Shannon Downey
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badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Shannon Downey
@badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
10K followers 1.8K following 710 posts
Art activist. Craftivist. Chicagoan. Educator. President of the Joyful Menace Society. My book, Let’s Move The Needle, is out now. 🖖🏼. Big fan of libraries and dogs. Super 🏳️‍🌈. Gen X
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badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Community isn’t something you show up to consume. It requires you to contribute, collaborate, and commit-create.

If you want community, you have to be community.

#craftivism
Embroidery in light pink fabric, in a wooden hoop. There are four children playing london bridge in the style of a 1950’s coloring book. The text reads: if you want community, you have to be community. In a childlike font
November 22, 2025 at 6:34 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Watch it if you can stomach it.
Movie poster for the documentary Thoughts and Prayers on HBO
November 21, 2025 at 2:06 AM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Just a reminder that if you want some help figuring out what to do right now, I wrote a book for you. It’s basically organizing 101 with a creative twist!

www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/shann...
Hand holding a book title Lets Move the Needle
November 17, 2025 at 10:44 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Timeline cleanse for you.
A marsh canal in New England rich with trees with gorgeous orange and yellow leaves and a cloudy sky
November 5, 2025 at 9:07 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Hanging out at Colgate University today with the gender studies department talking #craftivism. This campus is beautiful and the humans are a delight!
Old brick building surrounded by autumn leaves. An a frame sign invites people into a lunch lecture by me (free lunch).
October 28, 2025 at 5:30 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
The glamorous life of an author on a mini book tour.

Grab your copy now! So I can pay for the mechanic 😂

www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/shann...
a woman in jeans, boots and a flannel laying on the ground underneath a car making repairs.
October 27, 2025 at 12:48 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Once a year my favorite cemetery hosts a nighttime 5k and it gives me an excuse to wear a costume and slowly meander through it at night. It’s my favorite night of the year!
A person dressed as Bob Ross, smiling gleefully and holding a paint pallettw in a dark cemetery, standing in front of a grave that is lit in purples.
October 19, 2025 at 3:32 AM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Put a little tutorial and downloadable stencil options on my website for you.

www.badasscrossstitch.com/communitypro...

#craftivism
A spray paint can, stencil, and spray painted message that reads we save us on concrete
October 13, 2025 at 8:07 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
An evening of embroidery and craftivism. Tell me again about my war torn lawless city. 😂😂😂
A group of people sitting at tables embroidering inside an artisan shop in chicago
October 10, 2025 at 2:26 AM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
I am most intrigued by the work that veterans are doing right now to reinvigorate the GI resistance movement.

Find ways to support About Face in your region.

www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...
An embroidery that reads: just following orders in big block text and underneath in script - is not a defense
October 9, 2025 at 5:07 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
My baby turns 1 today! If you need some hope, a laugh, and all the tools to level up your art activism #craftivism then this is a must read.

www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/shann...
My book, let’s move the needle wearing a birthday crown behind a cake with a candle, a balloon that says one and above is a sign that reads happy birthday
October 1, 2025 at 1:23 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Had the honor of bopping over to nyc for this amazing event at Hachette headquarters with her agenda: Women changing publishing and the media. Here’s my adventure in under a minute. :)
September 27, 2025 at 5:49 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Hmmmm going to need a hand massage after this. 😁
Piles and piles of copies of my book at a book signing table.
September 25, 2025 at 8:04 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
NYC I’m here!
Welcome to New York sign from airplane window Off the page: the women changing publishing and media event flyer
September 24, 2025 at 8:48 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
If you haven’t taken an ICE watch training yet, ICIRR is offering weekly trainings. Join a community defense group in your neighborhood, cover the city in signs and symbols that show them we resist, use your privilege to waste their time, throw shade and shame, get creative.
An embroidery that mirrors the chicago flag but the red stars are replaced with the word resist
September 6, 2025 at 6:56 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Tuesday night. Come to Pecha Kucha night in Chicago. It’s always a blast. I’ll be taking the stage to share a staggering 6 minutes and 6 seconds of genius.

martyrslive.com/cart
Event flyer Tuesday, September 9 at 7pm $20 at martyrs on Lincoln in chicago 10 presenters. 20 slides that autoadvance every 20 seconds
September 4, 2025 at 10:09 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Sweet Home Chicago.
Embroidery hoop that reads: get our pretty name out of your mouth and includes a bit of the chicago flag
August 31, 2025 at 6:16 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
A little something for the rapist in chief.
Embroidery on blue fabric with an elaborate red circle filled in with white text that reads shut the fuck about chicago flanked my two red six point stars
August 29, 2025 at 1:39 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
And again…
Black and white embroidery that reads - it’s the fucking guns. It’s in a gold frame and the glass has been shot and shattered
August 27, 2025 at 10:16 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Division is distraction and that’s the point.
An embroidery hoop with pink fabric. The inner message is bold and reads division is distraction. The outside repeats division is distraction in an endless circle in a light script
August 20, 2025 at 1:10 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Come see us at the Glenview Arts Fest when the rain passes!
Outdoor sign that reads: what do you do when ice invades your neighborhood? With an image of a monarch butterfly
August 16, 2025 at 10:36 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
New York! Let’s hang out! I’m thrilled and super honored to be a part of this amazing lineup of Badasses.

heragenda.com/p/her-agenda...
Event poster: Off the page: the women changing publishing and media.
August 15, 2025 at 2:19 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Just a reminder that I wrote you a whole book about how to take action, build community, and stay hopeful in times like these. (And it’s really pretty)

www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/shann...
A hand holding a book titled let’s move the needle
August 14, 2025 at 9:37 PM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Not mad at that.
Warm orange sunset over Lake Michigan in Door County, WI
August 7, 2025 at 12:56 AM
badasscrossstitch.bsky.social
Welp my next job is to write tour guide scripts that aren’t classist, misogynistic, or racist. Anyway, the view is lovely.
A lighthouse in Door County, Wisconsin
August 6, 2025 at 4:45 PM