Manga & Cross Stitch
Posted by Zeb in Anime & Manga, Cross Stitch on May 25th, 2009 | 5 comments
Manga Cross Stitch by Helen McCarthy
I am often reminded of how small a world it is.
Helen McCarthy is the author of several excellent books on anime & manga; and her book ‘Anime! A Beginner’s Guide to Japanese Animation’ was one of the first books on anime I ever bought, almost 16 years ago while I was living in England.
At the same time I bought several books of hers and have always appreciated her tireless work at promoting anime and manga back in a time when it was still very much a niche thing in the Western world.
So when she recently commented on my blog, I knew I had to write about this…
In mid-June this year a new book will be released by Helen entitled ‘Manga Cross Stitch: Make Your Own Graphic Art Needlework.’ (formerly known as ‘Manga in Stitches.’)
I had this on my “to blog” bookmark list for some time, but felt now was a good time to do so.
This book is a culmination of many things for me, a book I will get not only for it’s contents, but also it’s symbolic value. Being a fan of anime & manga, and a cross stitcher, I never thought it was likely that I’d run into people who shared such diverse interests.
Boy was I wrong.
Cross stitching is often seen as an “old lady” thing, or something trendy for emo teenagers to do; but in reality cross stitch is done by people of all walks of life, all ages, and in most locations around the world. It is a creative form of expression, one that is relaxing and fulfilling at the same time.
And yes, even MEN do it 
So as I met people over time who were both stitchers and fans of anime & manga, I began to realise I wasn’t the only freak out there 
I found quite a few sites where people had converted anime characters into stitching charts (yes thoroughly illegal, but hey, they weren’t selling!) and with the advent of software that allowed us to import images and convert into cross stitch charts, it just became that much easier.
Seeing this book, gives me warm fuzzies all over
I shall be fangirling all over it when I do receive it, thats for sure!
5 Responses to “ “Manga & Cross Stitch”
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About Me
Wow manga and cross stitching! Now that’s a rare combination!
@Lesserbeing
Pffttt
Sarcasm isn’t becoming young man! But if its not, all is forgiven
And I think it surprises some anime/manga fans that there ARE other interests they can meld their anime/manga interest with!
Personally, if I can meld two interests together, all the better. They become that much more personal and special to me
If you do photographs of your Manga & Cross-Stitch, that melds three interests together.
And if you blog about it, that’s four. And if you twitter about your blog entry, that’s five.
(Okay, so I should have stopped at 3).
@height8
That would be absurdly and supremely geeky… neat huh? XD
In just love how it all flows so nicely too. Everything is inter-connected, even though some of the connections aren’t so obvious!
@Zeb
I can assure you it was an exclaimation of genuine surprise (it really was! Photography + Manga is one thing, but this?!)
It’s kind of like the GITS game soundtrack for me. Combines my love of Techno with Shirow goodness!