As a disabled creative on a limited income, I can’t do a Rowan Ross and order pride-flag mugs online. Nor is pride merch widely available for many of my identities. The only way for me to display my aromantic pride is to make it myself–so I experimented with my own aro cross-stitch patches, given that cross stitch is an easy form of hand embroidery and I owned most of the needed supplies.
These patches are (mostly) quick to sew, involve materials that can be found at some dollar shops and most craft stores, and can be attached to your bags, coats and hats. With the addition of a safety pin at the back, they can even become badges!
Patterns are also available organised by type: text/letter and flag/symbol (forthcoming).
Tutorial One: Basic Stripes
In which I cover my preferred materials and sources, working out the size of your patch, sewing stripes and edging your patch.
Tutorial Two: Zigzag Stripes
In which I cover the steps for cross stitching a horizontal zigzag stripe as well as attaching your patch to a bag and sewing a safety pin to the back of your patch.
Tutorial Three: Aro Text, Part One
In which I provide the pattern for the words “aro” and “alloaro” worked in a five-stripe flag design.
Tutorial Four: Aro Text, Part Two
In which I provide the pattern for the word “aroace” worked in a four-stripe and five-stripe flag design.
Tutorial Five: Aro Arrows
In which I provide four stripe and seven-stripe arrow patch patterns, along with guides for various ways to modify or customise said patterns.
Tutorial Six: Pride Hearts
In which I provide heart-shaped patch patterns for horizontal three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten stripe flags, sewn both upside up (for those wishing to emphasise love) and upside down (for loveless aros and those wishing to de-centre love in their pride).
Tutorial Seven: Aro Text, Part Three
In which I provide the patterns for the word “aro” and two variations on the letter “a”, all worked in a five-stripe flag design.
Tutorial Eight: Pride Patch Jacket, Part One
In which I attach patches made with the prior tutorials to a denim jacket, discussing materials, layout, techniques and tips.
Tutorial Nine: Aro Alphabet (Aro Text, Part Four)
In which I provide a complete A-Z alphabet of letters designed for five-stripe pride flags, plus tips on creating your own text patches.
Tutorial Ten: Ace of Spades
In which I take my heart pattern, turn it upside down and create an ace of spades design for flags with three, four, five and seven horizontal stripes:
Tutorial Eleven: Aro Text, Part Five
In which I provide a series of text patterns for flags with three, four and six horizontal stripes, including designs for aego, cupio, fray, recip and quoi folks!
