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Embroidery has been around forever — the earliest surviving pieces of this craft are Scythian, dated to between the 5th and 3rd centuries BCE. Virtually every culture has some form of it in their textile art history.

As artist couple Charles and Elin highlighted, the application of embroidery is endless: add some stitches to your shoes, clothes, or bags to upcycle their look. What's that, you want to decorate your walls? No problem, embroidery can help you do that too.

"Embroidery has become our life," Charles and Elin told Bored Panda. "But not just in the sense that it's our chosen vocation; it's so much more than that. On a stressed day, pick up a thread and needle, make a couple of stitches and you will immediately feel your body and mind begin to relax. On a happy day, pick up a thread and needle, make a couple of stitches and the creative endorphins will begin to dance. Embroidery isn't just an ancient craft, it is also a modern art form where you can express visual images in a touchable medium."

And there's no place that celebrates this craft as well as the subreddit r/Embroidery. With 430K members, this online community unites all enthusiasts of the trade who want to exchange tips, techniques, resources, ideas, and to show off their greatest works, of course. At this time, let's focus on the latter.

#1

A Crow I've Been Embroidering For A Few Months Now. Still Gotta Give Him Feet And A Rock To Stand On

A Crow I've Been Embroidering For A Few Months Now. Still Gotta Give Him Feet And A Rock To Stand On

shelbyelizabethart Report

If you also want to stitch something yourself, the moderators of this subreddit say you have to get the basic supplies first. For hand embroidery, you'll need a hoop, a needle, fabric, and some 6-stranded embroidery floss. That's pretty much it. You do need scissors to snip your thread and a way to transfer the design to your fabric too but these are the things required to actually stitch and likely the only items you don't already have in your home.

Rachel Wright, the creator of an embroidery blog called VirtuoSew Adventures, told Bored Panda the right time to pick up the craft is whenever you feel like it. "My grandmama introduced me to embroidery when I was small, and I really got started in my teens. Because I learned mostly from books, I picked up all sorts of odd stitches and ideas, and just experimented and played."

"I tell stories in stitch — color, texture, and techniques all combine to bring my ideas to life," Wright added. "Embroidery is pretty easy to do, especially with books and videos to follow. It is much harder to do well, of course! My advice would always be, find a needle and thread, and have a go!"

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#3

A Really Impressive Embroidered Kitchen Garden

A Really Impressive Embroidered Kitchen Garden

scramsamsax Report

#4

Dr Jill Bidens Coat For Inauguration Night, Featuring All 50 State Flowers. Uruguayan-American Designer Gabriela Hearst Said Each Flower To Between 2-4 Hours By Hand

Dr Jill Bidens Coat For Inauguration Night, Featuring All 50 State Flowers. Uruguayan-American Designer Gabriela Hearst Said Each Flower To Between 2-4 Hours By Hand

everybodylovesmemore Report

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Andy Acceber
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Amazing! I had no idea her coat pattern was the state flowers. That's genius and super creative.

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#5

This Embroidery Took Me Over 40 Hours To Finish But I'm So Proud Of It!

This Embroidery Took Me Over 40 Hours To Finish But I'm So Proud Of It!

Florally Report

Embroiderer Ania Jakubisiak, who has been stitching stuff since she was a child but really fell in love with it only 4 years ago, told Bored Panda she has learned everything through trial and error and Pinterest. "Embroidery is my way to pay tribute to people I love, characters I admire, and relax during long studying hours," Ania said.

"It's not difficult to start. Invest in a good quality wooden hoop and try out many techniques," she suggested. "You will find the style that fits your hand and aesthetic."

A very good way to start from the absolute beginning, according to the subreddit's mod team, is to order an embroidery kit. "It will have your thread, a needle, a hoop, and a design already worked onto the fabric provided. No analysis paralysis as you stare at the 60+ shades of red, wondering which one might be the best," they explained.

