40 Times People Showed Off Their Best Embroidery Works

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!"

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.

"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."