Cross stitch – Smash the Patriarchy with Stitching Handmaids Tale

This feels like it goes with the feminist cross-stitch book a little bit (that giveaway is still open by the way, so go enter if you haven’t yet!) and husband and I have been watching The Handmaid’s Tale, so I couldn’t resist.

Wild Violet Stitches on etsy has a Handmaid’s Tale-inspired pattern, complete with a handmaid, a house and designs out of an old-time sampler and the famous phrase Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum (sort of fake Latin for “don’t let the bastards grind you down”).

The pattern is actually really pretty, and great to stitch while you watch. Believe me, you’ll need something to do with your hands, and angrily stabbing a cross-stitch project is as good as anything.

The PDF pattern runs $5.

[Photo: Wild Violet Stitches via etsy.]

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Celebrate International Women's Day with Cross Stitch

I’m primarily a knitter, and in the knitting world the “emotional support chicken” has been a big trend probably for a couple of years now (I don’t know how long something has to be popular before you can stop calling it a trend, but whatever).

There are chicken crochet patterns that are popular as well, and now I’ve found a cross stitch chicken pattern that might just become the newest iteration of the emotional support chicken theme.

The Funky Chickens pattern from Satsuma Street are three-dimensional, triangular chickens embellished with felt to make their facial features and tail feathers. The bodies include stripes, curves, speckles and other little designs to mark different parts of their bodies. They’re super cute and not any more difficult to stitch than any other pattern, though of course there’s more finishing than you would normally expect.

The pattern includes designs for three chickens, which are actually a rooster and two hens. The rooster is slightly larger, at 120 by 60 stitches, or 4 by 4 inches/10 cm when finished. The hens are 100 by 50 stitches and come out to 3.25 inches/8 cm when finished. These measurements are for stitching on 14 count fabric or 28 count over two.

The patterns use 13 colors, and if you want to make all three, one skein of each color will make all of them. In addition to your regular cross stitch supplies you’ll need three or four little pieces of felt of different colors to add all the details.

These chickens would be great to use as pincushions, or you could put something heavy in the bottom and use them as pattern weights if you do sewing. They’d also be fun gifts for anyone who likes chickens or needs a little emotional support if you explain it to them.

The pattern is available from Satsuma Street on Etsy.

[Photo: Satsuma Street]

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