Needlework is an impressive enough technical skill, but pair it with some top-notch creativity and you end up with embroidery projects that are truly next level. This online group is dedicated to helping beginners and showcasing the top talent out there.
We also reached out to visual artist Chloe Giordano and author/embroidery artist Michelle Staub to learn more about getting into embroidery in case anyone ends up feeling inspired by the creations on display here. So scroll down, upvote your favorites, and be prepared to take some notes if you plan to start your embroidery journey.
More info: Reddit
#1 Ten Piece Chicken Wings With Fries
Image credits: cremepat
#2 Finished My Christmas Present For My Little Sister!
Image credits: metal_paper
#3 Floral Embroidered Denim Jacket- One Year In The Making!
Image credits: ExperienceMotor1694
We started by asking where a beginner should start looking for resources and guides, as the internet is full of videos and instructions. Michelle Staub suggested that people just pick something and get to work on it. “I would recommend starting with a full embroidery kit or a pattern. With a kit, you’ll receive all of the materials you need and won’t have to go out and get all of your own thread colors and fabric. You may even end up with some leftover thread for future projects. If you can, avoid buying kits sold on Amazon because almost all of them contain stolen designs from other embroidery artists.”
“It’s best to buy kits from shops on Etsy to support small businesses. You can also find embroidery kits at craft stores. You may also choose to just get a pattern and source all of the materials yourself. You can find digital embroidery patterns on Etsy, or there is a large collection of free ones on DMC.com. If you’re looking to learn a wide range of different embroidery stitches then look for something called an embroidery sampler. If you’re a visual learner and like to follow along with videos, Youtube is a great place to find tutorials for different embroidery stitches. There are also online courses that teach embroidery that you can pay to take.”
#4 Kosher Dills
Image credits: pearpeachplums
#5 Luna Moth, My First Attempt At A 3D Effect
Image credits: BigFatJoints
#6 I‘M Pretty Sure Something Like This Was Here Before. I Hope You Enjoy Nonetheless!
Image credits: HardcoreLock
Some beginners say they fear wasting materials or aren’t sure about buying quality yarn and threads. Chloe Giordano suggested that “If you're not intending to sell the embroidery I think there's nothing wrong with opting for cheaper materials, as you'll be less worried about making mistakes and 'ruining' supplies. I always recommend just diving in, experimenting with different styles, and accepting that you'll make mistakes along the way, I messed up a lot of embroideries before I got to the good ones!”
#7 My First Original Embroidery Design
Image credits: cindoc75
#8 Send This To Your Internet Trolls
Image credits: iLabrador
#9 Embroidery Project Finished (988 Days Later)
Image credits: HumbleNorthHamilton
Michelle Staub had similar thoughts. “The great thing about embroidery is that you can use a wide range of different fabrics, thread, hoops, and needles and it can all work. However, there is a difference in quality between brands of thread. The most common brands are DMC, Anchor, and Cosmo. Other brands may fray as you work and may not be colorfast. In my opinion, it’s worth it to buy the name brand thread since the quality is the best and one skein of thread will last you some time.”
#10 78 Hours For Rootin’ Tootin’ Space Cowboy Bmo
Image credits: Aggravating-Minute74
#11 My New Work,poppy Flowers Field
Image credits: Tutku_embroidery
#12 My First Embroidery Is A Tiny Wooly Garden By The Brook
Image credits: tinastinythings
“As far as needles, fabric, and hoops, it is all pretty similar. A generic multi-size pack of embroidery needles will last you some time. You can embroider on literally anything from cotton, linen, and felt, to even your clothing. And as long as your hoop can hold your fabric tight you’re good to go! You can find these items in craft stores or even secondhand thrift stores. My first-ever projects were stitched on an old canvas chair slipcover that I found at a thrift store and cut up,” she added, clarifying some details that could be useful for beginners.
#13 Valentine’s Day
Image credits: kenz024
#14 My Mom Made This Decades Ago. It Has Hung In My Childhood Home As Long As I Can Remember, And I Only Recently Realized How Incredible It Actually Is
Image credits: BigBepper
#15 Not My Design But My Stitching
Image credits: iLabrador
We also wanted to know if there were any specific mistakes or misconceptions they often encountered. Michelle Staub told us that “I think people are afraid to start learning embroidery because they’re worried their project won’t end up “perfect.” I will tell you that there are mistakes in every embroidery you see but only the stitcher will be able to tell you where they are! The only way you will be able to improve with embroidery is if you actually do it and practice. And the best way of learning is to just try it and learn from your mistakes as you go!”