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"Kits also have the benefit of explaining what stitches you should be using in what section. Etsy has many kits in many styles available. Once you complete your kit, you then have a hoop and needle to use for other projects as well."

The mods also pointed out that when choosing a kit, it's a good idea to buy from and support a small business rather than purchasing off of Jeff Bezos' space fuel provider, Amazon. "Almost all of the embroidery kits on the site contain stolen patterns from other embroidery artists."

#6

2nd Finished Hoop, Inspired By Hawaii! Experimented W/ Layering Tulle For Water Depth

2nd Finished Hoop, Inspired By Hawaii! Experimented W/ Layering Tulle For Water Depth

DallasNagataWhite Report

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Manasvi Tupe
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this is so beautiful reminds me of Moana the island were there was a small turtle and stingrays in water. I think that's what they are called

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#8

I Made A Little Reference Piece For My Future Embroidery Projects. No More Guessing How Many Strands I Should Use And Regretting It Later

I Made A Little Reference Piece For My Future Embroidery Projects. No More Guessing How Many Strands I Should Use And Regretting It Later

NeedlessDesigns Report

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#9

I'm So Proud To Share My Embroidery Progress From 2014 - 2020. No Talent Here, Just Hours And Hours Of Practice And Hard Work!

I'm So Proud To Share My Embroidery Progress From 2014 - 2020. No Talent Here, Just Hours And Hours Of Practice And Hard Work!

Florally Report

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#10

Floating Embroideries. Embroidery On Tulle Using Silk Ribbon, Tapestry And Threads

Floating Embroideries. Embroidery On Tulle Using Silk Ribbon, Tapestry And Threads

linenandfred Report

#11

Bubbles!

Bubbles!

hvalur87 Report

#12

This Tabby Cat Has So Many Layers Of Stitches That It’s Giving Me A Full Arm Workout

This Tabby Cat Has So Many Layers Of Stitches That It’s Giving Me A Full Arm Workout

Florally Report

#13

Thought I'd Practice Some Outlines For Spooky Season... Then I Looked At The Back

Thought I'd Practice Some Outlines For Spooky Season... Then I Looked At The Back

chippidy56 Report

#14

I Made Some Hand Embroidery Design On Sweaters For A Friend And This One Is My Favorite

I Made Some Hand Embroidery Design On Sweaters For A Friend And This One Is My Favorite

riaparamita Report

#16

I’ve Really Tried To Improve My Embroidered Cat Portraits This Year And I’m So Happy About How This One Came Out! I Almost Quit A Few Times And Started Over But It All Worked Out In The End

I’ve Really Tried To Improve My Embroidered Cat Portraits This Year And I’m So Happy About How This One Came Out! I Almost Quit A Few Times And Started Over But It All Worked Out In The End

Florally Report

#17

Tried My Hand At That Koi Pond Embroidery. I Love How It Turned Out! It's A Gift For My Sister Who Loves Koi

Tried My Hand At That Koi Pond Embroidery. I Love How It Turned Out! It's A Gift For My Sister Who Loves Koi

crazycatlady1919 Report

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#18

I Used The Holidays To Finish My Lady And The Tramp Design. I Hope You Like It!

I Used The Holidays To Finish My Lady And The Tramp Design. I Hope You Like It!

HardcoreLock Report

#19

I’m Not Creative, But My Therapist Suggested I Try Embroidery To Help With My Anxiety. When I Started This Pre-Drawn Pattern I Didn’t Even Know How To Hold A Needle, Took It One Stitch At A Time. There Were A Lot Of Mistakes, But I’m Chuffed! I Hope You Like It

I’m Not Creative, But My Therapist Suggested I Try Embroidery To Help With My Anxiety. When I Started This Pre-Drawn Pattern I Didn’t Even Know How To Hold A Needle, Took It One Stitch At A Time. There Were A Lot Of Mistakes, But I’m Chuffed! I Hope You Like It

CarelessFix Report

#20

Duck

Duck

bluehydrangea Report

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K Killian
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This embroiderer (artist) uses light in such spectacular ways.

