This is just a place for me to show off the different cross-stitch projects I have done ever since I took the hobby back up in 2020. I do not claim to be an expert…but I’ve done my 10,000 hours.
Backstory
I worked a few cross stitch projects as a kid, mainly because I enjoy doing tedious tasks, hence the appeal of documentation for me. As a teenager and college student, it fell by the wayside as I became an adult. In 2020, I began therapy again to handle my depression of being at home constantly because of the pandemic, and my therapist suggested I take up a new hobby to keep my attention and my dopamine levels up. I found a great cross stitch pattern on Amazon, bought it, and have since made four more of that pattern for friends and family. Since then, I’ve been busily buying patterns on Etsy and producing projects for friends and family, and a few commissions here and there. (The most I’ve ever gotten for one of my pieces was $150, but it took me four months to complete, so it’s hardly minimum wage even. Crafters know the struggle.)
I hope you enjoy my handiwork! All patterns are available for recreation, but I rarely do a piece for less than $50 unless you’re a good friend of mine. Friends sometimes get them for free! Also, I really enjoy doing unexpected cross stitch projects, such as those with lettering of less-than-usual verbiage or messages. I enjoy doing lettering, and the friends I make them for are just as sarcastic and cynical as I can be.
Warning: adult language included ahead. π
Disclaimer: Not all of these pieces are completely finished, but I have captured them at a stage where the stitching is complete and I am proud of my work. Often I will have to wash and/or iron pieces after the stitching is complete, and sometimes I take the photos before this process. Also, I have four cats and sometimes cat hair is inevitable, though I do try to keep it to a minimum.
Also, you may notice that my nails are generally glittery when holding up these pieces. That is because I am a big fan of Cristine over at Simply Nailogical and Holo Taco nail polish. My fingernails STAY sparkly, for sparkly is my joy.
Recent Work
From large, dense pieces that I’m trying to sell to smaller, more detailed pieces created for friends, I’ve truly enjoyed creating and gifting new pieces and watching my skill and patience evolve.
 | This is truly the largest piece I’ve ever done, and it is beautiful. I found the pattern on Etsy after being inspired by a post on a Facebook group about cross stitch, and I’m looking to sell it and donate the proceeds to either PFLAG or Life Gets Better Together. Starting bid is $300. There are exactly six mistakes on this piece. If you can find them, I will give you a $50 discount. π |
 | This has become a display piece that I bring with me every time I sell. I don’t think I’ll sell it unless someone gives me a price I can’t say no to; it really provides the energy of the audience I am trying to attract for my pieces. |
 | I love this pattern, and have made it in so many different color combinations. It really sells, too! |
 | Purple was the last color I laid down for this piece, and I showed it to a friend halfway through that. Friend said “Oh wow, it’s gonna look so good once you put the red in!” “There’s not going to be any red.” “But it’s a phoenix. You can’t have a phoenix without red.” So I put down some red. The final product had the gridding removed, and was chosen by a friend who appreciated the energy. |
 | Made upon request for my hairstylist, Erica. Initially it was meant to be trade for a haircut, but she needed the money and I was happy to give her both and stay a customer. Until she went to work offshore, and now I have nobody to help me keep my asymmetrical Karen from getting shaggy!!! |
 | I made this for a friend who hosts D&D campaigns. It’s cute though, innit? |
 | These daffodils were done for a good friend who sometimes needs to remember that people love him just the way he is. <3 |
 | This is a piece I did for some friends getting married…and now Mr. and Mrs. Hess have this hanging in their dining room. <3 The blue flowers were switched out from the pattern’s original pink to match their wedding colors. Even the smallest customizations can mean a lot to the recipient, if they were made with purpose and relevance. |
 | Made for my niece to take to college with her. π Thought it would help her make friends and influence people… |
 | Currently hanging in our new laundry room. Because our house has an actual laundry room! |
 | Really kind of speaks for itself, doesn’t it? Thanks to Jenn Maxwell for the book this pattern comes from. |
 | Because…well. You know how it is. |
 | Made for my father-in-law to hang in his library of first-edition paperbacks. |
 | Made upon request for a friend who lives that life and sometimes needs a reminder. The sparkle thread is called The Devil’s Pubes for a reason. Yeesh. But that’s how we learn! |
 | Made for my grand-boss at Whirlwind. |
 | Made for my great-grand-boss at Whirlwind. I kind of want this one back though. |
 | Made for one of the Program Managers I worked with at Whirlwind. |
 | Made for another one of the Program Managers I worked with at Whirlwind. |
 | Made for a co-worker’s wife during my time at Whirlwind. She was a sweet woman who always made sure we had plenty of hand-baked treats during our three-day-long Kaizen sprints. Pen for scale, of course. |
 | Happy customer JoAnne Jachyra, friend and coworker at Whirlwind. <3 If you work with me and are a neat person, I’ll likely make you something fun! π |
Legacy Pieces
These are where we started. It’s kind of neat to see how I’ve progressed since I took the hobby back up.
