May 10, 2009
Geek + maps + craftiness =
I’m not a hugely crafty person, and I’m rubbish at finishing massive projects (no time!), but I can’t resist tinkering with things, and I’m a huge map fiend, so I came up with a little crafty project a little while back that even someone with limited crafty talent (i.e. me) would be able to manage: a cross-stitch version of the tube map.
My love/hate relationship with public transport is well documented which made this even more attractive. But if that wasn’t enough, my reasoning was this:
- It’s all straight lines
- and blobs for the stations
- and easy angles
- it’s already laid out on a grid structure
- Beck’s simple graphic design means it uses set angles, thicknesses and colours
- Instantly recognisable, even without any words on it
- I live in London and take the tube every day
- It’s just mindless enough to be able to do without full attention i.e. while watching a DVD box set or something on telly
So, here’s how I did it:
- I got a tube map from the TFL site
- cropped it to the central zone (basically zone 1 + a chunk of zone 2)
- in photoshop, erased all the station names
- still in photoshop, increased contrast
- used mosaic filter to transform image into 5×5 blocks
- added a 5×5 grid over the top
- blanked any squares with partial colour in them (this meant shifting some stations slightly to the left or right)
- simplified the pattern by filling in boxes with block colour (e.g. stations)
- went to local craft/knitting shop and selected some embroidery silks based on tubeline colours (not exact, but I can live with approximation)
- sewed a purple perimeter border which looks decorative but which actually made it easier to count off stitches inside the grid
- annotated a printed version of the map, with square counts (between stations, for example)
- started in the bottom right hand corner with the H&C (pink) line and then worked my way around the map, line by line
- I left all the stations until the end
So here’s the pattern, in case anyone else wants to have a go:
And here’s the (nearly) finished result:
For reference, it’s roughly A4 size, using 14-count Aida fabric (which I got from John Lewis).
It’s not perfect - there are some small counting errors in there, so I had to get a bit liberal with some of the joining angles, especially towards East London, and the stations are a bit square - but it’s not bad for a freehand thing, and a first attempt.
All in all, I’m pretty chuffed.
You can see I’m in the process of adding a border to it, to secure the edges, and I’ve still got to fill in the Thames before I can frame it or turn it into a cushion, but it’s too nice outside today…
Hey, I came out of lurking to say that’s pretty neat! Planned your next project yet? :)
Yes! It’s similarly geeky….
Excellent! Cross stitch and I are not speaking at the moment (I have to unstitch half a project, baaah) but once it’s out of the naughty corner, I will def. be starting this one!
That is bloody brilliant.
[...] Tags: crafts, cross-stitch, D.C., london, maps, Metro, transit meish.org crafted a cool cross-stitch map of the London Tube (complete with stylized “Underground” icon). If I had any time, [...]
[...] Geek + maps + craftiness = [...]
what a great project!! I’m completely in love with it!!! well done!
I love it! Very cool idea. Well done on making the pattern yourself. :)
I’m in the States and have a dear friend who is devoted to all things British. She was born there, but left in her childhood. She will adore this!!!
Do you know what part of the city this might be? Is there a term for it? Just so I might be able to a) know myself and b) tell her…or just impress her that I know.
I can’t wait to start! Thanks!
Heidi - this is pretty much “zone 1″ (but with a chunk of zone 2 around the edges).
I’m going to start on an all-zone map soon, and will update this post with the pattern when I do.
Great idea. I’m thinking about doing a version of the Madrid Metro for a friend.
I think this is so cool. I’m thinking of maybe making a passport cover out of the design. Thanks
I love to cross stitch and you did a great job. I was in London last August and I went on the tube. I am definitly going to try doing this. What part of London was this?
[...] She’s been blogging since forever (when you think about it April 2000 was forever ago), made a cross-stitch version of a portion of the underground and recently finished a second reading of one of my favorite books, Cryptonomicon. But there was [...]
Oh please say that you have been working on your cross-stitch while actually travelling on the tube.
I would love to look up from my Metro to see you sitting nearby, slowly stitching our journey, and I am sure others would too.
And if, for some reason, the train stopped in a tunnel, I bet most of us would look over to see if you had stopped stiching too.
I did start it on the tube, but swiftly realised that it was getting grubby (or rather, my hands were. Eugh!) the rest was done on my sofa, alas.