#16 My Absolute Favourite So Far. From The Book The Queen In The Cave By Julia Sarda. Took About 45 Hours
Image credits: abbykos
#17 Berry Pie
Image credits: cosmicstrawberryblue
#18 My Favorite Larger Piece I've Done
Image credits: molinduh
Chloe Giordano focused on the mechanics of embroidery. “From a technical point of view, it's that beginners often don't tighten the fabric in the hoop properly - it should be completely taut like the skin of a drum.” Lastly, Michelle Staub wanted readers to take home this piece of advice: “I think it’s really easy to look at someone else’s embroidery and compare your work to theirs. It can be intimidating, especially if you’re just starting out! Just know that those people were once where you were.”
#19 Finished A Gift For My Mother! The Spider Webs Glow In The Dark!
Image credits: freeeicecream
#20 Snoopy By Me. The Blue Is Supposed To Be Ice, But I Think It Turned Out Great!
Image credits: Sa1tyWaffles
#21 Just Finished A Memorial Portrait For A Friend’s Uncle!
Image credits: schmowd3r
“What you see is the result of their hours and hours of practice. We all start somewhere! It’s very brave to try something new and be open to making mistakes and learning. If you’re interested in embroidery this is your sign to pick up a needle and thread and give it a go!” You can find Chleo’s site here, Michelle’s here, and if you want to see more creations, check out one of our other articles here.
#22 Serval In An Oval Hoop
Image credits: a_warm_garlic_yurt
#23 I Started My Own Embroidery Journal A Year Ago And Managed To Stick With It!
Image credits: sewvulgar
#24 An Embroidered Valentine’s Day Gift For My Girlfriend
Image credits: alastairscott
#25 My First Building!
Image credits: kenz024
#26 First Time With My Own Design, So Happy With The Result
Image credits: aud_dax
#27 I Stitched Up Some Tiny Doc Martens For A Piece I’m Working On!
Image credits: kenz024
#28 Some Landscapes I Finished Recently!
Image credits: untiltuesday
#29 So Many Beads!! Thinking Of Turning This One Into A Patch
Image credits: hun_stuffed_cabbage
#30 My Oaks
Image credits: NaqsheKhial
#31 After 20+ Years Of Not Picking Up A Needle, I Decided To Try This Little Number From Etsy. 485,836,947,235 French Knots Later, It's Finished
Image credits: LizzieTeaOhBee
#32 Rabbit Tessellation Embroidery I Made After Learning Some Basic Stitches
Image credits: Analysis_mode27
#33 Another One Of My Works With Northern Lights. I Think I Will Take A Short Break From Such Landscapes And Try To Embroider More Colorful Landscapes
Image credits: embroiderybynusik
#34 Lettering Help! Can You Distinguish What This Says? Gift For A Friend But I’m Having Second Thoughts About Using Split Stitch For The Words…
Image credits: end0m3trium
#35 Great Grandmother's Embroidered Towels
Image credits: mcarty115
#36 You All Liked My Squid Patch, Now Here’s A Deep Sea Anglerfish!!
Image credits: tapirsaurusrex
#37 The Way We Speak Becomes The Way They Think. Let It End With Us
Image credits: colormuse
#38 A Tribute To My Appreciation For The Outdoors And A First For Many Techniques
Image credits: lil_bobbin
#39 2 Months Down!
Image credits: beesspea
#40 Birthday Gift Done Just In Time!
Image credits: wintermaerchen1007
#41 Inspired By A Cup My Sister Bought Me
Image credits: littlestlex
#42 New Patch I Made For My Battle Vest. Particularly Pleased With The Font Stitching
Image credits: Bluefastakan
#43 A Humming Bird Coin Purse I Embroidered And Sewed As A Gift For My Mom
Image credits: Shandathe
#44 Some Of My Favorites I Embroidered , They Looked So Pretty Together
Image credits: nonakeddenim
#45 A Cat Portrait I Recently Embroidered. I Experimented With Dmc, Anchor, And Cosmo Threads For Fun
Image credits: Florally
#46 My Original Idea! This Is My Niece's Drawing I Made Into A Framed Embroidery Piece For My Sister. I Framed It Myself. Let's See How Far This Makes It Before It's Deleted/Hidden Or Whatever Keeps Happening
Image credits: fujoshisoulfood
#47 Watercolor + Whale I Did A Couple Years Ago
Image credits: biobroidery
#48 I Designed A Festive Screaming Possum Who I Think Reflects My Thoughts Regarding This Time Of Year. Merry Chrysler!
Image credits: The-Artful-Possum
#49 That's A Smile You Have When Posing With 100 Moths You Hand Embroidered. Am I Proud Of Myself? Oh Yes, I Am!
