Cross-Stitch Vienna is a cross-stitch pattern designer in love with creepy gothic cross-stitch patterns.
What is gothic cross-stitch?
Gothic cross-stitch is best described as cross-stitch that expresses an aesthetic of fear and haunting (akin to the literary movement of Gothic fiction). It has not been properly and officially defined, so I came up with my own definition:
Gothic cross-stitch is a subgenre of cross-stitch fibre art that incorporates themes and motifs reminiscent of Gothic fiction: dark designs that evoke an environment of fear and mystery, often featuring supernatural elements and a sense of dread creeping into our lives.
Typical motifs might include fantasy creatures (cryptids, vampires, witches) or urban legends. Other common themes are skeletons, ghosts, cemeteries, haunted buildings like castles or crypts, and animals such as bats, spiders, or owls. Gothic cross-stitch uses the themes of death, murder, true crime, funerals, witchcraft, and even Satanic rituals to break taboos and reflect on the human fascination and fear of the mystic, forbidden, and creepy.
Overall, gothic cross-stitch offers a creative outlet for needlework enthusiasts who want to explore the macabre allure of gothic aesthetics.
My origin story
Cross-Stitch Vienna is a passion project created by an individual who really needed a hobby to escape the turmoil of 2020.
It started as a hobby that could be enjoyed offline, away from the overwhelming negativity. The Mistress remembered that time in high school when she was gifted a cross-stitch kit and how soothing it was to stitch and disconnect. She decided to give cross-stitch another try. She had an idea to gift someone a custom pet portrait and learned to convert an image to a cross-stitch pattern using one of the free online tools. It was glorious and so rewarding.
When the finish was washed and framed, the Mistress decided to learn how to design cross-stitch patterns properly. She immediately went full throttle and set up a website on the 5th of January, 2001, to share her creations under the name inspired by its city of birth, Cross-Stitch Vienna. Mostly dark and morbid has been the theme. Soon, the famous No Body No Crime and No Bodies No Worries true crime charts were birthed and became the signature designs of Cross-Stitch Vienna.
Now Cross-Stich Vienna has grown its library to 80+ gothic cross-stitch patterns and observes over 1000 monthly downloads.
You can browse the ever-growing repository of free cross-stitch charts or you can visit the official CSV Ko-fi shop for more creepy cross-stitch!
