embroidery
I do a lot of embroidery, actually, but most of it is kinda just the finishing touches on other pieces, rather than something that stands alone, y'know? But, anyway, here are some little tiny crossstitching pieces! You can also skip down to the resources below, if you want!
First and foremost, these fellas are based off pixel art designs by the amazing @butterberrycafe on Tumblr. Aren't they just adorable?? Please check out their other spritework, also! (I wonder if Haunter feels left out? I should make him, too...)
I've been getting back into cross stitching recently, mostly because I found that I've been mindlessly scrolling scrolling scrolling on my phone so much. That's obviously horrible, so I've been trying to replace that with a different habit -- normally, I'd opt for reading, but it's difficult to concentrate when someone else is watching TV in the same room, y'know? Thus, cross stitching.
I actually had another cross stitch project I was working on, but I forgot about it and it's just been rotting in a drawer for, like, two years. And frankly, I just don't have much of an attachment to it, at all. But making tiny cross stitches? They're cute and small, fairly quick to complete -- it's like collecting achievement badges! Certainly feels more fulfilling than doomscrolling, at least!
This was just a proof of concept using little leftover scraps from other projects. It may be small but it does, at least, confirm that perforated paper is, in fact, paper and can be glued to other things rather nicely... which means you can use it for bookbinding and box-making! (Technically, I've seen people use regular aida for this sort of thing as well, but... I don't know, I just have an aversion to stitching on actual fabric for some reason. I'm fine with normal sewing, but the hoop -- it just unsettles me and I'd prefer to avoid it, if at all possible.)
resources
Crossstitching itself is very straightforward, so perhaps it's better to skip all the introductory fluff and jump right into asking where you can find patterns to crossstitch and what you can do with it, instead.
I'd really recommend flipping through Sirithre's site for ideas about different types of finishes, how to use plastic canvas, composing patterns, etc! She has so much cool stuff going on!
To make your own patterns / adapt existing pixel art, you can use FlossCross. It generates a nice numbered grid and even picks out approximate thread color matches for you -- very helpful! And for finding pixel art, in general, besides making it yourself or something like that, you could also yoink it from the GOAT, Spriter's Resource. <3
Hmm, let's see, besides that, I'd also recommend swatching your colors on the fabric (or whatever other material you're using) to make sure they actually go together, or, most importantly, that they contrast nicely. Holding the skeins or bobbins side by side is one thing, but the colors can often look different when actually stitched, so be careful! And happy stitching!