Cross Stitch and Cambria: BRUTAL Merch Review, Artist Interview & Giveaway
Ever felt like you didn’t belong? ..or bullied for liking something out of the norm?
Well, allow me to introduce your newest personal motivator and insecurity crusher, Cross Stitch and Cambria! Joshua Del Rio, creator and mastermind behind Cross Stitch Is Metal, joins the blog for the first time in an exclusive interview to discuss how his cross stitch journey began, along with an in-depth look at his latest merch design, BRUTAL.
Join me in discovering just how metal cross stitch can be, and enter to win the new collection today!
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Ahh, the dreaded seam ripper.. I’m sure you’ve been there before. The countless hours of stitches lost; the feeling of failure as you rip each seam, slewing ungodly curses from the depths.. But is it really failure if it brings your project back from the dead?
Well, today I have the absolute privilege of interviewing Cross Stitch and Cambria creator, Joshua Del Rio. Not only do we get a peek into his creation process, we also get a deeper look on where it all began, and how cross stitch helped bring him back to life. Whether you’re here for the interview, behind the scenes merch, or the BRUTAL giveaway, this post is sure to inspire you to push yourself outside your comfort zone and rip those insecurities to shreds!
A Note from the Author
I want to start by giving a big thank you to Joshua for gifting me a piece from his new BRUTAL merch line. Truthfully, I was going to write a review and interview him regardless, but after a bit of chatting we decided to do a collab giveaway, and he was kind enough to send some samples before the design was officially out.
In the short time we’ve known each other Joshua’s been such an inspiration and motivator to me. His dedication to his craft and community truly knows no bounds, and I’m honored to have him as a fellow stitchy friend!
BRUTAL Merch Review
Honestly, I think my interactions with seam rippers have been some of my most volatile stitching experiences to date. I’ve cursed, cried, and almost quit a few projects because I just couldn’t make my threads behave the way I wanted. ..But that’s what makes the BRUTAL merch line so perfect!
I’ve always been into metal music, and when I saw Joshua’s original Cross Stitch Is Metal merch line I was REALLY tempted to purchase, but, as you might know, I’m an embroidery artist, and already struggle with non-stitchers referring to my work as ‘cross stitch,’ so I didn’t want to add fuel to that particular fire. As a result, when I learned that he was creating a new merch line that would encompass the fiber art world more broadly, I was of course immediately intrigued!
My first impression of the design was: HOLY SH!T, THIS IS GOOD. It truthfully ticked all the boxes for me..
Is it metal? ..YES.
Is it related to embroidery? ..YES.
Does it encompass the feeling of love, hate, and mild self loathing when I need to rip out my own seams? ..HELL YES!
Not only is the design a work of literal art, the shirt itself is such higher quality than I was expecting. I normally struggle a bit with sizing on t-shirts and don’t bother ordering them, but this was very true to size, fit exactly as expected, and is extremely soft to the touch! The manufacturer (Comfort Colors) is also the same from Sleep Token’s 2025 tour, so you know this is truly top tier merch. Currently there are t-shirts, stickers, and bags available in his shop, but hoodies for the design will be dropping later in the fall, and I’ve got my wallet ready to snag one the second they’re out..
Now that that’s covered, let’s move onto the interview!
T-shirt, size XL
Cross Stitch and Cambria Interview
I’m sure you’ve been asked many times, but for any newcomers.. Can you tell us a little bit about your cross stitch journey and how it all started?
I had to ask my mother how this went down because I was curious too, and she said I was roughly 5 years old when I came up to ask what she was doing. She told me she was cross stitching a project, so I asked if she’d show me how to do it. I’m extremely grateful that she was open minded enough to teach me, since cross stitch is typically a female dominated hobby.. but we’ll get to that later.
I did small projects here and there throughout my adolescence and teens, stitching more in my 30s. Again, just off and on, nothing serious. I kept the fact that I cross stitched a secret because it wasn’t “manly,” and I was made fun of for it all the time (..even now, it still happens on occasion). Then about 3 years ago I started working on the biggest project I had done up to that point- A huge galaxy dragon that I’d found on Etsy. I made an Instagram account to keep track of my progress on it, and was then opened up to the cross stitch community.
My entire life I’d only known about traditional patterns, but it was at this time that I came across The Witchy Stitcher, and discovered that there were alternative pattern makers out there. I was obsessed her patterns, and once I finished my galaxy dragon I began work on the largest project I’ve stitched to date.. The Nostalgic Tarot Card by The Witchy Stitcher (a total of 112,065 stitches).
During this time of discovery, I admitted to myself and my family that I was an alcoholic. My father struggled with addiction too, and I realized that I had a problem and needed to become sober. Cross stitching and the cross stitch community helped me with that, and people loved seeing my progress posts on Instagram, so I just kept stitching.. which kept me sober.
I started getting noticed, gained a following, and now it’s my mission to show that crafting doesn’t need to be genderized (anyone can do what they love), and to show that a community like this can help someone that’s been struggling with alcoholism find hope.
Since putting all my energy into cross stitching rather than drinking, I’ve gotten to do collabs with Rob Zombie / Nuclear Blast Records (the world’s largest independent heavy metal record label), stitched a piece and met the owner for Bite This bakery in Ohio, stitched the logo for the metal band CATSCLAW, and gifted a project to Vanessa Warwick (host for the band GHOST and their show Ghoulbangers Ball). I’ve also had three of my Witchy Stitcher projects photographed then used for promotional purposes, making me both a published stitcher and photographer. Most recently, I just celebrated my 2 years of sobriety, and have now started a merch line.
