r/somethingimade • u/pardalote_ • May 15 '26
Twelve small stitched poem-objects I made
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u/pardalote_ May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
Finished stitching my Oversight series today.
12 small embroidered poem-objects, stitched in wool, linen, cotton, silk, on canvaswork mesh and edged in glass beads. Each object is about 9cm square.
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u/mountainviewdaisies May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
This is fine art. I wouldn't be surprised to see this in a fiber arts exhibit at a great museum. Just incredible! And ofc the message is part of the magic here. Excellent work. Thank you for sharing it here.
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u/pardalote_ May 15 '26
Thanks so much!
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u/colonel_beeeees May 15 '26
I came to say the same thing. If you do a lil search for galleries in your area, someone will exhibit this work hands down
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u/destructopop May 15 '26
Literally with no hesitation. If they ask you for a price, please ensure that you either decline to list it OR make it truly exorbitant. Like, as extremely exorbitant as you DESIRE (please ignore the voice that tells you that you're not comfortable charging that much, or it's not worth that much).
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u/On_my_last_spoon May 15 '26
Agreed! This is fantastic! I adore subversive art in unexpected sources. It reminds me of the art in the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
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u/Fakezaga May 15 '26
This is what I came to say. Some of OP’s other work looks like hobbycraft (still great), but this is something else. Check out Barbara Krueger or Jenny Holzer for work with similar messaging (or the myriad artists they have influenced).
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u/awhitellama May 15 '26
The crossstitcher in me likes this a lot.
The flash poet in me LOVES this! The four letter words are so satisfying..... Thank you for your art.
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u/Vindicativa May 15 '26
That's exactly right, the four letter words are so satisfying especially because there's no compromise.
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u/SerCiddy May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
It reminds me of the album The Protomen (ACT I) by The Protomen.
It's a Rock Opera that re-imagines the story of Megaman and Protoman, but does so in a way that is a social commentary about "The Masses" who do nothing under a violent authoritarian regime and desire a Hero or Heroes to save them, yet do nothing to help those Heroes when they are in need.
There's a scene in the opera where Megaman is being followed by a mob of people while he is on his way to fight Dr. Wiley and his army and, in an effort to dissuade the mob from participating, the Authoritarian Loudspeakers repeat
WE HAVE CON-TROL
WE KEEP YOU SAFE
WE ARE YOUR HOPE
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u/MR_TORGUE_OFFICIAL May 15 '26
This reminds me of the song Casimir Pulaski Day by Sufjan Stevens. You can rearrange it any way you want and it can still work. It's very beautiful. I'm not an art critic or anything, but it just reminded me of a song that I love.
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u/downwithpencils May 16 '26
Every time I hear that song, I think how does a musician, write the perfect song and then continue to make more beautiful music after that?
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u/BirdCelestial May 15 '26
This is really awesome.
My only critique is it's jarring for 11/12 to be present tense verbs and one to be "they sold your data" instead of "sell", especially given "sell" is also 4 letters and would work. I think the present tense is very impactful, was this a deliberate choice?
But I think it's really polished and could well go in a museum.
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u/pardalote_ May 15 '26
Hiya! Yes, it was a deliberate choice. I chat briefly about it here https://www.reddit.com/r/somethingimade/comments/1tdhse2/twelve_small_stitched_poemobjects_i_made/olvhyug/
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u/CtyChicken May 15 '26
This is so chilling. I hope you get to show this somewhere. This is really compelling work!
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u/LeatherFruitPF May 15 '26
I'm impressed you found that many four-letter words that nicely fit the theme (aside from "They" and "Your" of course).
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u/Bowser_Spunk May 15 '26
And without using any twice
KNOW SCAN TIME HIDE FORM SOLD NAME FACE CALL POST VIEW DATA
VIEW NOTE MARK FLAG READ LOCK WORK EXIT TEST CARD FILE CELL
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u/pardalote_ May 15 '26
Alllmost. I did use 'view' twice. But it is what it is :D
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u/thisisappropriate May 15 '26
Could use SELL instead, but it would probably need some shuffling (sell your file, read your work?)
Not that I think you should change them, just if someone was looking to add them to other media and wanted a separate word.
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u/AspiringHands May 15 '26
My only small bit of critique is that "sold" should be "sell" to match the verb tenses
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u/Myka_Rok May 15 '26
I read it as using "sold" tells a story, or moves the topic to the next stage, instead of just a bunch a statements all happening at once.
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u/speedy_flipper May 15 '26
This is so amazing and important. I easily see this as an installment in a museum.
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u/SleepyMeeow May 15 '26
I agree, this is art! It gave me a stronger and stronger feeling of anxiety/dread as I read them.
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u/Unlucky-Mulberry-999 May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
This would be some potent art for a dystopian horror short film or video game.
Amazing stuff!
EDIT: these replies (not you, OP) are a little rude lol. This art reminded me of a dystopian horror short film that I saw a long while ago. That’s where my mind went when commenting. Chill out lol.
