If you follow me here or elsewhere, you probably know that I posted a collection including pixel-style “queer” text patterns for three, four and six-stripe pride flags. If you’re really invested in my creative output, you may remember that last year’s Pride Month patch patterns included lower and upper-case pixel-style “queer” patterns for five-stripe flags. On Patreon and Tumblr, meanwhile, I’ve been posting pixel-style “queer” header images in aromantic spectrum pride colours–headers based upon my original patterns.
Given that I also made a-spectrum variants of last year’s “pride” text patterns, I don’t know why I didn’t think to create a-spectrum “queer” text patterns before the end of June. I can and will, however, hurriedly finish Pride Month with patterns celebrating apothi, aego, caed, caligo, demi, jump, spike and vague folks!
Some patterns will require fractional stitches to sew as shown. Folks who need help with materials, stitching, finishing or attaching patches should check out my pride text tutorial and my tutorial master page.
Notes on Pattern Structure
Full coloured blocks indicate a full cross stitch. Letter outlines indicate backstitch.
Blocks divided on the diagonal by a line of backstitch, each half a different colour, indicate quarter stitches. Please see my first text tutorial and my pride text tutorial for more information on backstitching outlines and placing quarter/fractional stitches.
Space for edging your patch is not shown in the patterns below. You’ll need to allow additional blocks for this when cutting your swatch, depending on how narrow or thick you like your edges.
Please note that elements of some patterns–particularly the apothi, aego and spike patterns–differ from their digital image variants. These changes ensure simpler stitching on aida and other evenweave fabrics.
Queer Text Patterns: Ten Block
Last year’s ten-block lower-case “queer” pattern is completely lower-case:
Confession: I’m irrationally annoyed by the way a lower-case “q” is just a flipped or rotated lower-case “b”, “d” and “p”. (Forgive me my oddities. I just like my “Q”s capitalised!) When sewing both my “quoi” and five-identity “queer” patches for my first and second alphabet posts, I solved this (not actual) problem by mixing upper and lower-case letters. While the following patterns also use my preferred style–upper case “Q”, lower-case “ueer”–folks who crave consistency can swap in the lower-case “q” with no change to the overall pattern dimensions.
Alternatively, should you crave all capital letters, you can use the old upper-case pattern as a guide to make upper-case variants of the spectrum-specific patterns.
The basic ten-block patterns fit horizontal five and ten-stripe pride flags:
They also work for certain unevenly-striped flags that fit (or can be adjusted to fit) a ten-stripe base, like the bisexual, ay, vague and pentho flags:
I also have patterns for a-spectrum flags with special style elements:
Apothi and Caed
Demi / Dello and Priori Aro
Jump
Spike
All ten-block “queer” patterns fit a rectangle 52 stitches wide and 14 stitches high. Assuming a three stitch border, as for most of my other patches, this means you’ll want a 55 x 17 block swatch plus any excess (if used unmodified).
For tips on sewing factional stitches (needed for the apothi, demi, jump and spike patterns), please see last year’s pride month text tutorial.
Queer Text Patterns: Twelve Block
I shared basic twelve-block “queer” patterns for three, four and six-stripe pride flags in this year’s pride month pattern post, but I’ll repost them for ease of access:
Completely lower-case or upper-case variations can be made using alternate letters from my twelve-block pixel aro alphabet, as all needed letters comprise the same width.
I also have patterns for a-spectrum flags with special or additional style elements:
Aego and Caligo
Demi
All twelve-block “queer” patterns fit a rectangle 62 stitches wide and 16 stitches high. Assuming a three stitch border, as for my other patches, this means you’ll want a 65 x 19 block swatch plus any excess (if used unmodified).
For tips on sewing factional stitches (needed for the aego, caligo and demi patterns), please see last year’s pride month text tutorial.
Modifications: Letter Width
You may have noticed that one of the pieces in my example photo looks a little … off. The difference is more noticeable in this comparison photo:
Guess who accidentally sewed hir “Q” an extra block wide? Unpicking cross stitch, depending on how I’ve worked the offending section, can be a major annoyance–one best avoided. Thankfully, I caught the error before I stitched my “u” … and as I cut most aida swatches with moderate excess, I had space to play with. Instead of unpicking, I expanded the centres of all my letters by a block to match the first. (Intentional stylistic choice, am I right?) While not all mistakes can be solved so easily, I want to highlight the benefits of generously cutting your aida swatches … even if the cost of fabric makes me cringe at resulting offcuts once I’ve trimmed and finished my piece!
I prefer the original narrower letters to the wider ones, but if you feel otherwise, you can use this modified pattern to stitch my five-stripe “mistake” piece above:
This wider ten-block “queer” pattern fits a rectangle 57 stitches wide and 14 stitches high. Assuming a three stitch border, as for my other patches, this means you’ll want a 60 x 17 block swatch plus any excess (if used unmodified).
Similar changes can be made to most of my text patterns and/or alphabets. Just remember that while a letter’s width is an open playground, its height must be maintained to accommodate your intended horizontally-striped flag.
That’s it for Pride Month! If you’ve wondered why I’ve used “piece” in reference to some examples and not “patch”, I’ll reveal my secret: the felt-backed demiromantic example isn’t a patch. In fact, both ends are attached to strips of vinyl that can be buckled around a notebook! The tutorial for that, along with the process for making cross-stitch decorations and other hanging ornaments, is coming in July … so that my fellow queers have even more ways to display their pride for all the months to come.
Aro Worlds 