On June 2, 2020, MODA spoke with Shannon Downey, better known as Badass Cross Stitch.

She is a community organizer disguised as a fiber artist and craftivist. She blends her politics, activism, and art into projects that are designed to inspire others to take action, think, discuss, engage with democracy and their community, and find some digital/analog balance. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Time, CNN, BBC, I-D Magazine, Bust, Refinery29, Fast Company, and Elle (just to name a few!). At the time of this Drink & Design, Shannon had recently created commissions for the SOHO House in Los Angeles, The Bold Type TV Show, and Why Women Kill on CBS.

She is the instigator behind #RitasQuilt and @BadassHerstory and is on a quest to teach 1 million people to embroider and invite society to rethink how we categorize and value craft and art. Her life motto is: Make Art. Build Community. Smash Systems.