Star-cross-stitched lover

Cross-stitching began as a pandemic hobby for me. It’s similar to embroidery but different. Instead of being free to choose the style of each stitch, all the stitches are uniform X’s, crosses (pixels if you squint). When I began, I cannibalized my mum's old, unused kits. I started with a friendship bracelet cord before I knew what DMC floss was. Then after obsessing through Instagram hashtags, I ordered both Gina Coleman's books of Stardew Valley and Undertale patterns, as well as threads and fabrics. You can really go overboard with this stuff, I am ashamed to admit how much it cost. I spent many evenings sitting on my carpet, stitching, listening to what was on TV, but missing most of it as I looked down at my work. When I’m cross-stitching I feel like a young, Victorian maiden (despite looking like a small wannabe punk with turquoise hair and loose t-shirts). It gives me new admiration for my women ancestors who struggled through their samplers.

Before I begin a cross-stitch project, I lay out skeins of colorful thread. I compare the vibrancy of thread, picking out a palette. I look at pieces of Aida cloth, choosing how small I will hand-stitch each uniform cross, or what color background I’m feeling. My projects have frequently been inspired by video game pixel art, like Pokémon sprites, Stardew valley crops, and Undertale characters. I like the integration between a historic craft tradition with twenty-first-century childhood nostalgia. I’m not the only one either. The NintendoStitch Reddit community is dedicated to the Nintendo-stitchcraft crossover episode. Finding communities like this one, which features many cross-stitch projects, has been fun and inspiring. Don’t ask to look at the back, though, that’s just rude.

I used my new talent to cross-stitch little Christmas ornaments for my family. I used a plastic canvas which is super user-friendly, the holes all stay in their places and you can cut it into whatever shape you want. My aunt sent me a cute photo of the baby Yoda ornament I made her, hanging in the tree, just out of reach of her tabbies. She told me she kept her tree longer than she meant to, just to display it.

The last project I finished was the avatar of Haley from Stardew Valley, on the finest Aida cloth I own. Each stitch is done with one strand of thread, instead of the typical two. I cut pieces of thread about half the length of my forearm with my crafting scissors. They make an ASMR-video-worthy snip. Then I split the strands.

It feels good to do something repetitively. Row by row I slowly color in the picture. When I’m finished, I cut it out from the cloth and sew the edges down with my grandmother’s old Singer sewing machine, to make a patch. Sometimes I frame them or sew them on clothing. I love wearing my patches when they’re done. I walk around in my newly decaled jeans or my short overalls. I feel proud of myself and I look cool.

In the future, I want to try the waste canvas technique. It’s something I saw on TikTok, where you can stitch any cross-stitch pattern onto any clothing, bag or piece of fabric. You start by pinning your Aida cloth onto the piece you want to embellish. Then you stitch your pattern, going through both the Aida and the fabric behind. Once you are finished, you cut around the excess Aida, careful not to cut the work you have just finished. You loosen up the threads of the remaining Aida and pull them out individually. Tweezers might come in handy at this point. Once you have pulled out all trace remnants of your Aida cloth—voila! Newly decorated bag/shirt/hat.

I would recommend cross-stitching to anyone who needs a new, relaxing hobby.