 | This is the pattern that started the craziness – this kit from Amazon got me hooked again. (Technically not “hooked” – this is not crochet – but the meaning holds.) |
 | A pattern sent by a friend who believed in me when I first began. |
 | A request from a close friend. It still hangs in his apartment bathroom, just for funsies. |
 | A pentacle for my nephew, because I thought he’d like it. He did. |
 | Made this for my Navy vet brother for Christmas 2021. I believe he hung it up somewhere, but I can’t be sure. Brothers, you know. π But he did appreciate it, because he curses like a sailor. |
 | I found a quick kit for these and made a few for some friends who just got married. They love Pusheen, so it was a win. |
 | What I thought would be my densest and most complicated cross stitch ever, for my best friend the science teacher. |
 | Housewarming gift for a good friend and his family. |
 | I got several requests for these, and this one was custom-colored for a coworker. |
 | The FIRST Gangster pattern that was sent to me, but I thought it would be too complex for my skill set. I did it anyway! |
 | And then…I was commissioned to do this. When I finished, I said “I will never do this piece again. Ever.” And then my bestie gave me puppy dog eyes and said “pretty pretty please?” So I made her one too. But never again. LOL |
 | Made for my mom for Christmas 2021 |
 | Made for my mother-in-law for Christmas 2021 |
 | Made for my father-in-law for Christmas 2021 |
 | Made for my youngest nephew for Christmas 2021 |
 | Made for my dad and stepmom for Christmas 2021 |
 | Inspirational piece to hang above my desk while working remotely from home |
 | Challenge sent by the friend who ordered the Saturn piece with the instruction to keep it. (I am a HUGE Douglas Adams / Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fan. I even themed my 42nd birthday party with that.) |
 | Made this for a good friend who lives in a rehab facility for physical injuries. |
 | A quick Mother’s Day workup |
 | Commissioned by a random person on Discord to give to his sister for Christmas. We all had a good laugh. |
 | Commissioned for my good friend’s wife for her mom for Christmas 2022. |
 | I made $100 on this commission, and when the person who ordered it sent a picture to the person she bought the pattern from, that person said I had “great skills.” I’m taking that as an absolute win. |
 | I originally bought this pattern to make for my mom, but she passed away before I could get it to her. So I ended up working it for my best friend’s mother for Christmas 2022, since she also loves peacocks. I’m glad it’s going to a great home. |
 | Made for a friend’s father for Christmas 2022. Now with extra cat hair and faint gridding that still needs to be removed. |
 | Maple leaf for a friend’s family member for Christmas 2022 with an extra dose of cat hair and light gridding that needs to be finished out. |
 | Made for my Best Friend’s Mother-in-Law for Christmas 2022 |
 | Made for my best friend’s grandmother for Christmas 2022 |
 | Made for my bestie’s husband for Christmas 2022. He loved it so much, he hung it in his private thinking space so he could get inspiration from it. <3 |
 | This pattern was a little bit wonky, but I really enjoyed working on this one. It rings too true…because I LOVE lemonade!!! |
 | This will be coming with me to the next job I get to hang in my work space along with the Don’t Panic piece. I figure I can spin it with HR to say “If I have the patience to stab something 1,000 times, I also have the patience to get through this project.” We’ll see if that flies. π |
 | A very popular pattern that most people can relate to. <3 |
 | Made this for a good friend for no other reason than I wanted to. |
 | Worry about your own quest queue, thank you very much. |
 | Some subtle nerdiness as a commission for a friend. |
 | These are three pieces I was commissioned to do for my cousin to give out as Christmas gifts in 2023. I kept all of these patterns and would love to do one again! The Taylor’s Version got a lot of traction as well. |
 | The Taylor’s Version with colors of the bisexual flag, upon request |
 | Taylor’s Version as requested – “pink, everything pink!” |
 | My bestie sent this pattern to me “to keep [me] busy.” Never again, but it did turn out quite lovely, don’t you think? |
 | Everybody relates to a rainbow brain, whether it makes sense to them or not. |
Want One?
Simply email me at pedantic.m@gmail.com with the photo of the pattern you would like, and expect to pay approximately $50 for it. It may also take up to 1 month to complete, depending on the pattern – the Beetlejuice pattern is $150, and the Amazing 80s pattern is $100. If I know you personally, we can negotiate, but if I don’t, it’ll be $50 at the very least. Custom fabric or floss will cost extra.
Custom Pieces
This is one I made for my husband’s World of Warcraft guildmaster, given to him at Blizzcon 2023. I took the guild’s banner and turned it into a pattern using an online pattern maker, and to this day he considers it one of the most thoughtful gifts he has ever received. (Or so he told my husband.)
A short commission I did for a former co-worker’s son, who got accepted into Texas Tech. A large one to frame, and a smaller one that could potentially be made into a patch with some backing and adhesion.
