SpaceX Falcon 9 Dragon Crew Blueprint Cross Stitch by Lord Libidan
Title: SpaceX Falcon 9 Dragon Capsule Blueprint
Date Completed: September 2020
Design: Lord Libidan
Count: 14
Canvas: Navy
Colors: 1
Pop Culture: Space, SpaceX, Falcon 9, Dragon
Whilst one of my most loved cross stitches are blueprints (to name just a few, my Futurama Ship Blueprint Cross Stitch and Star Wars Lightsaber Blueprint) I stayed off creating space-based blueprints for a while. There are a few reasons for this, but they come down to two main ones; disappointment and information.
The first of those is more complicated. Unlike my Saturn V Blueprint Cross Stitch, where the official blueprints had been released, for many space-based vehicles they haven’t (and for good reason). However, SpaceX is a little unlike NASA and other government-based space agencies. They are looking to bring back the enthusiasm of Space in the 1950s. As a result, there are loads of images and information, from inside and outside of the ship, meaning finding information was a breeze.
The second reason I’ve avoided creating more space blueprints is a disappointment. The SpaceX Falcon 9 is someone that gets requested on a weekly basis by my fans, and letting them down would suck. However, following my NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Cross Stitch I knew I could do it justice, even if the Falcon 9 is a lot slimmer and simple than other rockets.
NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Cross Stitch by Lord Libidan
Title: NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint
Date Completed: August 2020
Design: Lord Libidan
Count: 14
Canvas: Navy
Colors: 1
Pop Culture: Space, NASA, Shuttle
I rarely revisit a cross stitch idea. For me, once the idea is done, it’s done. However, whilst stitching my Star Trek Enterprise LCARS cross stitch, I had a real yearning for a non sci-fi space project. What made this particularly interesting, was it may be the first time I had ever revisited an idea. The Enterprise was a larger version of my Star Trek Voyager LCARS cross stitch.
I’ve previously explained how much I love blueprints, and I’ve done enough of them, however, I’ve always loved my Saturn V Blueprint cross stitch. It was created for the Xstitch Magazine, however it always held a place in my heart for its complex nature. Working with the same design, planned to go side by side, I reworked the stitch to be focused on the NASA Space Shuttle, the only US space craft to fly in my lifetime.
Star Trek Enterprise LCARS Ship Schematic Cross Stitch by Lord Libidan
Title: USS Enterprise LCARS Ship Blueprint
Date Completed: August 2020
Design: Lord Libidan
Count: 14
Canvas: Black
Colors: 9
Pop Culture: Star Trek The Next Generation
I started planning my Voyager blueprint years before I started it, with tests in my Star Trek cross stitch book and my LCARS what happens on the holodeck cross stitch, however, it never really worked for me, so I looked at doing a realistic screen accurate LCARS interface, and I chose a blueprint for it. It was one of the only patterns I’ve made to take me over 100 hours, and I was proud as hell. I added in so many details, so many little hints at storylines, and it’s a super-accurate blueprint to boot! However, I kept getting the same question come up “will you do an Enterprise?”.
It turns out, that whilst Voyager has always been my favorite Star Trek, for most people, it’s the Next Generation. This has two major problems with it though, problems I had to overcome. Firstly, there are 7 series (178 episodes) and 4 movies, all of which have their own hints at what the Enterprise contains, and what it can do. So I had to watch them. All of them. That’s not really too hard of a task, but my notes during the 200+ hours of watching were extensive, so I had to add that into the design. This is slightly more complicated by the fact that there are no ‘real’ blueprints out there for inspiration. Star Trek Enterprise LCARS Ship Schematic Cross Stitch by Lord Libidan (Right Detail)
The second issue was that of size. The Enterprise D is 2-3 times larger than voyager in all dimensions. This makes it larger, sure, but combined with all the extra secrets I added in there, more complicated. Then, and this has always been a big thing for me, I wanted these patterns to look like real screens that could be used at any time, so I had to make it appropriate for a screen size, used in the series.
However, I put all of this together and even managed to reduce the number of colors from 13 to 11, whilst adding in a whole bunch of extras that were still in keeping, but also period-specific (LCARS changed between Next Generation and Voyager, in both colors and design). Then came the stitching, for which I had to buy a new cross stitch frame large enough! Star Trek Enterprise LCARS Ship Schematic Cross Stitch by Lord Libidan (Left Detail)
For as long as I’ve been cross stitching, there have been snarky cross stitches, NSFW cross stitches, postmodern cross stitches, tongue-in-cheek cross stitches, and even just the plain old retro cross stitches. These designs are great, but they serve a purpose; to subvert. But what exactly does that mean, and is it as contemporary as we’d like to think? I say no.
