NEWS CHANNEL
Published: 27/10/2009 00:00 -
Updated: 26/03/2010 13:13
A man from Wolverton is among a growing number of embroiders pushing boundaries and breaking down classic stereotypes surrounding needle work. MK NEWS reporter Laura Hannam met up with Jamie Chalmers to throw a spotlight on his craft.
cross stitch feature
"I always say that you can get more relaxation out of an X stitch than an X Box and what I want to try and do is make other men realise that," said Jamie Chalmers, otherwise known as Mr X Stitch.
Jamie, 34, from Buckingham Street, Wolverton, does not look like the kind of person you would expect to see wielding a needle and thread.
The IT trainer, who often travels to London as part of his work for charity Action for Children, enjoys playing with this stereotype by making people turn heads as he sits happily cross stitching on the train.
Jamie first picked up a cross stitch pattern around six years ago when he was going on holiday with his wife Alissa Pemberton and needed something to do on the journey.
Not doing anything by halves he bought a massive image of The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, which took him a year to finish.
"In the process I realised it was something I really enjoyed doing and it kind of escalated from there," he said.
As he showed me how to stitch a pattern, which is a lot like painting by numbers and is very simple to learn, he explained what makes the craft so addictive.
"With cross stitch it is a meditative process as you are doing the same motions over and over again and at the same time it's very creative.
"If you have had a hard day at work, if you are particularly stressed out, its a good way of just slowing you down and making you feel calm.
"And at the end of the day you have something that you can either share with a loved one or give to somebody as a real product as well."
Jamie now creates his own patterns and sells many online on his website, www.mrxstitch.com.
The site, which also features a blog on contemporary embroidery, receives 25,000 visitors a month.
While a lot of the mainstream patterns still don't traditionally cater towards men, websites are appearing offering more masculine images such as cars and sports to help attract men to the craft.
"For me its about finding patterns that men would be interested in doing and wouldn't be ashamed to then admit that they do as well," added Jamie.
"So that's where I tend to choose graffiti and more contemporary topics for my patterns."
Jamie is currently working on his first graffiti piece and is also producing a series of smaller works using phrases from spam emails which tickled his sense of humour.
His work and that of embroiders across the world are featured on his blog, where he and five other bloggers make around 14 posts a week featuring a wide range of contemporary embroidery from cross stitch to quilting and plush toy making.
The website shows how modern crafts people are pushing the boundaries from stitching on metal work and porcelain to including swearing or adult humour and erotic images.
Jamie said the main focus is that the pieces featured are good quality, artistic and creative.
"The blog is about showcasing the talent that's out there and hopefully then inspiring other people to go on and do stuff themselves," he said.
Jamie's website means more people in America know he is a cross stitcher than in Wolverton, where he is an active member of the community with a role in environment group Transition, leading a campaign against Tesco's proposals to expand the town's store, as a founder of the Wolverton Farmer's Market and as a town councillor until May 2008.
Jamie added: "I am quite keen to champion the cause of cross stitch and embroidery in general so if there are other people in Milton Keynes who are doing it they are welcome to get in touch with me."
Jamie is also involved in organising a craft fair called MaKe Two, featuring only people from Milton Keynes selling things that they have made.
The fair will be held for the second time ever at Madcap Theatre, Wolverton from 10am until 4pm on Sunday, November 15 and will include quirky items such as baby-grows decorated with embroidered chainsaws as well as fused glass, sugar craft, turned wood products, textiles, painting, silk painting and much more.
There will also be free workshops in beading and scrap booking.
Jamie added: "People will also be able to come and buy the raw materials themselves so that if they see something they like they can go off and make it themselves."
For more information, or traders who would like a stall at the craft fair, email Carole Pollard at info@localcraftmatters.co.uk.
To contact Jamie email mrx@mrxstitch.com.
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"I always say that you can get more relaxation out of an X stitch than an X Box and what I want to try and do is make other men realise that," said Jamie Chalmers, otherwise known as Mr X Stitch.
Jamie, 34, from Buckingham Street, Wolverton, does not look like the kind of person you would expect to see wielding a needle and thread.
The IT trainer, who often travels to London as part of his work for charity Action for Children, enjoys playing with this stereotype by making people turn heads as he sits happily cross stitching on the train.
Jamie first picked up a cross stitch pattern around six years ago when he was going on holiday with his wife Alissa Pemberton and needed something to do on the journey.
Not doing anything by halves he bought a massive image of The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, which took him a year to finish.
"In the process I realised it was something I really enjoyed doing and it kind of escalated from there," he said.
As he showed me how to stitch a pattern, which is a lot like painting by numbers and is very simple to learn, he explained what makes the craft so addictive.
"With cross stitch it is a meditative process as you are doing the same motions over and over again and at the same time it's very creative.
"If you have had a hard day at work, if you are particularly stressed out, its a good way of just slowing you down and making you feel calm.
"And at the end of the day you have something that you can either share with a loved one or give to somebody as a real product as well."
Jamie now creates his own patterns and sells many online on his website, www.mrxstitch.com.
The site, which also features a blog on contemporary embroidery, receives 25,000 visitors a month.
While a lot of the mainstream patterns still don't traditionally cater towards men, websites are appearing offering more masculine images such as cars and sports to help attract men to the craft.
"For me its about finding patterns that men would be interested in doing and wouldn't be ashamed to then admit that they do as well," added Jamie.
"So that's where I tend to choose graffiti and more contemporary topics for my patterns."
Jamie is currently working on his first graffiti piece and is also producing a series of smaller works using phrases from spam emails which tickled his sense of humour.
His work and that of embroiders across the world are featured on his blog, where he and five other bloggers make around 14 posts a week featuring a wide range of contemporary embroidery from cross stitch to quilting and plush toy making.
The website shows how modern crafts people are pushing the boundaries from stitching on metal work and porcelain to including swearing or adult humour and erotic images.
Jamie said the main focus is that the pieces featured are good quality, artistic and creative.
"The blog is about showcasing the talent that's out there and hopefully then inspiring other people to go on and do stuff themselves," he said.
Jamie's website means more people in America know he is a cross stitcher than in Wolverton, where he is an active member of the community with a role in environment group Transition, leading a campaign against Tesco's proposals to expand the town's store, as a founder of the Wolverton Farmer's Market and as a town councillor until May 2008.
Jamie added: "I am quite keen to champion the cause of cross stitch and embroidery in general so if there are other people in Milton Keynes who are doing it they are welcome to get in touch with me."
Jamie is also involved in organising a craft fair called MaKe Two, featuring only people from Milton Keynes selling things that they have made.
The fair will be held for the second time ever at Madcap Theatre, Wolverton from 10am until 4pm on Sunday, November 15 and will include quirky items such as baby-grows decorated with embroidered chainsaws as well as fused glass, sugar craft, turned wood products, textiles, painting, silk painting and much more.
There will also be free workshops in beading and scrap booking.
Jamie added: "People will also be able to come and buy the raw materials themselves so that if they see something they like they can go off and make it themselves."
For more information, or traders who would like a stall at the craft fair, email Carole Pollard at info@localcraftmatters.co.uk.
To contact Jamie email mrx@mrxstitch.com.
