Although almost everything about the pandemic was awful, there was at least one positive side to it: people taking up hobbies. A LendingTree survey found that 6 in 10 Americans tried out a new activity during the lockdown. In 2024, 67% of Americans say they have multiple hobbies.
Those who enjoy cozying up on their couch and making something with their own hands gravitated toward fiber crafts. Sewing, knitting, crocheting – fans even started recreating Harry Styles' viral cardigan at home. But today, we're dedicating a list to embroidery and its community on Reddit, r/embroidery. We have a new collection of the most gorgeous projects people shared there, so scroll away and be inspired!
We also reached out to professional embroidery artist Emillie Ferris, based in Warwickshire, UK. She told Bored Panda more about how a cozy hobby can turn into a career. Emillie also shared some tips for those new to the art of embroidery and the most important words of encouragement any beginner needs to hear: "You're already an artist."
More info: Emillie Ferris | Instagram | Paint With Thread | Etsy | Domestica video course
#1 Portrait Of A Distinguished Old Lady
Image credits: cremepat
Emillie's work, although mostly fueled by her passion for needlecraft, draws inspiration from wildlife and the British countryside. Our longtime readers might remember her feature here on Bored Panda from back in 2016. She stunned us with incredibly realistic pet and animal portraits and had many readers wanting their own stitched portraits of their four-legged best friends.
Eight years later, Emillie now offers tutorials and courses for people who want to hone their embroidery skills and those who just picked the hobby up. She has been featured on numerous websites, including This Is Colossal, the Design*Sponge blog, and Frankie Magazine. Emillie's needlework has also been featured in magazines such as Vogue Brazil and Town and Country Magazine.
#2 My First. My Mum Says I Did It All Wrong But I’m Just Happy I Finished Something For Once
Image credits: Lostinbinary
#3 Just Embroidered My First Sweater Ever, Still Learning But Let Me Know What You Guys Think
Image credits: Quesodeeyaa
Emillie says that her journey to become a master embroiderer began during her university years. In her second year of university, she missed the countryside and the slower pace of life it brought with it, and in 2013, she began her embroidery journey. "Little did I know, when I had finished embroidering my first hoop, what a wonderful impact it would have on my life and career," she now reflects.
Emillie tells Bored Panda that romanticized paintings depicting women doing needlepoint by windows or in the countryside first inspired her to pick up a needle. "I was particularly obsessed with Tumblr (weren't all us girls back then?), photography, and the pre-raphaelite movement at the time."
#4 Hand Embroidered Green Dragon Bag By Me
Image credits: ILWDolls
#5 Blue Heron Thread Painting
Image credits: nightowl0927
#6 Recent Project I'm Proud Of Finishing
Image credits: brouw6425
Two paintings in particular caught Emillie's eye and ignited the spark to try fiber art. 'I Am Half-Sick of Shadows,' Said the Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse and An Afternoon Embroidering by Madeleine Jeanne Lemaire.
"I loved the idea of using this ancient craft to connect with these talented women from the past," Emillie explains her inspiration. "But mostly, I longed for a hobby that didn't require technology. I was doing a lot of digital creative work for my university degree, e.g., graphic design, photography, and videography. I longed for a low-cost, portable hobby I could take anywhere with me. After trying crochet for a week, embroidery quickly became an everyday passion of mine," Emillie tells Bored Panda.
#7 My Finished Ball Python Embroidery!
Image credits: Florally
#8 Freckled, Floofy Toebeans!
Image credits: No-Zone-3429
#9 My Chicken Embroidery Got Accepted Into The State Fair! I Didn’t Win Anything But It Was Cool To See Her In A Gallery Setting With All The Other Artwork
Image credits: Florally
Emillie tells us that she didn't expect her hobby to turn into a career. For her, it was just a passion that turned into a business. "It was something that progressed naturally through Instagram and through time. I would post photographs of my creations on Instagram purely for fun and encouragement, and from there, I started to receive a lot of emails and requests (to my surprise) from people wanting to purchase them!"
#10 Finished One Week Ago
Image credits: embroiderybynusik
#11 Biggest Embroidery Project To Date, Nearly Done
Image credits: FulmarusGlacialis
#12 3D Life Size Anatomical Heart
Image credits: taub_taube
Since her start in the early 2010s, a lot has changed. "My business has since grown from creating custom pet portraits to helping thousands of others learn the craft of needle-painting," Emellie tells us. "I now have a following of over 200,000 people, and this still blows my mind today. I am very grateful to those who have supported my work and to my past self for trying something new."
#13 Mrs. Doubtfire With Whipped Cream Face (Please Be Gentle This Was A Silly Idea I Needed To See Thru)
Image credits: No_Efficiency1004
#14 Hand Embroidered Beach Theme Mosasaurus That I Am Super Proud Of
Image credits: Bustedflush91
#15 First Finish In A Long Time! That Grey Tabby Fur Is No Joke
Image credits: Sew-Fresh
Emellie tells Bored Panda that there aren't any prerequisite skills one must have to start embroidering. "The only trait I can think of is the will to try something new and perhaps be a bit bad at it to begin with!" For those waiting for the right time to take up a hobby, Emellie says: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."
#16 My First Actually Well Made Tabby Cat And I Still Cannot Believe I Made Her With My Own Two Hands! ?♥️ Thoughts?
Image credits: monsterboxxx
#17 First Embroidery!