Subversive
[suhb-vur-siv]
adjective
Seeking or intended to subvert an established system or institution.
Its important that we start with a definition, or more specifically the definition of the word. Whilst you probably think you know what something is, its actual definition can be wildly different, take the humble cross stitch sampler for example.
So subversion is to undermine the power and authority of an established system or institution. This can take a whole or part of a cross stitch, but as many know it, a sampler of some type.
Modern Trends
In modern times, subversion can be highly varied. It can tackle major injustices, racial freedoms, or it can be a simple subversion of the common cross stitch. For most, this is the vast majority of cross stitch samplers, but even ones that aren’t made to be incongruous or shocking are still subversive.
In the below example someone has taken on the home sweet home cross stitch sampler trope, a highly traditional design, and subverted it by pushing a very modern video game aesthetic on top. This in itself does subvert, but the very nature of the work, a vault under the ground where the inhabitants are trapped for hundreds of years, pushes that envelope even further, mocking the original intentions.
Whilst this is far from the most subversive cross stitch, it does go to show that subversive cross stitch is very popular. This increase in popularity does mean its more obvious to the everyday cross stitcher, but in order to be a video game cross stitch, it needs to be contemporary.
But does it get older than this? Fallout 3 Home Sweet Home Sampler Cross Stitch (source: reddit)
Second World War
With our second example, we throwback to the second world war, a time where you probably didn’t expect cross stitch to be popular, but with thousands of prisoners of war across Europe, cross stitch was a popular pass time. In reality, the British government supported this, indirectly, as they sent supplies that were tools for escape, however that didn’t stop POWs having their fill of cross stitch.
One such example is the fantastic work of Alexis Casdagli. At first glance this is a very Nazi loving sampler, a sampler so impressive to the nieve Nazis that they took this apparent pro-third Reich sampler around Germany to show off in other prisons. They were at the time, the authority, the established system, and Alexis subverted them in a way they didn’t even know. Around the edge reads simple morse code, familiar to all British troops at the time, with very subversive statements like “God Save The King” and even a swear word; “F**k Hitler”.
This is a sampler that not only subverts the authority of those in power but flys under their radar, hidden from view, meaning the Nazis spread the subversive statements to other prisoners of war.
But does it get older than this? World War 2 sampler by imprisoned POW Major Alexis Casdagli (source: Victoria and Albert museum website)
19th century
The last example we have today is a fantastic cross stitch sampler by a young Elizabeth Parker in 1830, and whilst being one of the most intimate works you might have seen, is also strong in subversion. This was a time when cross stitch samplers were expected of young women when they were intended to show off their skills for a future life of marriage and to strengthen their bond with God. This was a time when young women couldn’t write and mental health was far from understood. Elizabeth subverted this expectation.
The opening passage of this sampler reads “As I cannot write I put this down simply and freely as I might speak to a person to whose intimacy and tenderness I can fully entrust myself.” from the very opening passage she is showing a wildly different take on a sampler, something at the time so traditional and expected. She subverts the very position she is put in, not being able to write, yet still about to form words.
She goes on, in a lengthy passage, I would suggest anyone reads, stitching about her treatment that is “cruelty too horrible to mention”, her thoughts on suicide and her lack of resolve with God. This all coming from the mind of a 17-year-old girl. But this isn’t pure rambling, this is staged, planned, thought through. Her words are clearly well chosen, and the design clearly planned. Her placement of nothing but red letters on white linen makes the words so much more dramatic, a color that wasn’t well used in samplers of the time. She even ends the whole passage with “what will become of my soul” followed by a large blank space, urging the reader to ponder on what happened to her.
This sampler is a diary of such, but I would argue that its one of the most subversive pieces you’ve ever seen, and whilst it doesn’t have that meme-worthy snarky snippet of modern stitching it’s subversive all the same.
But does it get older than this? Linen sampler embroidered with silk, by Elizabeth Parker, Ashburnham Forge, Sussex, England, about 1830. (Source: Victoria & Albert Museum)
Earlier
Sadly, we don’t have any examples of subversive stitches before the 19th century, but let me be clear; we barely have any cross stitches before this time. The 19th century was a big boom time for cross stitch history where cross stitch became mainstream, thanks to cheap wool and cotton imports. However that to me, leaves the query open, for whilst we don’t know what came before, we do know subversive cross stitch is far older than we imagine.
