Hi, Stitchers!
This month’s feature designer is The Cozy DH Stitchery!! We are so excited to bring you this interview and introduce you to Toot & DH. I know these patterns pop up here often and I’m so excited to share this with everyone. The designers have also generously offered a 10% discount with REDDHOT10 for the month!
Who are you?
We are Toot (she/they) and DH (they/them), a queer married couple from Canada who design under The Cozy DH Stitchery! Being the more front-facing of the duo, DH is the one answering the questions.
What’s something people don’t know about you?
Because we're a two-person team, each pattern is fine-tuned with the stitcher in mind.
How did you get started cross stitching?
We both learned to stitch in the 1900s and have circled back to it on and off for most of our lives. We picked it back up in 2023 due to disabilities making other crafts less feasible and we seem to have found our calling!
When and why did you start designing patterns?
Toot was looking for Five Nights at Freddy's patterns and simply couldn't find any good ones. Okay, I said. I guess I'll do it myself. We started with FNAF, Valorant, and Mail Time patterns, with our first original pattern being Crockpot Magic.
Where do you get your inspiration?
We draw heavily on the weird and wonderful world around us. We both have had a long-time love and fascination with folklore, mythology, fairy tales, and urban legends. Toot's college degree had a minor in folklore, and she also draws in a lot of inspiration from horror movies. I have a degree in Celtic Studies, and a special interest in conspiracy theories and ancient aliens.
Describe your designs using only adjectives.
Cute. Weird. Surprising. Comfortable.
What design was your favorite to make?
Our Patreon pattern for August is one that I am particularly proud of - it's called Summer Camp Slasher, and it's an homage to the summer camp horror genre, as well as my own childhood experiences of camp and ghost stories about deranged murderers coming up from the floorboards.
Favorite DMC color?
Mine is DMC 16. I would have said before 704, but I think 16 is my new love. It's just so intensely green. Toot's favourite is DMC 210.
Any advice for new stitchers or designers?
For new stitchers, I say - it's only floss and thread. Don't stress it. If you're starting with DMC, floss is incredibly cheap, don't let one tangle ruin hours of your life. Cut it and move on. My other piece of advice is that nothing is too difficult. Pick a piece you want to stitch and you can learn the skills along the way - you'll be more motivated to stick with it and learn if it's a project you love.
For new designers - think about who you're designing for. Not just in terms of your target audience, but think about the actual experience of stitching. Are there huge blocks of colour that you, personally, wouldn't want to stitch? Is this going to be a weird shape or size to finish? Don't rush it. Do a bit, step away, come back with fresh eyes, repeat.
Where can we find you online?
We are on all the platforms - Etsy, fybe, ko-fi, but the best place to find us is on our site TheCozyDHStitchery.com - BUT! You can also find us at your local LNS. We were a vendor at Needlework Marketplace this past August, and you might be able to snag one of our paper patterns in person or request your LNS reach out to us for an order!
Follow us on IG @thecozydhstitchery - https://www.instagram.com/thecozydhstitchery/
Exclusive patterns, discounts, and cat pictures - https://www.patreon.com/TheCozyDHStitchery
Tutorials and stitch-with-mes on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thecozydh
And both myself and Toot stream on Twitch. Toot streams no-commentary video gameplay MWFSu 10am-1pm EST, with comfy co-working vibes. I stream co-working (often showing designs in progress and behind-the-scenes of being a designer) Mondays 1-5pm and Thursdays 10am-4pm, and I do a stitch-with-me Saturdays 10am-1pm.
DH - https://www.twitch.tv/thecozydh
Toot - https://www.twitch.tv/tootthechaosdh
