love with this design by Eunice of Mondo Pixel.
Flickr user Sewsew-a-go-go stitched this massive 12” x 28” screen from the NES classic Punch Out Game.
If you liked Street Fighter more than Punch Out, then this character select menu by Etsy user StitchPleaseMD might belong on your wall. For an action shot of the game, look no further than this excellent piece by Sprite Stitch forum user Celes_Lionheart.
As someone who grew up playing Sega, I tend to think the Genesis doesn’t get nearly enough love. That’s why this Sonic title screen cross stitch by the wife of Reddit user Maggoty makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside.
Becky Schaefer’s pieces featuring Lara Croft are an elegant bridge between classic floral cross stitch patterns and modern video game designs.
Well, they both require a steady hand. Actually, its not much of a stretch at all – aside from games being one of the most innovative art forms in the world despite huffy protestations from fogies like Roger Ebert, game art and cross stitching have more in common than one might think.
Cross stitching, the art of of, err, stitching crosses, is a boon to gamers with a creative touch. Thanks to its rigid grid layout, this traditional craft lends itself perfectly to recreating pixelated scenes from awesome retro games.
Flickr user Sewsew-a-Gogo made a large, detailed cross-stitch sampler inspired by the classic video game Punch-Out!!:
After about two years and almost 80,000 x’s, my Super Mega Punch Out Project is finished. It measures about 12″ by 28″ so it’s pretty big and I have yet to find a frame that will actually fit it. I really don”t want to spend $150 to custom frame it so I’m not sure where it’s going to go yet. I’m kind of sad to see it finished because now I have nothing to do.
Flickr user Pichu71 made a cross-stitch that depicts a QR code. She writes:
I’ve just fininished stitching this QR code (created online) for my brother-in-law’s birthday. He is a computer/ technology freak. Could someone please read it and tell me if my “spelling” is correct as I do not own a smart phone myself.
Link via Geek Crafts | Crafter’s Blog
I’m at a loss to explain precisely why, but somehow this cross stitch featuring Jabba the Hutt, Princess Leia as his slave, and the Serenity Prayer makes perfect sense. It was made by Emily and Matt Fitzpatrick. Their website is filled with similar cross stitch samplers inspired by pop culture.
Link and Etsy Store via Urlesque
Flickr user stitchFight makes cross stitches inspired by pop culture, including Tank Girl, The Hitchhiker’s Guide, and A Clockwork Orange. Pictured above is an Iron Man cross stitch that incorporated glow in the dark thread.
Here’s a fun way to create something unique by mixing traditional needle craft with modern urban street art.
Each pack contains all you need to cross stitch your way to a beautifully finished piece of urban tapestry, of which any great home would be proud to share its walls with.
Maggie and Mildred is a short film by Holly Klein about the make-believe adventures of two little girls. She cross stitched all of the characters and scenes, and then animated them. In an interview about the project, Klein wrote:
It took me about nine months to stitch all of the elements. I stitched the house first, then made the characters with all of their parts and outfits seperately. I then scanned everything into the computer, cut them out, and animated them in the computer. The whole process took me just under two years.
via Make | Artist’s Website | Interview with Klein about the Film
So you thought that cross-stitching was something only your sweet elderly friends and relatives did? That the themes were always friendly and heartwarming? The example on the left is just the beginning of a vast, disturbing and entertaining collection from Katie Kutthroat. Be warned: adult language is used and the images may not be the best to view at work.
What do you get when you mix Twitter with a crafster? How about this twitter quote (michael Ian Black) put in cross stitch, by Julie Zidel of You Heart.Us:
I’m not really sure where I should begin here. I guess we should go way back the beginning, last Wednesday. I’m in the office sitting at my desk eating lunch and making my daily rounds through facebook, flickr and twitter. I take a look at my twitter favorites page. The tweets on this page. These tweets range from the the funny to the mundane to the completely absurd but they all have one thing in common. They amuse me. I thought it was a shame that people were out there living life and not even knowing what they are missing out on. Then it hit me! It is my duty to spread the joy through cross stitch.
A collection of cross stitch awesomeness. This blog features works by Shanna of "St!#ch Out Loud." Sure these pieces may have hearts and flowers, but they also feature sexual innuendos, profanities and David Hasselhoff. A perfect addition to any humble abode, cubicle or bar stool setting.
Lastest posted works include:
- Make Awkward Sexual Advances Not War
- Cowboy M-Fer
- David Hasselhoff
- Debauchery
The bonus is Shanna’s "super hilarious" and "witty" commentary. Check it. Check it.
The world fell in love with David Hasselhoff for his hair, his car named KITT, his mad lyrics and tunes, his lifeguard tan, his pugs, his drunken rages, and most of all his sexy.
This is my latest in celeb “man candy” pieces – capturing the greatness that is the Hoffenator.
De-lisch.
From the Upcoming 
ueue, submitted by shanbanan.
Cross-Stitch Ninja made this map of the first world of Super Mario Bros. 3 by zooming way in on a screenshot of the game, and making one pixel=one stitch.
You can make your own video game cross-stitch patterns by following the instructions at Spritestitch.
Comments Off 