When you’ve finished a cross stitch you have a few options on what to do with it. You can frame it for display or just store it. Traditionally, these are the only two things people think of doing with cross stitch. But there is another way; sell it.
Now, before we start, I’m not going to suggest you can make a business out of selling completed cross stitches, but you can get some extra cash to fuel your hobby. And after all, with all of those cross stitches in storage, never to be seen again, you might as well do something with them. So here is how to sell your completed cross stitches. Wake up and Make Money cross stitch by pxdstitchshop (source: etsy)
I’ve said before that Etsy is a good thing for the cross stitch world and I’ll say it again. As not only is Etsy the powerhouse of cross stitch pattern suppliers, but there are loads of people selling completed cross stitch too. In fact, of all the options on the list, we found the highest prices on Etsy, even though there weren’t as many actual pieces for sale.
Just sign up, list your item (cost is 20 cents) and set your price. Etsy takes about 5% of the whole transaction price.
eBay is the second on our list and is by far the largest of the market places for completed cross stitch. The one big benefit of eBay over something like Etsy is cost. eBay doesn’t charge to list your item, meaning you can keep the listing up for however long it takes to sell.
Sign up, list your item (free for personal users) and set your price. eBay take a beefy 10% of the transaction price though.
If those transaction fees seem a little steep, how about setting up your own store? You can use online tools like Shopify to make a store or make your own. People like Shopify can take from 2% to 10% depending on your set up, but you can get an online store through SquareSpace for about $15 a month.
Find your preferred store, make a website, list your items and market your website. Sadly this isn’t how customers are… :/
Craft Fairs
Away from the internet, how about craft fairs? Most cities and some towns host monthly or yearly craft fairs, and usually, you can get a free stand. You have to think about costs here though, as they quickly rack up. You need to cover your transport, booth fees (if there are any), booth decoration, lunch on the day, etc.
Look in local papers for upcoming events, reach out to the organizer to get a booth, work out your costs, set your prices and sell!
Take Custom Orders
Finally, we’re going to talk about custom orders. This is a slightly different ball game, as you don’t get to stitch what you want; you stitch what someone else wants. The prices are usually 1-2 cents per stitch, meaning on something 6×6 on 14 count, you can earn $140. This is by far, the best in terms of profit of anything on our list. If you’re lucky you can even find jobs going for up to 5 cents per stitch.
Getting these gigs is harder than the rest as well. You’ll have to reach out to cross stitch designers directly. Most designers create patterns to sell on platforms like Etsy and eBay, but don’t have time to stitch them up. However, they’re all very much aware that having a photo of the completed piece helps you sell cross stitch patterns.
I often see people talking about stitching on linen, evenweave or monk’s cloth, and people in the comments are quiet. It took me a while to work it out, but people aren’t aware you can cross stitch on other fabrics. Most people see just the standard cross stitch fabrics like aida and evenweave, but you can pretty much cross stitch on any fabric out there. You have to change the way you go about stitching sometimes, but there really is a world of fabrics out there to cross stitch on. 14 Count Aida and 28 Count Evenweave (source: cloudsfactory.net)
Aida
When it comes to cross stitching, you probably learned with aida. It’s the go-to fabric to use for cross stitch as its uniform in size and shape, comes in different counts and makes nice cross stitches. In all likelihood, you know how to stitch on aida, so I won’t dwell, but if not, check out our guide on how to cross stitch.
What I will say, however, is that cross stitching on aida requires you to go through the closest hole to the one you started with. In short, 1 over 1. Cross Stitching on Aida (Source: thecrossstitchguild.com)
Linen/Evenweave
Before we start, let’s talk about the differences between Linen and Evenweave. In fabrics like cotton and Aida, the vertical threads (Weft) and the horizontal threads (Warp) (see our cross stitch terms guide for more info) are evenly spaced out, meaning you get nice square blocks to stitch on. Linen is NOT like this. In most cases, linen is bigger in one direction than it is the other. There is nothing stopping you stitching on linen, but be aware your cross stitches may be a bit irregularly shaped. Evenweave however, is linen that is specifically made to be nice and uniform.
Can You Cross Stitch On Monk’s Cloth?
