Also, funnily enough, it had not occurred to me to use my sewing machine on the sketchbook. That would be faster and have the advantage of front/back symmetry.

Thanks! I would like it if the bubbles were more round, but some of that is the thread’s fault.

I expect paint or gesso would make it too inflexible – the stiffness is one of the things that makes it more difficult to sew. That and the fact that you don’t want to accidentally crease it. I didn’t have any problems with ripping. Actually, the only other problem is that of course any holes you make are permanent so it takes extra care to make sure you’re always putting the needle in the right place. Definitely slower than embroidery on fabric.

You can do any kind of embroidery on paper that you want – the only special thing about cross-stitch fabric is that it helps you make even stitches. You just always run into the “what do I do with the back?” question!

How does embroidery on paper compare to cloth in terms of speed? I suggest you have some pages that are reasonably plain, like just parallel lines or cross-hatch. Or a spiral starting from the middle using color-changing thread. Actually, those both would have a really neat tactile element to them too (as would all of them, I suppose). Would cross-stitch on paper be possible? You could also sew in pieces of cloth, use varying sizes of thread/yarn in your stitches, and use all the various settings on the sewing machine.

I wonder if there’s anything you could put on the paper to reduce ripping. Maybe a coat of acrylic paint or gesso? I’m not sure, but iHanna probably knows – she’s stitched paper many times before.