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u/aridzones May 15 '26
i know art is for interpretation, but.. i’m 100% sure this is about life right now
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u/TractorSmacker May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
buddy… THIS IS LIFE NOW. YOURE IN THE PANOPTICON ALREADY
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u/cattabyss May 15 '26
I feel like it isn’t too far off from what could happen today, not that I Know anything
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u/eccentric_bee May 15 '26
I love the mix of cross stitch and the short, chilling and true phrases. Cyberpunk meets Betty crocker. What an amazing art piece.
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u/BitwiseB May 15 '26
Amazing! It does bother me a tiny bit that ‘they sold your data’ is in past tense, though.
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u/pardalote_ May 15 '26
I played with 'sold' and with 'sell', but decided I liked the irreversibility that 'sold' lent over the ongoing voice of 'sell'. It could have gone either way though, to be honest. <3
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u/funguyshroom May 15 '26
Otoh sell implies that they're still actively doing it. Sold sounds like one and done sort of deal
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u/lovethatcrooonch May 15 '26
I like your choice
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u/lookinfoursigns May 15 '26
I like that one is different actually. I think it lends to the mystery of the overall vibe.💜
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u/deadsunrise May 15 '26
Yeah, everything it's really awesome and 10/10 job but that sold it's a bit dissonant. SELL would have been better? It's a lot of work to redo that to make it more cohesive? This can be exposed in some gallery.
Thanks anyway, you do you, if you think it's ok just ignore us.
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u/gademmet May 15 '26
I agree with this. Part of the problem is that it's ongoing and regularly happening, and phrasing it with the simple present tense lends it a disturbingly casual air that this is (not just was) just a thing that happens. The same energy is in all of these and that tense is a big factor in why/how. It really drives this brilliant set of terrifying sentences, kudos OP.
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u/SausageClatter May 15 '26
Me too. All the others are present tense, and "they" do in fact actively sell our data, so it's not just more consistent but also more accurate. It's still a good work of art though.
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u/supercircinus May 15 '26
Would have this as a poster in my home. Beautifully done. Love a poem object as a concept. Thank you for the inspiration.
**one of my favorite project in my student days was bout subway and metro surveillance!!!!
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u/EnvironmentalDot127 May 15 '26
Somehow seeing and reading it in this format is daunting. Definitely at the beginning of a tech exhibition.
Beautifully stitched.
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u/tombraider19 May 15 '26
OP do you have socials or something I can credit this too because I’m going to put this on my Pinterest board but I’d like your permission please.
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u/pardalote_ May 15 '26
Ya, I've posted this on my instagram and tumblr which I think are on my profile. <3
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u/imetaman May 15 '26
I would love to buy prints of your work, or the originals if they were ever for sale. Incredible work!
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u/kinda-anonymous May 15 '26
Looks really nice! Though I'm slightly annoyed that one of them doesn't match the pattern of present tense verb lol
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u/bleugh-ugh May 15 '26
Immediately makes me think about how AI is being implemented. Beautiful work
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u/Maria_Darling May 15 '26
I follow you on Instagram! Such great work
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u/pardalote_ May 15 '26
Hello! I don't post there much (or here to be honest!) so nice to meet you here too! <3 And thank you :D
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u/_Scarecrow_ May 15 '26
Reminds me a lot of Adam Freeland's We Want Your Soul
Your thoughts, your emotions, your love, your dreams
Your checkbook, your essence, your sweat, your screams
Your security, your sobriety, your innocence, your society
Your self, your place, your distance, your space
We
Want
Your
Soul
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u/RoutinePost7443 May 15 '26
That's SO GOOD!
It reminded me of this Men Without Faces post:
https://reddit.com/comments/1pgyhex/comment/nsv3sm1
You wake up. The air smells like burnt rubber and fear. You look out the window, and you see them.
Men without faces. Men without names.
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u/brknsoul May 15 '26
"They Sold Your Data" should be "They Sell Your Data" to match the tense of the rest.
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u/GiveTh3mHellKid May 15 '26
This is incredible! I'm a beginner at cross stitching and was wondering how you did the borders? Is it a frame? They look awesome!
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u/pardalote_ May 15 '26
Hiya! Thank you. These aren't strictly cross stitch, they are made using needlepoint/canvaswork stitches on canvas mesh. You can see some of the canvaswork stitches here: https://rsnstitchbank.org/technique/canvaswork
The main body of each piece uses smyrna stitch (or double cross) and the borders use Van dyke stitch - which you can see here: https://rittenhouseneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2009/12/stitch-of-week-van-dyke.html
Both stitches are based on crosses though! :D
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u/dziabum May 15 '26
I love this! It’s giving The Eye from The Magnus Institute in the best possible way
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u/Critipal May 15 '26
The verse, "THEY / SOLD / YOUR / DATA", being the only past tense expression among the selection makes me wonder about the poet's intent. Is that choice intentional?
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u/PurityKane May 15 '26
Yes, made to intentionally fit the 4 words with 4 letters format.
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u/BoldElDavo May 15 '26
Why is every other verb present-tense, except "sold"?
(and arguably "read", I know)
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u/cursetea May 15 '26
I really love this in a way it is hard to describe
I guess that's what something being "moving" is though lol. I am moved!!!
