It’s never too late to start a new hobby. In fact, now’s the best time to do so since most of us are spending more time at home. So, why not try your hands at cross-stitching? After all, it’s easy and repetitive, so it’s the perfect pastime to help you take your mind off things. And before you even start thinking it’s a boring hobby, check out these awesome projects that will convince you otherwise!
Apparently, there’s a subreddit called r/CrossStitch where talented stitchers come together and share their amazing projects. From stunning sceneries, pop culture icons, to internet memes, their works prove that embroidery can be fun too. Keep scrolling down to see their stitched masterpieces for some inspiration!
“Came across this on Facebook… it took him 20 years to finish this periodic table of elements”
“1 year ago this Saturday I came home with an empty cat carrier after helping to release my best friend from a 2 year battle with terminal cancer. I worked on this piece through tears that week, and just got the frame back in time to hang it in his memory for the one year anniversary.”
“My 6-year-old has been getting in on the cross stitch hype in my house too. He’s so proud, he wants to show his progress off to everyone!”
“Schrödinger’s cat glow in the dark is finished!”
“Today I ironed my mega-cat project & it’s in the mail to my aunt!”
“Day 5 of quarantine, I’ve run out of fabric and have had to resort to cross-stitching this old strainer. Turned out pretty good I think!”
“Literally took blood and tears, but I am very proud of my first project”
“Finally got around to finishing this one!”
These awesome projects by the members of the subreddit r/CrossStitch will prove that cross-stitching is not a boring hobby
Founded in 2010, the community currently has 225K members. Aside from serving as an online collection of its talented members’ impressive works, the forum also hosts discussions, giveaways, and competitions. Last year, Reddit user u/ramintake bagged the Best Project Award with her entry “Quarantine Mood.”
“I stitched the representation of the quarantine mood”
“300 stitches every day should do it”
“I completed my ocean triptych today!”
“Over 5,000 hours and 3+ years in the works. My mother finally completed her Counted Cross-stitch with 606,875 stitches.”
“Done and dusted just in time for my best friend’s birthday! Pattern by Olga Lankevich”
“Cross stitching on a plane…”
“A 2020 update: lost the boyfriend but kept the cat. Priorities.”
“I did this for my boyfriend who is a gynecologist.”
“My grandmother’s senior portrait!”
“Halfway down, ‘Spanish lace’ by Riolis. Stitched 1 over 1 on Monaco.”
“A few months ago I posted that I was cross-stitching my old cats for mum’s Christmas present – cat 2/3 is complete! Sadly we lost this guy to old age while I was making this, but the process of stitching him was very therapeutic. Pattern by me using pixel stitch.”
“I just started a new job where I (Annie) sit between an Ann and an Anna. So I self-drafted a direction sign”
“So I finished my summer stitching project a little early”
“It took me two and a half years! Gamer Nouveau by Gecko Rouge.”
” I’m terrible at starting huge projects but never finishing them. This one was the first “big” piece I ever completed and it took four years! I’m particularly proud of the shawl.”
Social Distancing Romance
Basically, it’s a stitched version of the “This Is Fine” meme which features a dog sitting calmly at a kitchen table as massive flames engulf the room. It originally appeared in one of the six panels of On Fire from KC Green’s “Gunshow” comic. Although u/ramintake is fond of memes in general, she had a deeper reason for choosing to recreate Green’s illustration.
“I find it really interesting when things that have existed purely online receive a physical body and become real offline, too. I made the ‘this is fine’ project during the first lockdown in my country, a time when this picture encapsulated the uncertainty of the situation and the sliver of positivity and hope we all tried to hold onto, telling ourselves precisely that it’s fine.”
“Everyone loves a good before & after backstitching, right?”
“My beautiful raven is finished! Sooo happy with how this piece turned out. I hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I do!”
“Update: The day he proposed”
“Hi to all! I’m a 27 yo cross-stitcher and I’m proud to show you my first big completed project with backstitch. I think it’s still not perfect, but I really adore my result. Pattern “Purring on the roofs” by CutePatternsByMaria”
“1.5 years later and I am finished!”
“I made blackwork Kyoshi for my best friend! (self-drafted)”
“My very first finished & framed project, even though I’ve been stitching for about 25 years”
“Disney Stained Glass project, complete! Still can’t believe that I did this!”
“My first cross stitch ever. Bought this pattern close to my place. Don’t judge!”
“Got back into stitching after a long break, finished this beauty last night”
From stunning sceneries, pop culture icons, to internet memes, their works prove that embroidery can be fun too!
“My trio of US national parks”
“I made a thing! Self-drafted”
“This is a wedding gift for my future daughter-in-law. It says what her name will be when she marries my son & their wedding date. (Her middle name means cherry blossom) The cross belonged to my late husband. She asked my son if his dad would’ve liked her. He would’ve loved her.”
“My first Everest. This took 4+ months and 100 headaches, but I have finally finished the first big project I’ve started. I cant wait to give it to my mum!”
“My second ever project! So proud of it”
“I’m so happy with how it looks, I wanted to show someone”
“Ready to graduate!”
“Current circumstances have significantly changed the meaning of this one since I started it in February.”
“My 8-year-old finished her first cross stitch project and she’s so proud!”
“Ring box I made for proposing to my now fiancee!”
It’s no secret that cross-stitching is a traditional craft. So, conventionalists are highly likely going to frown upon any attempt to give it a modern rendition. In fact, even u/ramintake wasn’t spared from harsh criticisms from some members of a local cross stitch Facebook group too.
“Before becoming a member of the subreddit, I was in a local cross stitch Facebook group that continued the ‘classic’ line of the craft. When I uploaded a picture of a sweatshirt I did, I received a lot of strange comments, like, ‘Your work belongs on a doormat’ or ‘A black top with an equal number of roses is only good for a funeral.'”
Cross Stitch on a Wall in Estavayer, Switzerland
“A Minecraft Bee I just finished! I love how it turned out.”
“Probably my most satisfying “before and after backstitching” example yet!”
“My mom made me a Pokemon-themed tissue box!”
“I fixed it. Got the kit at Joanns.”
“Added a few more paintings to my art collection! (self drafted)”
So, it’s a good thing that she found another community where members uplift each other and respect each other’s artistic styles.
“The subreddit instantly felt like a remedy for my soul because I discovered the stitching rock and roll I was so fascinated with myself. It’s a place where I not only show people my projects but drool at their creativity as well.”