Popcorn Cat Stitchery

Hi! I’m CJ, the creator behind Popcorn Cat Stitchery. I’m so glad you found my cozy little corner of the internet. ☕️

I started this shop in 2021, after getting laid off from my first big kid job during the pandemic. I named it after Popcorn, my beloved grey cat who I found as a newborn kitten in 2019. He had a massive hernia and twisted back legs, and even if his feral mother came back for him, I knew he wouldn’t make it. Luckily for him, I’m kind of crazy, so I bottle-fed him every 2 hours while finishing my 80-page senior thesis, planning my wedding, graduating college, and moving across the country. With the incredible online support I found, I crowdfunded his hernia repair at a top-tier veterinary research hospital in Texas. Today, he is healthy, happy, and repays the love I gave him tenfold, faithfully curling up on my lap at every possible opportunity. He’s my baby, my muse, and the reason this shop exists.

I live with Scheuermann’s Disease, OCD, ADHD, Autism, EDS, and a few other chronic conditions. I call all of that my “alphabet soup.” Designing cross stitch patterns helps me process the world and advocate for one that’s kinder, more authentic, softer, more inclusive, accessible, justice-oriented, neurodivergent-affirming, and chaotic good.

My patterns are a mix of the things I love most:

🧵 Cozy crafts

🤷🏻‍♀️ Humor as a coping mechanism

🌈 Q***r & neurodivergent joy

❤️‍🩹 Mental health advocacy

✊ Leftist values and radical hope

Like my grandmothers who were both talented seamstresses, I put a little of myself into everything I make. Every purchase helps me get closer to doing this full time and helps cover my medical expenses.
Whether you’re here for a cozy project, artistic rebellion, or a tiny reminder that you’re not alone- thank you. I read every message and review, and I’m honored that my art has brought people comfort or joy in this chaotic world.

I’ve been many things- a Texas teacher, a 988 crisis counselor, a counseling graduate student, a whistleblower, a disabled artist. I’ve learned that in times like these, creating art is a radical act of softness and survival. Empathy is rebellion. I’m so glad you’re here. 💛

I've been working on this update and I'm excited to show everybody the end result :) This forget-me-not wreath is one of my bestselling patterns and also one of the patterns that I receive the most requests to customize. I wanted to make the flowers pop more and tidy them up a bit- I'm so pleased with how it ended up!

P.S. If you ever buy a "customizable" pattern from me, send me a message and I can usually whip up a custom version for you, typically free of cost. :)