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#21

A 3D Skeleton In The Undergrowth

A 3D Skeleton In The Undergrowth

t0nkatsu Report

#23

Honey Bee Embroidery On A Guitar Strap

Honey Bee Embroidery On A Guitar Strap

Mossandfeather Report

#25

Brand New At Posting On Reddit, But I Brought This Little Pink Cow To Say Hi!! I Hope It... Amooses You

Brand New At Posting On Reddit, But I Brought This Little Pink Cow To Say Hi!! I Hope It... Amooses You

_bitterblooming Report

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#26

My Take On Homer. I Never Expected How Many Hours (And Meters Of Thread) This Is Going To Take But The Result Was Totally Worth It!

My Take On Homer. I Never Expected How Many Hours (And Meters Of Thread) This Is Going To Take But The Result Was Totally Worth It!

Comiltove Report

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chi-wei shen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whenever I see this picture I'm reminded of the jokes about Sean Spicer hiding in the bushes.

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#28

My First Embroidered Landscape! This Took Me 4 Months To Finish!

My First Embroidered Landscape! This Took Me 4 Months To Finish!

Lov3sther Report

#29

My Girlfriend Just Passed Away But This Was The Last Thing She Embroidered. It's A Bowl Of Ramen, Our Favorite Thing To Eat Together

My Girlfriend Just Passed Away But This Was The Last Thing She Embroidered. It's A Bowl Of Ramen, Our Favorite Thing To Eat Together

HugoMcChunky Report

#30

My Most Recent Embroidery! Im So Proud Of It !

My Most Recent Embroidery! Im So Proud Of It !

laptitecaliss Report

#31

After Years Of Stitching Other People’s Pets, I Finally Embroidered My Own Girl: Meet Abby!

After Years Of Stitching Other People’s Pets, I Finally Embroidered My Own Girl: Meet Abby!

Soup_n_sammies Report

#32

Finally Finished This One For Myself. My Favorite Pusheen Drawing

Finally Finished This One For Myself. My Favorite Pusheen Drawing

meower57 Report

#33

My Second Embroidery Piece - A Scene From 'Howls Moving Castle'

My Second Embroidery Piece - A Scene From 'Howls Moving Castle'

evesarahfran Report

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#34

Christmas Present For My Dad. Whenever He’s Feeling Proud Of Me He Will Look At Me, Look Down At His Arm, And Say “Right Here, You Used To Fit Right Here” In Reference To Being Able To Hold Me In One Arm As A Baby. I Love Him

Christmas Present For My Dad. Whenever He’s Feeling Proud Of Me He Will Look At Me, Look Down At His Arm, And Say “Right Here, You Used To Fit Right Here” In Reference To Being Able To Hold Me In One Arm As A Baby. I Love Him

karmaggie Report

#35

Did A Picture Of My Friends On Their Wedding Day

Did A Picture Of My Friends On Their Wedding Day

curtainsofatv Report

#36

I Embroidered A Field Full Of Poppies On A Mini Canvas And Loving The Result

I Embroidered A Field Full Of Poppies On A Mini Canvas And Loving The Result

TheJollyJasper Report

#37

And That’s A Wrap On 2020! I’ve Had Such A Great Time Working On This Piece Over The Past 366 Days, I Can’t Wait To See What 2021 Has In Store!

And That’s A Wrap On 2020! I’ve Had Such A Great Time Working On This Piece Over The Past 366 Days, I Can’t Wait To See What 2021 Has In Store!

surrey95 Report

#38

Putting The Hand In Hand Embroidery

Putting The Hand In Hand Embroidery

3bitesin Report

#39

I'm Very Proud Of My First Two-Hoop Design!

I'm Very Proud Of My First Two-Hoop Design!

jevoudraislepoutine Report

#40

bluehydrangea Report

Note: this post originally had 126 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.

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