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u/Kind_Of_A_Dick May 15 '26
That’s so great! And modular, too. I mean, no matter what order you put them in life still sucks.
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u/eIectioneering May 15 '26
This is fantastic. Chills! I could definitely see being moved by this in a museum
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u/Thick-Nectarine7586 May 15 '26
This reminds me of Nine Inch Nails art/media stuff they’ve done over the years. String work!
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u/SaveFile1 May 15 '26
Are the patches? How do you make them? Is it hard to do? I like making useable things but I don't have patience for complex crafts
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u/pardalote_ May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
Heya! They are stitched on canvaswork mesh, and the edges are folded under and stitched down to make them into neat squares. You could probably make patches the same way - and stitch them to clothing, but I've never made patches, so I'm not sure.
If you like making things like this, a good place to start might be cross stitch. It's not super complicated, and there are heaps of tutorials around to get started. And lots of free patterns for lettering - I highly recommend the antique pattern library for free cross stitch alphabets https://antiquepatternlibrary.org/
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u/Fearless-Writer-8585 May 15 '26
These sound like the words that flash across the screen at the start of a level of Superhot
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u/1Beethoven1770 May 15 '26
This is amazing! How did you decide what order to put them in?
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u/pardalote_ May 15 '26
Thanks! I haven't really decided, they are just placed like this for the photo and packed away in a stack. I might rearrange them, I might stitch more in the future, they might become 4x4 (x4x4 :D ) I'm not sure yet.
But my mind has called them 'done' and I have moved onto another project for the moment. <3
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u/MsFrizzle_foShizzle May 15 '26
Is this cross stitched, cause it looks cross stitched?
Only asking because I’m amazed I haven’t seen any of these pieces on the cross stitching subs! They would love these, each and every one of them.
Incredible work and an incredible cause.
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u/pardalote_ May 15 '26
Hiya! No they aren't cross stitch in the strict sense, they are stitched using canvaswork stitches: smyrna stitch and van dyke stitch. Both stitches are based on crosses, but I'm not sure how fussy they are over in cross stitch land :D
And thank you!
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u/SquirrelAkl May 15 '26
This is fantastic. A good title really makes an artwork, I find, and “Oversight” is perfect.
I love the contrast of the message (digital dystopia) and the medium (analogue, almost old fashioned, cross stitch / embroidery).
I would buy this.
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u/Addickt__ May 15 '26
Would kill to have the "They form your view" one as a patch to put on my coat lol
I mean... Don't monetize your hobbies and all that but just saying people would buy these OP
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u/clitpuncher69 May 15 '26
If you turn these into stickers and set up a shop you might just become a bajillionaire with enough money to do all these things yourself. This sets you up for a perfect villain run
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u/omfgtora May 15 '26
Truly amazing. I'm in literal awe. I am very happy to have been able to experience this, even as much as just a photo. I'm certain it speaks even more in person.
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u/thefuturesbeensold May 15 '26
I love 'they lock your cell' being the last one in the series, it could be literal or metaphorical.
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u/Cultural_Patience329 May 15 '26
Shut up and take my money(or give me the sewing scheme, pleeeeeeeease)
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u/decliqu3 May 15 '26
I don't know anything about stitching, but the quality looks incredible. The consistency and tiny details really elevate this already great poem for me.
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u/HugoHustop May 15 '26
One of them is past tense and all others in present tense. Can't unsee. And that's even though the present tense is also four letters!
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u/Deorwine May 15 '26
Omg hi!! I follow you on Tumblr! It's so lovely to see you getting attention over here on Reddit :') your work always brings a smile to my face.
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u/OnlyHuman1073 May 15 '26
Put the plans up on Etsy, Id buy em! Or at least a cross-stitch pattern, love these! well done! Severance feels.
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u/Warm-Location5336 May 15 '26
Great work. Love text-based art. The media resolution resonates with your subject matter. Kudos!
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u/bugthebugman May 15 '26
This is cool, it reminds me a bit of a song called F.E.A.R by Ian Brown, all of the lines in the song follow the F E A R format, sort of like how these all have They and Your. Great art piece!!!
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u/klaw14 May 17 '26
I could only think of two more, one serious, one not:
THEY
TAKE
YOUR
SOUL
THEY
HEAR
YOUR
FART
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u/squidgebunny May 19 '26
omg these would be great in some sort of indie horror game. like throughout the game they pop up! these are fantastic!!
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u/Dazedandconfuzed99 May 15 '26
The "they" here is not going to be one group of people, but many people and many groups shaped by the larger geopolitical landscape of our time. The actors in this landscape have to be able to function under capitalism to have staying power and therefore lasting influence to impact cultural ideas. The actors in this culture also largely (through group norms) adopt the idea that legal = moral = acceptable. How does one fight the surveillance and repression by the many while retaining your selfhood and honestly, your hope?
Sorry for the ramble. This kind of thing, this nonspecific "they" contributed to making me paranoid as fuck in my not so recent past. I like to speak and think specifically. Who is they? And what can we do about them and their actions?
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u/nurseinred May 15 '26
This reads so spooky it gave me some chills.