cross-stitched Valentine

My Valentine, 2009.
Paint chip, embroidery thread.

I’ve been fascinated by the similarities between cross-stitch patterns and pixel art for a while. Inspired by the Open Source Embroidery Project, I made a pixel-inspired Valentine. The pattern is adapted from a 9×9 icon offered up by sweetie.sublink.ca for download with a Creative Commons license. I reduced the number of colors, plotted it out on paper, and transferred the pattern to the red card with pin holes. The card itself is a paint chip from Benjamin Moore; the color is called, of course, my valentine.