Yes. Monk’s cloth is another name for evenweave, and you can cross stitch on it the same way you would evenweave. Linen cross stitch fabric (source: thecrossstitchguild.com)
Now we have that out of the way, let’s talk about actually stitching on it. Unlike aida, you have to stitch 1 over 2. Pull your needle through the first hole, jump a hole, and then put it in the next one. The reason we do this is that unlike aida that is woven together with starch, linen and evenweave are loose weaves, meaning threads can move from one row to another by jumping over/under threads.
By doing this you reduce the overall count by half, however with a 28 count evenweave you can get a 14 count cross stitch, with a nicer background fabric. Cross Stitching on Evenweave Linen (Source: thecrossstitchguild.com)
Cotton
Whilst aida, linen and evenweave are the most common fabrics to cross stitch on, you can also stitch on others. One big one people often forget about is cotton fabrics, polyesters, and general clothing fabrics. Unlike the other examples on the list, you actually need something else to stitch on; waste canvas. It works very much like aida when stitching, however once you’re done you wet it, and pull out all the fabric threads. This leaves you with cross stitch in neat shapes, despite the fabric under it. 14 Count Waste Canvas Cross Stitch Fabric (source: google images)
Knitting/Crochet
What about knitting, or crochet? We mentioned that knitting and crochet is a great additional hobby to cross stitch, so you may already do one of them, and you can cross stitch straight onto it! It works the same as aida, so it does make your knitting one sided, but you can really make a piece stand out by adding a bit of cross stitch. Cross Stitch On Crochet (Source: thesprucecrafts.com)
Pretty Much Anything
We wrap up this list with, everything. Yeh, everything. Thanks to things like waste canvas you can stitch on any soft material, but by using a drill you can actually cross stitch on any hard surface without waste canvas. Ikea desk chair cross stitch hack (Source: Pinterest)
Rorschach Ink Blot Test Cross Stitches by Lord Libidan
Title: Rorschach Ink Blot Test Panels 1 to 6
Date Completed: October 2019
Design: Lord Libidan
Count: 14
Canvas: White
Colours: 4
Pop Culture: Noir
I design patterns for the Xstitch magazine, and this issue the theme was noir. I know the themes are based on general terms to help promote a more varied selection, but I also write for the magazine, and in this issue, I spoke about black. So of course, my mind went to black for the stitch too.
But I couldn’t find anything I liked. I tend to stitch on black a lot, but making a dark black stitch is hard, and frankly, not very interesting. But then I happened across a set of ink blot tests in a toy store. They were full of color, but I loved the idea of a Rorschach ink blot test. Not only were they (mostly) black, but they were a pseudoscience that was very of the noir movie aesthetic and time period. It just worked.
The patterns didn’t really work though. My first idea was to pick just one and make it huge, but as you guessed, it was a lot of black. So I cut it down in size. But this meant it was not only non-symmetrical, a key feature of the ink blots, but it was full of shades. These shades were OK, but the way the DMC colors work, the dark colors were hued. They had blues in, or purples and they looked wrong. Finally, I made them all, pixel by pixel to get it perfect. I had to make a decision early on, with ink blot 2, as it had red in. Whilst this still fitted with the theme, I just felt it was better as black.
You can get cross stitch inspiration pretty much anywhere, but after hitting a few dozen massive projects, you sometimes want a change. And whilst looking for unique cross stitch ideas I came across people who mixed cross stitch with interior design.
Unlike other projects, which are destined to go into cross stitch storage, by making something to do in your house, you’ll always be able to enjoy it.
Peg Board
The easiest way to get into interior design cross stitch, or super massive cross stitch for that matter, is peg board. It comes in loads of different sizes and its rather cheap. You can paint it, stain it, or cross stitch on it. It might not be the most traditional cross stitch fabric, but it sure works for a great addition to any room. You can also turn it into things like stools for an added factor. Large Cross Stitch Art in a study (Source: CBC.ca)
Ikea Hacks
If you don’t want to make something the the wall however, you could always pop down to your local Ikea. Not only is it stocked full of items with regular holes in them (think chairs, floor mats, lamps, etc), but there are items made from peg board, meaning you can have a functioning bit of furnature with a sweet cross stitch edge. Ikea desk chair cross stitch hack (Source: Pinterest)
Paint
How about something a little more refined? By ditching the needle and thread and picking up a paint brush you can add a cross stitch design to literally anything that takes paint. You can find a great guide from homeheartcraft if you’re interested. Painted Wall Cross Stitch Rose (Source: homeheartcraft.com)
Fences
But just because the inside of your home can be cross stitched up, doesn’t mean it has to stop there. By using gardeners yard you can use things like fences to add cross stitch characters. It’s actually been seen in big cities before with the illegal cross stitch movement. Maybe its safer to stick to your own garden though. Pacman Cross Stitch Graffiti in Milan by Miss Cross Stitch (source: sayraphimlothian.com)
Cross Stitch On Anything!
