I have always loved arts and crafts. It has been my solace ever since I was a little girl. I have tried almost everything from cross stitch, friendship bracelets, beaded looming and animals, knitting on those circular loom kits, sewing, painting, etc, etc, etc. I even had a pretty popular Etsy shop in college that involved machine embroidery. Hand embroidery was something I also dabbled in, but never took it further than the occasional project here and there.
So why the sudden interest now? After my boyfriend's cancer diagnosis in May of 2023, I found myself spiraling. I needed something to occupy both my mind and hands from endlessly doom scrolling. I had started following more art and craft accounts, prior to his diagnosis, to keep me inspired and shy away from the fitness content I used to endlessly absorb. It felt like a return back to myself, that inner child who loved to be artistic and create constantly.
After an emergency surgery that landed my boyfriend in the hospital for a week, I realized I desperately needed a creative outlet I can count on - enter hand embroidery! The reasons I turned to hand embroidery out of the countless crafting options out there are the same reasons I want to inspire you to try embroidering too!
1. You can start for less than $30 - Yes you read that correctly! It is a very affordable craft that you can begin for a small upfront investment. All you truly need is a hoop, fabric, needle and some embroidery floss. You can purchase many beginner friendly patterns online for usually around $10 too (or try one of my floral letter patterns, hint hint wink wink 😉). Many starter kits exist as well and they usually come with everything you need, some more expensive than others. You can check out my supplies tab to order the basics!
2. It is very portable - I love hand embroidery because usually the projects are small and portable. You can pack all the supplies you need in a small pouch and the hoop, depending on the size, can easily fit in a medium sized purse or small bag.
3. The basics are easy to learn - There are a few basic stitches I use in most of my patterns that are very easy to learn! Once you know these stitches, truly the sky is the limit on what you can create! Which leads me to the next point:
4. You can add embroidered details to almost anything - It's true! There is an endless amount of opportunities to create embroidered details on most things. You can up-cycle a shirt or jacket to give it new personality. You can add some cute little florals to boots, purses, pants and hats. Anything you can get a needle and thread through, you can add an an embroidered detail to!
5. It is great for mental health - Keeping your busy mind focused on a craft like embroidery can help tune out the noise you're currently going through. It is a great way to relax, unwind and destress. Nothing helped me more than embroidering late into the night while my boyfriend was recovering in the hospital. The rewards continue once you finish a project! It gives a sense of satisfaction, accomplishment and happiness to be able to look and see what you just created!
Are you ready to give it a try?!
I started this cross stitch in middle school I believe. It took me 5 years to complete 😅 I promise hand embroidery projects don't take quite as long 😂
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