Cross-Stitch Rebirth
New age cross-stitchers sew reproductions of National Artists Fernando Amorsolo and Manny Baldemor paintings, all for a greater cause.
It’s back with a vengeance. The art of cross-stitch—which many tag as an old bridesmaid’s hobby and is so late 2000—is brimming with more life, more intricacy, more colors, more details. A new generation of stitchers, from as young as an 11-year-old to a seaman in his 30s, has been stitching and sewing and mimicking patterns and reproducing renowned paintings. They are the Proud Pinoy Stitchers, a group of 200 modern cross-stitchers. Now, cross-stitch artworks are infused with beads, flowers, metallics, and glow-in-the dark threads. Wow. Welcome to the new age of cross-stitch.
BRING IT BACK The Proud Pinoy Stitchers members are sewing and mimicking art for a good cause. These new age stitchers reproduce the artworks of National Artists like Fernando Amorsolo’s Dalagang Bukid and The Offering. (Images by Rudy Liwanag)
In between her studies, Micah Angela Millare, 19, a member of Proud Pinoy Stitchers, sews and weaves colorful threads into patterns. She works with a variety of designs from flowers to food, Hello Kitty, and angels. But now she’s leveled up, sewing more intricate patterns like a detailed human eye. “I don’t have any friends who cross-stitch and they are interested to know the craft. Whenever I finish a pattern, I always take a photo and share it online,” says Micah. She says she finds peace and joy whenever she sews. She’s been cross-stitching since she was in grade four and finds no reason to stop. Micah apparently got it from her dad. Yes, her father (an engineer) loves to cross-stitch on his off day. Rene Millare is the master teacher of the Proud Pinoy Stitchers. By “master” he says he has the longest cross-stitching experience (he’s been stitching since 1991), the fastest stitcher (he can finish a 16×20 in one month), and has the cleanest back canvas.
Every month, the Proud Pinoy Stitchers meet up to trade tricks and secrets. So what’s the secret to a spotless back canvas? Rene says you should not immediately cross the thread—“it’s thread consuming and a mess,”—but do a slash first in one direction.
“The art of cross-stitch laid low back in the 2000s, but it’s coming back. It will always be in our culture, just like crochet and embroidery. Now, modern cross-stitch patterns are more realistic, unlike before when all we have were cutesy patterns,” says Proud Pinoy Stitchers founder Margaret Tipton. And while the craze that is loom bands have caught the hearts (and hands) of kids and teenagers, cross-stitching captures all ages and gender. Besides, you can display your work of art or give it as a gift. “It’s also therapeutic,” she adds.
Besides passion, the Proud Pinoy Stitchers are sewing, mimicking art for a better cause. They are mounting the exhibit “Karayon Masterpieces: Amorsolo, Baldemor, Atbp.” from Nov. 5 to 11 at LRI Bldg. N. Garcia St. Bel Air, Makati for the benefit of the Philippine Society of Orphan Disorders kids who need lifetime medical support.
On the exhibit are 22 paintings-turned-cross-stitched artworks of Fernando Amorsolo (like Lady of Flowers, Fruit Gatherer, Waling Waling, The Offering, Cooking the Noonday Meal) and four Manuel Baldemor (Season of Hope, Pahiyas, Fruits of Labor, and Good Harvest), and other Filipiniana works.
Don’t worry about the copyright, DMC Philippines, their co-sponsor, has asked the permission to reproduce the iconic artworks of the National Artists.
If you couldn’t afford an original Amorsolo or a Baldemor painting, why not buy their cross-stitch version—and help kids in return? Or why not revive that old flame with cross-stitching that probably started in high school Home Economics?
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