The vendor area of the Ottawa Geek Market was full of all the swag you’d expect to find at a convention: nerdy t-shirts, rare comics, and vintage video games, as well as a huge array of handmade items. Among the usual fare, I was surprised to come across a table adorned with antique looking cross stitch. I took a moment to speak with Sara, the owner of the booth, about her story as well as what she had on display. Decked out in a Dr. Who themed dress, she told me all about her cross stitched art and how she started her business, Stitchnanigans.
Cross stitching is a form of embroidery that uses a series of X‑shaped stitches to create a picture or pattern. While any type of embroidery might put you in mind of 18th century ladies passing time in the drawing room after supper, Sara gives new life to this centuries old technique,  creating beautiful works of nerdy (and snarky) art that instantly caught my eye at the show. I just had to share her story with you!
Originally from Toronto, Sara learned to cross stitch as a child, but didn’t pick it up again until three or four years ago. A tribute to her Dr. Who fandom, her first nerdy piece was a TARDIS! In addition to the many Whovian items she has since created, Sara also does Star Wars and Star Trek themed pieces. Sara says she doesn’t really have a method for choosing her next project and usually has a few projects on the go. She will, however, create pieces to coincide with movie releases and other events. For example, she made this glow in the dark S.H.I.E.L.D./Hydra design soon after the release of Captain America: Winter Soldier (link here).  Aside from nerdy subject matter, Sara also practices what she calls “subversive cross stitch:” traditional pieces laden with profanities. She says, “those are the ones [she] tend[s] to stitch after a very long week at work.”  I absolutely love them, and my favourite has to be this one:
Although Sara’s feistiness left a lasting impression on me, she also mentioned that working on these pieces can be very calming, especially the smaller ones that come together fairly quickly. Sara says cross stitching is the closest to meditation she can get and loves seeing a blank piece of fabric turn into a work of art.
Sara doesn’t just do cross stitch though.  She also makes nerdy pendants! There’s a huge variety  of subject matter in her Etsy shop, from Harry Potter to Black Butler to Firefly.  Pendants can be ordered with a matching link chain or keychain attachment.
Now 39, Sara lives in Ottawa with her husband and four children who regularly offer suggestions for future projects. Her youngest wants her to make something relating to Supergirl. What a cool family!
Sara also does custom orders and would love to work with you on your ideas! Check out Stitchnanigan’s Etsy here.
You can also find her here on Facebook and Twitter!
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