Image credits: DeduceAbstruse
#18 Note To Self: If You Put Something Off Because It Takes A While To Finish, It Actually Takes Way Longer To Finish It
Image credits: flerbederbederbeder
"Don't hesitate, don't doubt yourself, and just go for it!" Emellie encourages aspiring needlers. "Once you start embroidering, you will only wonder why you didn't start earlier. The materials are inexpensive and easy to get a hold of." She recommends embroidering projects you are truly interested in: nature, films, quotes, or anything else. "Be inspired by others, but remember to be your truest authentic self and don’t directly copy other artwork," she adds.
#19 I Can Still See Some Flaws, But I’m Also Super Proud Of This. Probably One Of The Coolest Things I’ve Ever Made With My Own Two Hands!
Image credits: monsterboxxx
#20 As Promised, My Life-Sized Skeleton Embroidery Finished!
Image credits: mellow_yellow___
#21 Purple Birdie In Boots! One Of My Most Recent Projects
Image credits: millmaestudio
Emillie created tutorials for those who might feel overwhelmed by the technicalities of embroidery. Her Etsy shop is a treasure trove of information for beginners, with many tips and tricks. Emillie says that these materials help people feel less pressure to design a project themselves, especially if they don't feel up to it yet. "Good luck, and above all, enjoy yourself, express yourself, and have fun with it!"
#22 First Finished Embroidery Project: A Bunch Of Bugs On A Hat! Would Love Any Feedback!
Image credits: jolticked
#23 My Bumblebee Embroidery
Image credits: IamJoAyla
#24 Mlem
Image credits: a_warm_garlic_yurt
We also wanted to know the most common mistakes beginners make. Emillie says that the first thing novices should avoid is buying beginner kits from Amazon, Temu, and the like. "They are often low quality and will be more likely to be frustrating due to poor instructions," the embroidery artist explains.
#25 This Turned Out Pawsitively Meowvelous
Image credits: Alive-Adhesiveness93
#26 Finally Finished This ?
Image credits: FulmarusGlacialis
#27 I Started Embroidering A Few Weeks Ago And I’ve Been So Inspired By All Of You!
Image credits: nofacejustghost
Emillie recommends scouring the Internet and socials for high-quality kits and tutorials from embroidery artists. Etsy and Instagram can be of great help in this search, she claims. "These people WANT you to love embroidery as much as them, that's why I created my kits. I don't want people to be put off after trying a new hobby once due to bad materials. I want them to fall in love with embroidery and feel proud of what they have created!"
#28 Mr Sparkle Fish
Image credits: hvalur87
#29 My First Serious Stab (Tehee) At Embroidery. Treebeard!
Image credits: olivejew0322
#30 It’s Been In Storage For A Wile, But I Made This For My (Late) Dad About 1986
Image credits: LindaN20
If you're more of a cheapskate or just simply like a challenge and want to approach embroidery solo and with a little help from a YouTube video, Emillie recommends having these materials on hand:
- Medium-weight cotton;
- A pack of size 5/10 needles from brands such as John James/DMC;
- A varied selection of floss colors from DMC or Anchor and a sturdy wooden hoop. (She suggests a 5" hoop from DMC.) Note: embroidery floss comes in six divisible strands -- use one strand for detailed, realistic work, and always make sure your fabric is DRUM TIGHT in the hoop.
Emillie also has more encouraging words: "You are good enough. Your time has not passed to try new skills. Go for it, try it, experiment with it. The materials are so humble, yet you can create your own mini-masterpiece to last [for] generations to come. You don't need much to get started. You can do this. Happy stitching!"
#31 I Embroidered A Picture Of My Grandma’s Farm To Gift Her For Christmas
Image credits: Ellington
#32 I Prepare An “Haute Couture” Shirt For The Lunar New Year. How Do You Guys Think? Thank You!
Image credits: Most_Big_7521
#33 Really Loving How These Pieces Look Together
Image credits: ms_chiefmanaged
#34 Been Having A Week, This Felt Appropriate
Image credits: sacamano-
#35 Live Oak Tree
Image credits: StormsAreMadeToEnd
#36 I Made My Dream Froggybag
Image credits: Dynamitella
#37 Some Closed Up Photos Of My Commission Cause I Spent Way Too Much Time On It And Don’t Want To Waste All That Effort
Image credits: pastelplanet_
#38 Dumb Wish But Ok
Image credits: bucklesbigsby
#39 Decided To Mix Things Up And Try Out A Beetle! Loved Working With Some Beads And Metallic Threads, On A 8” Hoop. This One Was Fun
Image credits: sinistersista
#40 Pumpkin
Image credits: GooseCabooseEmbroide
#41 Finished My Embroidiary... Only A Year Late
Image credits: JEZTURNER
#42 Finally Finished These Pitcher Plants
Image credits: OneEyePhyllis
#43 Lost My Mind And Decided To Make An All-French Knot Piece
Image credits: sage_green_stitching
#44 I Stitched This For My Son, Whose Amazing Brain Is Seasoned To Perfection ?♥️
Image credits: colormuse
#45 ??
Image credits: kenz024
#46 Corona Lockdown Taught Me This New Artform
Image credits: satishprajapti
#47 Really Happy With This One
Image credits: pinkshirtvegeta
#48 A Few Of The Embroideries I’ve Been Working On Over The Summer
Image credits: Sa1tyWaffles
#49 Older Work Of Mine But I Still Can't Tell If It's Recognizable. Faces Are So Hard!
Image credits: Lazy_Elks
#50 The Note
Image credits: Asuhhhhhhhh
