Embroidery is a timeless craft, offering an outlet for creativity and a canvas for personal expression. Whether you’re following a pattern or exploring free-form stitching, there are endless ways to utilize your skills. We love seeing how other artists and designers use embroidery to embellish their daily lives. Here's a round up of some inspirational favorites found on Instagram and beyond.

1. Christi Johnson

Christi Johnson, the artist and textile designer behind Mixed Color and Stitch Wish, stitches with a sacred hand. We love her use of dimensional embroidery as an added layer of texture. A red snake stitched onto a purple velvet dress is simultaneously a fashion statement and a magical talisman. 

2. Lindzeanne

The work of Lindzeanne (Lindsey Gradolph) is inspired by Japanese textile traditions and the concept of “mottainai,” or “waste nothing.” These hisashiburi brooches made of scrap fabric and vintage charms and beads are a beautiful example of how stitching can breathe new life into older textiles, and how even the smallest scraps can still be used for a special project! 

3. Shannon Fruchter

Shannon Fruchter is a multimedia fiber artist with a passion for knitting, weaving, stitching, and flower farming. Combining a COSYpouch pattern from Incomplete Stitches and a whale embroidery pattern from Twig and Tale, Shannon’s adorable drawstring pouch is a perfect reminder that patterns can be played with, combined, and customized. 

4. Liz Kettle

Creator of the Stitch Meditation® process, Liz Kettle focuses on using embroidery to encourage mindfulness. Engaging in hand work is a wonderful way to unwind at the end of the day. We love Liz’s dedication to stitching as an act of self love and anti-perfectionism.

5. Arounna Khounnoraj

Arounna Khounnoraj of Bookhou is one of our forever inspirations, and is the designer behind our Beginner Embroidery Kit! This embroidered tablecloth featured in her book Winter Celebrations showcases how a simple running stitch can create a big impact when used to create a pattern on plain linen. 

6. Amanda Fox

Hailing from a lineage of needleworkers, Amanda Fox is an embroidery and chain stitch artist crafting pieces that inspire joy and coziness. Her recent tutorial for an embroidered scrunchie does just that. We love this reminder that embroidery can be both beautiful and utilitarian- because everyday objects deserve to be special too! 

We hope these projects inspire you to start stitching! No matter your age or skill level, it’s never too late to start embellishing your life with embroidery. If you have any projects you’d like to share, tag us on Instagram @zolliemakes. We’d love to see!

New to embroidery and eager to get started? We recommend reading our Beginner’s Guide to Embroidery, and trying our Beginner Embroidery Kit. Come join us!