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Original poster

Man doing embroidery on the train

132 replies

PuddleglumtheMarshWiggle · 30/12/2018 18:17

Never before, either in public or private, have I known a man to do embroidery. But here he is, across the aisle from me, with his family all occupied with reading, games, colouring in and he’s busy doing the most intricate piece of cross stitch. Looks beautiful! And he’s not what you would call the artistic type. American, built like a lumberjack, bearded.
Anyone else know men who can embroider?

OP posts:
TyneTeas · 30/12/2018 18:18

My grandad used to do tapestries

JohnLapsleyParlabane · 30/12/2018 18:19

My dad darns socks beautifully, I wonder if he would take up embroidery

SusanWalker · 30/12/2018 18:19

A friend of my mum's husband won a prize at the village show for his cross stitch. He is ex forces.

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Art & design
StainlessSteelCat · 30/12/2018 18:21

jamiechalmers.com. Mr X Stitch.

BlytheSpiritsSpirit · 30/12/2018 18:21

That type of repetitive, delicate work can be very meditative. I don't have the patience for it myself but I understand the appeal.

BroomstickOfLove · 30/12/2018 18:21

My former colleague now runs a cross stitch business.

HolyMountain · 30/12/2018 18:22

My eldest ds is 23.

Back in primary school one of his ( still ) best friends had anger and anxiety issues which resulted in him needing to stay in at lunch time rather than go on the play ground.

He did cross stitch with some staff as a means to relax and it worked really well for him.

JohnMcCainsDeathStare · 30/12/2018 18:23

He might be a re-enactor - I've seen big hairy young men take out an embroidery hoop to make trim for their tunics.

scarbados · 30/12/2018 18:24

My dad's embroidery was a hundred times better than mine but I can do gansey knitting better than he could.

Lots of men embroider, knit, sew, crochet.

UnalliterativeGeorge · 30/12/2018 18:24

My older brother does cross Stitch and can also knit. In contrast my little brother spends all his time tinkering with cars.

BarbaraofSevillle · 30/12/2018 18:24

An ex neighbour of ours was your stereotypical burly firefighter and he used to do embroidery. It was one of the things he used to keep him occupied during quiet times at work.

CountessVonBoobs · 30/12/2018 18:24

There used to be a bloke at my local stitch 'n' bitch who did cross stitch. He brought his mum along with her knitting and stayed to do his cross stitch. Average, middle aged married London dad.

Girlwhowearsglasses · 30/12/2018 18:26

It was a thing sailors did a lot on long trips - they had to know how to sew to mend nets and rigging. There’s some beautiful naive embroidery by fishermen

Shockers · 30/12/2018 18:26

Just thinking about someone embroidering makes me feel relaxed.

LadyBrienne · 30/12/2018 18:27

I think this is great - I wish I could embroider - I see a lot of value in meditative work - I personally do puzzles / jigsaws - the harder the better

Shockers · 30/12/2018 18:27

There’s a sheet full of embroidery in the War Museum in Salford; it was made by prisoners of war.

SixButterflies · 30/12/2018 18:29

I wish my eyesight was good enough to sit on the sofa with the telly on in the background and do cross stitch. But I'd need a lamp shining right on it. Doesn't fit with the relaxing dream I have.

PandaG · 30/12/2018 18:29

DH can cross stitch, but hasn't for years. He did a big picture of a train, and between us we made large samplers for both sets of parents, and smaller ones for bridesmaids etc as thank yous for being involved in our wedding.

canigetaliein · 30/12/2018 18:30

Anyone know where to buy nice cross stich art if that makes sense? Eg to put in a frame & hang.

Schmoobarb · 30/12/2018 18:31

I’m a member of an x stitch group online and there are a few men in the group, and of course there’s Mr X Stitch as someone referred to above. My son started doing it a couple of years ago but quickly lost interest as he does with most hobbies he tries :/

wigglybeezer · 30/12/2018 18:33

I used to work in a central London Needlework shop, the former chairman of the TUC used to come in to buy embroidery supplies, he did blackwork embroidery.

Waddsup12 · 30/12/2018 18:33

One of my friends has just signed up for a course over a few days. She loves it.

DuggeesWooOOooggle · 30/12/2018 18:34

Have you seen those programs on bbc4 I think about handcrafts? There's often a few guys that go along to learn something like cross stitch, jewellery making, crochet etc. Usually at least a couple of male knitters on those Kirsty's Handmade Christmas jumper competitions too. It seems to be a bit of a hipster thing.

Great to see anything that challenges male stereotypes and toxic masculinity. It's much more accepted for women to do traditionally male crafts - blacksmithing, glass-blowing, stone masonry etc; men should be welcomed and encouraged to have a go at traditionally female ones (crochet, knitting, lacework). Baking and cooking thankfully seems to be more unisex these days.

HRTpatch · 30/12/2018 18:35

My dad ( born 1921) did embroidery in the RAF during the war while recuperating.