Monday, January 21, 2013

Glow-in-the-dark cross-stitch initials!



Have you had the pleasure of stitching with DMC's Light Effects Glow-in-the-Dark embroidery floss yet? I absolutely love this stuff and I have been incorporating it into my recent projects whenever I can. 

I shot the photo above with a super-long exposure after placing the floss under a light for a couple of minutes. Isn't it wild? But it's a simple white in normal light:


I think it was the Creatures of Light special exhibit that recently closed at the American Museum of Natural History that sparked my interest in things that glow. 

This fascinating show explored bioluminesence, the phenomena in which living things such as fireflies actually generate their own light.

We paid a visit to this exhibit in the fall with our dear friends G and J, so when I started thinking about making a little holiday gift for them, I decided to create something that might evoke the glowy magic of the Creatures of Light show.

With a graphic designer for a husband, it's no surprise that I went with something typographic, and cross-stitched their initials:






And here they are in their full bioluminescence:


I'm happy to report that this special embroidery floss is actually a true pleasure to stitch with. Unlike most of its sibling flosses in the sparkly category, which cause howls of frustration in embroiderers across the land as they knot and tangle at will, this stuff just glides through as you stitch.

But it can be hard to find! I went to several local craft shops and was surprised that nobody carried it. I finally hooked myself up at the Thread and Links Etsy shop, which carries a range of lovely needlework supplies. Treat yourself to a skein or two; I'd love to see what you stitch with it!

4 comments:

  1. Funky! Have you seen Life Of Pi? There is a beautiful scene in it, with luminescent jellyfish. I like the thin gold thread that you used to edge the letters.

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    1. Oh, I'd love to see that. There is apparently a bay in Puerto Rico with stunning bioluminescent sea life. Kayaking there is on my bucket list, for sure!

      I like the gold thread too, even though it's so fiddly to work with!

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  2. I'm so glad to know that it's easy to work with. I figured it would be a "bear cat" like the other metalics I've tried....

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    1. Yes! I was very pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a stiff texture like most metallics but it's actually really silky. I hope you try it out!

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