However, let’s be honest here, you can actually cross stitch on anything, and we mean anything. Cross stitching can be done with something called waste canvas, or you can even cross stitch without waste canvas by drilling holes. The great thing about this is that you aren’t limited by size or count, you can do your own thing. broderie-objet-metal-16 by Severija Incirauskaite (source: mrxstitch.com)
Frame It!
We however, quite like the old fashioned framed cross stitch. You can get really inventive with framing with bright matting and frames, and as it goes up in your own home, it doesn’t matter if anyone else likes it or not. You could even not put glass in your cross stitch frame. Pacman screenshot cross stitch in frame by gmatom (Source: reddit)
The Orville Blueprint Embroidery by Lord Libidan
Title: The Orville Blueprint
Date Completed: May 2020
Design: Lord Libidan
Count: 14
Canvas: Black
Colors: 3
Pop Culture: The Orville
Like many people, my favorite cross stitch changes a lot. It tends to be the last one I’ve stitched or the last big one at least. However for some time now, it remained as just one. My Star Trek Voyager Blueprint/LCARS cross stitch completed over a year ago. I think there were a few reasons for this. I’d worked on LCARS cross stitch before for both my Star Trek cross stitch book and my LCARS what happens on the holodeck cross stitch however I was never really sold on either of them. So when I was able to do another LCARS cross stitch, with a realistic screen, I really felt I’d captured its essence. It felt like I’d managed to complete it in a way that really looked right.
I think part of this was I was able to take a real screen (or my impersonation of one anyway). What I didn’t realize at the time is that I liked the UX (user interface) of the LCARS system, and liked the actual screens themselves. When I started stitching my matrix code cross stitch I really understood this and wanted to do more. This is where the Orville project started. I was watching the most recent Star Trek and had heard of The Orville is Star Trek-like, and thought, why not? I gave it a try, and frankly, I think it’s better than Star Trek Discovery. But there was a screen that kept coming up. I won’t spoil why, but a main character is often shown, and he’s a science officer. His screen on the deck is in front of him and clearly visible from the camera angle. Normally I would ignore this, but it had an element at the bottom that looked a lot like a macOS dock. Needless to say, I wanted to do something with it. The Orville Set Photos – Science Officer Screens on the Main Deck (Source: Wikipedia)
The second thing I noticed about the computer screen was the big old starship blueprint right in the center. It was VERY similar to my Star Trek one, and I just had to take that element as well, after all, I love blueprints. As you can probably tell from my lightsaber blueprint, ZF-1 Blueprint and Metroid Suit blueprint. But all of those are real blueprints. I wondered how a science officer would look at the ship, and wondered if I could make it more… real. I threw some ideas around, but the original image formed most of my plan, with overlays and more detail on science elements, and little in the way of room detail.
This also allowed me to do the same thing I had with my Star Trek cross stitch, and that was backstitch variance. What do I mean by that? Well, basically the number of threads when doing backstitch. By using three sometimes, 2 others and 1 for fine detail you can create a design that looks fairly plain from a distance, but then as you come closer gives you more and more detail. Unlike the Star Trek blueprint, the Orville’s computers mostly use blue, so this became really important.
So, I started making a pattern. It wasn’t a cross stitch pattern that took me 100 hours, but it sure took a long time. I tried adding the original MacOS dock style thing, but it just didn’t work. However, I came up with about 30 inspiration shots from the show, including this one, and knew there were elements I could add. I put everything together, and finally got stitching. The Orville Screenshot – Computer Screens (Source: Google Images)
This is where I would normally stop, showing you the complete thing. But as I stitched, the less sold on the idea I was. Looking back, the whole reason I wanted to stitch this was the macOS style screen, that I failed to make in the pattern. Then, on top of this, is the fact that I had just completed my Futurama ship blueprint embroidery and was about to start on another one (more on that once I’ve finished it). This pattern just didn’t click in the way those did. So I changed the pattern while stitching to remove the outside, leaving just the ship itself.
