Looking for a new lockdown hobby? Embroidery is making a comeback so here's where to buy the best kits
2020 will be remembered for many things, and although most memories of this year won’t be quite so positive (we’re talking about you, Coronavirus), one plus that has come out of the past year, is a slower pace of life.
Unlike years past which have seen us pile up our social calendar, book a far flung trip at every bank holiday, and overload ourselves on work commitments (inevitably always running late) 2020 has given us a chance to catch our breath a bit. And with our free time, particularly during national lockdowns, we’ve found ourselves gravitating back towards a previously almost outdated notion – having a hobby.
Pre-2020, if I had been asked what my hobbies were, they would’ve been limited to online shopping, Netflix binge sessions and mindless Instagram scrolling. Whilst a portion of my free time is still taken up by these ‘hobbies’, I’ve also rediscovered a love of baking, built a few more puzzles than I’d care to admit and I've finally gotten around to actually doing yoga. And I’m not the only one with a new found love for hobbies and crafts – from playing chess, to learning to sew and crafting candles and lip balm, we all seem to have picked up one, if not more hobbies throughout the year.
And there seems to be a new hobby on the rise – embroidery.
With data revealing there has been a 737% increase in searches on Etsy for plant embroidery kits in the last six complete months (compared to the same time the previous year), it's clear we are wholeheartedly taking to crafting in all its guises, in the new normal we all find ourselves in. This centuries-old craft of decorating fabric with thread to create a pattern or image seems to have found itself a new, younger audience. Don't believe us? A quick search on Instagram, brings up over 16 million Instagram posts with #embroidery, so it doesn’t seem like it’ll be going anywhere soon.
If, however, the word embroidery immediately brings to mind images of fusty flowers or outdated sayings, think again. This new wave of embroidery has embraced the times – think female form celebrating patterns and trendy Alpaca designs that would fit perfectly into your home. As we head into the festive season, Christmas designs are also becoming more popular. These chic Ho Ho Ho hoops will make perfect Christmas tree decorations (and won’t look out of place next to your Anthropologie baubles) and for the more advanced, you could even embroider your own Christmas wreath – now that will get the neighbours talking.
Like any new hobby, if you’re considering taking up embroidery it can seem pretty overwhelming. If your thoughts fall somewhere along the lines of ‘what is an embroidery hoop / can you use any fabric you want/ how do I actually even do this?’, fear not. This StitchIt embroidery kit is a great kit to get started (yes, even Selfridges is stocking embroidery kits now), or this beginner design is specifically for those new to the world of embroidery. Throw in a few Youtube tutorials and you’ll be stitching away in no time.
With designs ranging from tattooed women to ombre plants and evil eyes, embroidery kits are making a come back. Great for making lockdown more bearable, we think once you start with the needle and thread, you’ll find it pretty hard to put down.
Here are Glamour’s picks for the 17 best embroidery kits to shop now, no matter your taste or experience.
Best Embroidery Kits: Selfridges
Best Embroidery Kits: John Lewis
Best Embroidery Kits: Etsy
Best Embroidery Kits: John Lewis
Best Embroidery Kits: Etsy
Best Embroidery Kits: Etsy
Best Embroidery Kits: Not on the Hiighstreet
Best Embroidery Kits: Etsy
Best Embroidery Kits: Etsy
Best Embroidery Kits: Etsy
Best Embroidery Kits: Etsy
Best Embroidery Kits: Not on the Highstreet
Best Embroidery Kits: Not on the Highstreet
Best Embroidery Kits: Not on the Highstreet
Best Embroidery Kits: Not on the Highstreet
Best Embroidery Kits: Etsy
Best Embroidery Kits: Etsy
