Stephanie Rohr - Feminist Cross-Stitch: 40 Bold & Fierce Patterns

I have been surrounded by cross-stitch for most of my life. My siblings and I grew up with baby samplers in each of our bedrooms, and as a child I would watch my mother work on beautiful landscape scenes, quilt blocks, and traditional cross-stitch projects like birth announcements and alphabet samplers. (It was the 80sthere were lots of pastels.) When I was five, she bought me a kid-friendly cross-stitch kit with a simple little butterfly design. I was instantly hooked! I continued cross-stitching as a relaxing hobby throughout my early teens. I lost interest because there werent any designs that appealed to me anymore, but I couldnt stay away from stitching for long. I picked it up again in my early twenties and soon decided that my desire to stitch exactly what I wanted meant that I should start designing patterns myself.

When I began my cross-stitching career in 2010, my designs were more in line with the subversive cross-stitch movement that began in the early 2000s. I was pairing delicate flowers and cutesy geometrics with curse words, pop culture references, and humorous phrases. The designs were fun and intricate, but the messages were more escapist than activist.

Then the 2016 US presidential election happened. My creations suddenly took a turn. I began seeking out phrases with a political and specifically feminist focus. I wanted to feel empowered and inspire other people to feel the same way. The designs ranged from hopeful phrases of gentle encouragement to full-on NSFW rage directed at the patriarchy. They took off. When I looked at my online sales, feedback on social media, and interactions with customers at in-person events, I saw that I wasnt the only one who needed these messages and the therapeutic benefits of cross-stitch. Although the election sparked my need to create feminist designs, these patterns go far beyond this moment in time. As I continue to focus on feminist designs, they have become less of a reaction to current events and more of a central tenet of my art. Striving for equality will be an ongoing battle, and the desire to lift up and support one another is timeless. Cross-stitch is the perfect medium for these messages.

In the past, cross-stitch was viewed as womens work. Learning to sew, knit, and embroider were part of a girls education in many parts of the world. Many young women used cross-stitch samplers to practice alphabets and simple motifs that they would later stitch onto clothing and household items. Needlework crafts were not only practical; they were also used as a form of protest or an expression of patriotism. Working in groups also allowed women to get together and discuss important topics, debate, and plan for change. During the American Revolution, women spun their own wool to avoid using boycotted British textiles for soldiers uniforms. Antislavery sewing circles were common in the antebellum era in the US. This craftivist tradition continues into the present day, whether in the form of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, started in 1985, or the pink PussyhatsTM made and worn by participants in the 2016 Womens Marches.

I am thrilled to cross-stitch at a time when this traditional art form is not only being recognized as art for its own sake but when it also allows people to express their opinions, show support for marginalized groups, and protest. No longer seen as just womens work, cross-stitch is a creative outlet available to anyone who is interested in picking up a needle and thread.

As you learn to stitch and work through the patterns in this book, I encourage you to cross-stitch in any way you want. You can work on a project slowly over weeks or even months, picking it up when you have a chance. You can also burn through a project all in one sitting. It can be a great way to make affordable gifts for friends and family or to decorate your home or workspace. You can invite friends over for social stitching sessions. You may be inspired to start designing your own patterns or even start your own business. There is no limit to the ways you can make a statement using cross-stitch!