What inspired you to create a merch line?
I’ve always been into alternative fashion. I worked at Hot Topic while in high school as well as a little after I graduated, and every so often the managers would ask us what was trending around that time. They even had a program where you’d be reimbursed for concert tickets if you took notes on the fashion at shows.
I’m also a metal head that LOOOOOOVES concerts. I usually go to about 5 shows a year- The best part about a show is the merch, right? Part of alternative fashion is really expressing yourself through your clothes, and one day I thought to myself, “Why isn’t there merch for alternative crafters such as myself?” ..So I decided to make it.
It took some trial and error with my 1st design, the Skeleton Unicorn (which will get its time to shine again), but I’m learning as I go.
What’s the process like? Do you have just one designer that you work with, or do you find a new artist with each drop?
The process all starts with the ideas that pop into my head. I can’t draw art to save my life, so that’s where I hire digital artists.. I will ALWAYS support real artists. For my metal font designs I use BlackUpheaval, who was recommended to me by The Witchy Stitcher. I messaged him one day with my Cross Stitch Is Metal idea, and he absolutely crushed the design.
Usually he only does words, but when the next design idea came to me I wanted to try something new and sent a photo of my hand holding a seam ripper. I asked if he’d be down to try to create an image of a rotting hand holding a seam ripper with the text “BRUTAL” underneath, and the design you see is what he came up with- Again, the dude is talented. Now, I have even more designs on the way that are from up and coming artists.
Is each design only available for a limited time?
Each design will be available as long as the fulfillment center can keep up with the orders. If something does sell out, keep checking back because it’ll restock.
Do you plan to continue making new designs? If so, how often can fans expect new drops?
I do plan on putting out more designs. Currently I have 2 ideas being worked on by artists, as well as 2 more ideas in my head. I don’t want to sling merch out as fast as it can be printed; I want each design to have its time to shine for the artist’s sake, as well as give people a chance to purchase it.
We’re in some wild times right now and I know not everyone can purchase new merch as soon as it comes out, which is why I’ll always leave past designs up- To give everyone that wants something a chance. It’s been about 3 months since my Cross Stitch Is Metal design dropped, and I like how it’s all played out. I would say you can expect a new design every 3-4 months.
What’s your overall goal; is there anything specific that you hope to achieve with your merch?
Honestly, I’m having so much fun with this. I’m not trying to make it my main source of income, I just think it’s super cool that people also like the ideas I have and choose to support it whether it’s a shirt, hoodie, or sticker. I get to put profits right back into the art community, and I’m hiring artists to make cool designs for alternative crafters that, like me, just want to show that this hobby we do is badass.
It’s still so surreal to see people post and tag me on Instagram to show that they’re wearing my merch. Going as far as the UK, EU, Australia, and Canada.. I love seeing it ya’ll! It’s absolutely amazing to me that people think what I do is cool and that they like this merch so much. It’s come so far from teenage me being mocked for doing this hobby, and it brings me such joy to have built a little crafting metal community.. Teenage me would have loved this back then.
Last, but not least.. Anything you want readers to know about? Let us know what you got going on, and what’s next for Cross Stitch and Cambria!
I want all of you to know that I deeply appreciate every single one of you. Your follows, likes, comments, messages, and your own sobriety stories mean so much to me.. I read them all. I’m so grateful to have been accepted into this community. For the first time in a very long time since growing up, I feel like I belong somewhere.
Looking to the future, expect some sweet new merch designs, awesome collaborations, and maybe we’ll meet at the next cross stitch retreat!
“Thank YOU for making me feel cool with something that I was always made fun of doing.”
~Joshua Del Rio
Where to Purchase
The BRUTAL merch line for t-shirts, stickers, and bags, is live now! It’s available to ship anywhere in the US, EU, UK, and CA, and BRUTAL hoodies will drop later in the fall of 2026. You can check out Joshua’s latest project through the Instagram link below, or browse the entire Cross Stitch and Cambria shop to grab some merch and show your friends and family that cross stitch is metal!
Support the Artist: https://www.instagram.com/cross_stitch_and_cambria
Shop the Merch: https://cross-stitch-and-cambria-shop.fourthwall.com/
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The Giveaway
Now is the time you’ve all been waiting for… the giveaway! To celebrate this amazing drop we’re giving away a t-shirt, sticker, and bag from the new BRUTAL merch line to one lucky winner! Giveaway is open to anyone in the US, EU, UK, and CA.
To Enter:
Follow us both on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeebamdotcom and https://www.instagram.com/cross_stitch_and_cambria
Like and Share our giveaway post to your Instagram story: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXWlcJdjSZ7/?igsh=dTg5bzJuN2toYmcz
Leave a comment on the Instagram post and tag TWO people who you’d want to win
That’s it! The giveaway starts on 4/20/2026 and will close at midnight (ET) on 4/23/2026. The winner will be contacted by me (@zeebamdotcom) via DM the next day on 4/24/2026, and will need to provide their shirt size, address, email, and phone number. If a response isn’t received within 24 hours a new winner will be selected.
Please note: I will not ask for any form of payment or confidential information. The winner will only be contacted from my direct Instagram ( @zeebamdotcom )
☆ ⋆ ☆ Good Luck! ☆ ⋆ ☆
P.s. To my dear readers.. If you enjoyed this featured artist interview and want to help support the blog, there’s a “Buy Me A Coffee” option below where you can donate, or you can find prints and stickers in my SHOP. Of course, any and all shares to social media are another a great way to help provide support to both Joshua and I, and are immensely appreciated.
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