Image credits: MossAndFloss
#50 My First Ever Embroidery (Please, Don't Be Too Harsh)
Image credits: little-crazy
#51 I Love The Banana, Hate The Text. I Give Myself A B- On This One
Image credits: OptimisticArtichoke
#52 Back From Wip Hell
Image credits: Galphath
#53 A Lot Of Firsts - A Lot Of Fun
Image credits: C_Bluebear
#54 Progress On Ravioli With Sauce
Image credits: LetsEscapeEarth
#55 I've Stitched Pigeon Once
Image credits: gabuclombardi
#56 A Fish
Image credits: Tanya_Poli
#57 White Swan On A Black Lake
Image credits: Tutku_embroidery
#58 Tiny Crab Embroidery
Image credits: AlinaKuptsova
#59 Big Thank You To This Sub, I Finally Took The Plunge Despite Not Knowing How I'd Pull It Off, And Finished My Second Embroidery! Now I'll Always Have A "Pocket Full Of Sunshine"
Image credits: ramenmangaka
#60 Me: I Want A Hoop Holder BF: *goes To Hardware Store*
Image credits: jennabenna11
#61 Raspberry Spiders!
Image credits: RobotRoyalty
#62 Creation Of Adam Embroidery For My Cat-Lady Mom. I Sacrificed A Bedsheet For The Fabric Because It Was The Perfect Color
Image credits: efildrawkcab
#63 Atlas!
Image credits: fightlikesharks
#64 My Girlfriend Just Finished This
Image credits: Mammoth_Occasion5724
#65 Finished The Sardine Can. I’m Really Happy With How The Fish Turned Out
Image credits: abbykos
#66 I Stitched Some Bees To Show All The Jobs They Take On In A Hive!
Image credits: iLabrador
#67 Girl Feeding Hens-Just Finished!
Image credits: Suzilu
#68 Took Some Time, But Finished This For My Husband’s Office!
Image credits: meowandmeow
#69 Portrait Embroidery On 7” Hoop
Image credits: Miuembroidery
#70 Beginner. My Friend Asked Me To Repair Her Favorite Jacket With Some Embroidery. The Jacket Was In A Real Poor State, But I Said Yes, And Now It's Done! Hopefully Now She Can Love The Jacket A Few More Years!
Image credits: Mindbogglingloops
#71 Embroidery Inspired By Stained Glass Art
Image credits: vidana_art
#72 My First Attempt At Stitching Writing
Image credits: Naalesting
#73 Really Loved The Last Of Us!
Image credits: thevampireswidow
#74 Hoop I Made For My Boss
Image credits: Dootsieboo
#75 Remembering Summer. My Latest Ribbon Embroidery Project
Image credits: RibbonPalette
#76 Van Gogh Sunflowers
Image credits: mf1sh
#77 My First Embroidery Project!
Image credits: jennifermarieo
#78 Embroidered Card, First Project Since Baby
Image credits: KoalaQueen87
#79 All Done With This Bookmark!!
Image credits: dmslindstrcn
#80 First Time Posting. Any Resources Y’all Recommend For Getting Better? Be Gentle?
Image credits: Pippin_the_parrot
#81 My Cousin Got Married In August. Finally Finished With Her Gift, Just Need To Add A Date
Image credits: MaddCricket
#82 I Work At A Needle-Exchange. This Project Was A Good Combination Of My Work/Hobby Life
Image credits: Sourstitches
#83 I Love Flowers And Hate French Knots, So There Are Lots Of Those On My Work
Image credits: Miuembroidery
#84 Creation Of Adam.... On My Butttt!
Image credits: MinimumElk
#85 I Made A Clock! Simple But I Love It!
Image credits: heathercaz
#86 Fixed A Hole In My Sweater! Used A Stick On Design From Hoopartstitch On Etsy. First Time Trying Thread Painting. Critiques Welcome!
Image credits: QuentinTearABeano
#87 Made This For My Mum For Mother’s Day
Image credits: godchode
#88 Silk Ribbon Embroidery On Wool Beret. Hand Embroidered
Image credits: linenandfred
#89 Another “Ominous Footsteps” Hoop
Image credits: Sourstitches
#90 Dinosaurs In Love Designed By Me
Image credits: lilbitchoftheopera
#91 Decided To Stop Worrying About Realism And Just Stitched Whatever Colors Felt Good
Image credits: AlgorithmDestroyer
#92 *mostly* Done - I Have A Few Spaces That I Want To Fill In, But I’d Say It Turned Out Pretty Alright!
Image credits: AdmiralMangoChutney
#93 Some Squishmallow That I Embroidered. Very New To Embroidery And Thought This Would Be Fun
Image credits: sun_smasher
#94 Colorful Sunset, 1 Strand On 8” Hoop
Image credits: Miuembroidery
#95 Matilda - Thinking Of Making A Series Of Classic Line Drawing Book Covers
Image credits: Delouest
#96 A Little Chicken I Embroidered For My Mother In Law
Image credits: fancyhairbrush
#97 I Finally Finished Tank Girl! She's Ready To Go To Her New Home
Image credits: rachelle_makes_stuff
#98 I Used 38 Colors In My Recent Embroidery
Image credits: vidana_art
#99 Finished My Octopus Project Definitely Not Perfect, But A Ton Of Fun
Image credits: overtakenbymoss
