Dayton Wellness Collective

The first time I met Angie, she was dressed as a hot dog, sipping a beer, and laughing with an incredibly infectious joy. She was hosting her monthly crafty meetup at the barrel house and her unyielding love of hot dogs, profanity, and unhinged embroidery were on full display. Needless to say, I was instantly enamored. 

Although attendees were working on an array of projects that beautiful October afternoon, her craft of choice is hand embroidery that mixes political activism with “stabbing something with a needle several hundred times” (here for it). Her brightly sewn messages are as poignant as they are attention grabbing. From civil disobedience to dismantling the patriarchy, this savage stitcher doesn’t mince words. She displays her subversive stitching with conviction to an ever growing audience of over 25K followers. 

As a proud feminist, phrases like “abortion is evidenced-based practice”, “Women don’t owe you shit”, “women couldn’t refuse to have sex with their spouse until 1993” and “International men’s day is November 19th. Now STFU and pay us” are just the tip of the iceberg of content that she sells as embroidery kits to craftivists across the country. But the softer messaging of “you do not need to earn your rest”, and “I wish I would have loved myself sooner” perfectly illustrates her giant heart. Angie is a fellow RN, and advocating for other’s wellbeing is a hallmark of the nursing profession. Because political art makes social issues visible, her advocacy ripples through instagram feeds and eventually finds it’s way into eager hands and brightly colored textiles. And I absolutely adore how raw, bold, and wonderfully creative her advocacy is. 

From bringing together a beautiful community of creatives with her many meet-ups to the charitable fundraising she does for Dayton’s local activists, Angie Holycross is an absolute powerhouse full of inspiration, laughter, and above all, unapologetic truth. Dayton is beyond lucky to have such a gem 

You can follow her on instagram @the_savagestitcher

Or find her kits on thesavagestitcher.com

Or sew with her at our upcoming Moon Swoon Monday June 15th!