Glow-in-the-Dark "Thor" Sampler

There are few things I'm more proud of than this original design. I don't have many photos, as I made it a while ago and wasn't thinking about making a tutorial. Still, it is a fairly simple project has striking results.

The story: Justin was born in the wrong era - he should have been a Viking, which is evidenced by his quaffing of mead, his fighting training and equipment (he's the only person I know who regularly brings a chainmail tunic to parties), and his love of all things Norse, but Thor in particular.

Well, it was easy to decide what to make for him when Justin requested I make him something to hang on his wall. I was in an embroidery/cross-stitch phase at the time, and had recently been made aware of white, glow-in-the-dark embroidery floss.

Have you seen this stuff yet? It's part of DMC's "Light Effects" series and quite possibly one of my favorite things. Unlike the glow-in-the-dark paints of my childhood, this stuff does not have the greenish cast to it when in normal lighting. Which means that it fades beautifully on white fabric.

That means that this epic quote describing Thor (when lit):

becomes this when the lights are turned off: 

(Hint hint if you don't recognize the shape.)

It's pretty simple to do. Plan the design you want to have glow in the dark, as well as the design which will show in normal lighting. Stitch the glow-in-the-dark design first, using the glow-in-the-dark thread on white fabric. Once you have completed it, stitch over it with your normal-lighting design. It may be twice the work, but it's well worth the effect!

For those who are curious about the quote, it comes from an old book called "Norse Stories," which I got for $3 at a used bookstore ages ago. The font used in the text is from a big book of cross-stitch letters I've had for so long that it appears to be out of print. The hammer design and twisted border are of my own design, having taken inspiration from a few extensive Google Image searches.