Tardis Embroidery Project

The inspiration for this piece comes from the Doctor Who episode “Vincent and the Doctor.” In that episode, the Doctor and Amy Pond meet Vincent van Gogh. It’s an episode that sparked a wave of creativity among fans worldwide, inspiring all kinds of artwork.

I came across this tattoo design while looking for embroidery ideas:

This time I started the embroidery on a large piece of fabric so I’d have more flexibility later—I wanted the finished work to end up on something practical.

I couldn’t find a good way to transfer the pattern onto dark fabric, so I made a kind of paper stencil. I cut out the windows and added slits along some of the lines and spirals so the pen could pass through.

I used a heat-erase pen. It’s a bit tricky because at first the lines are barely visible and you have to wait patiently for them to appear before moving on. Technically you don’t need a heat-erase pen—if you cover all the marks with stitches, it doesn’t matter—but I like having the freedom to sketch by hand without worrying.

It also helps to bunch the edges of the fabric so they don’t get in the way while you work, and so you don’t accidentally stitch them down.

Another tip: place a magnet on top of the fabric and another underneath. It gives you a perfect spot to rest your needle when changing threads or taking a break. A great way to keep the needle nearby instead of hunting for a tiny metal sliver among a lot ot other things. If only there were an expression that captured that feeling…

And then the fun part begins. I started with the TARDIS outline. In the spots that would catch the light, I used a lighter thread, and in the shadowed areas, a darker one—just to give a sense of depth.

Once the outlines were done, I filled in the rest and started on the spirals. I could have gone for a cleaner, more precise look…but honestly, everything came out a bit crooked. Which is perfectly fine! It’s supposed to be in a Van Gogh style anyway, so the looseness actually suits it. And I enjoy the freedom of not having to be exact.

For the spirals I mostly used yellow and orange, but added some turquoise to make them pop.

I added blues and light blues too, to create movement and tie everything visually to the TARDIS colors.

Here’s the back—its own little piece of art.

I chose a big piece of fabric from the start so I’d have options for the final project. I considered turning it into a pillow, but eventually decided on something more practical and sewed a bag. I don’t have process photos or instructions… I didn’t even measure properly to get a perfect rectangle.

And the bag is done!

What do you think? And what other geeky elements would you like to see embroidered?