Priya Sharma
Embroidery lead
I did my degree in textile design at Manchester Met — mostly printed textiles, but embroidery kept sneaking into every project. My final-year piece was a 2-metre botanical hoop on stretched linen and it did my back in for a month. Worth it.
After graduating I didn't want to work in fashion, so I set up monthly embroidery workshops with a community arts organisation in Ancoats. Mostly women in their thirties and forties who wanted something to do that wasn't a screen. I ran those workshops for five years — if you came to one between 2020 and 2024 and left with a half-finished botanical hoop, that was me.
On Hobbify I write the embroidery guides. My specialism is botanical and plant work — messy, organic, imperfect. I don't do cross stitch and I don't work on Aida. Please don't ask.
- Expertise
- Hand embroideryBotanical hoopsCommunity teachingFloss & fabric
- At Hobbify
- Writing for Hobbify since April 2026
- First thing they made
- A very wonky peony in six shades of pink, age 22. Still on my mum's kitchen wall.
- Why they write for Hobbify
- “Because a proper wooden hoop, decent floss and a sharp needle fix about 80% of the reasons people give up on embroidery.”
5 guides by Priya
Every embroidery guide on Hobbify.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Embroidery?
A realistic timeline from your first running stitch to a frame-ready botanical hoop — plus what affects how fast embroidery sticks.
6 min read · Updated April 2026
EmbroideryIs Embroidery Hard to Learn?
The honest answer — what the first hour of embroidery actually feels like, where beginners get stuck, and how quickly your work starts looking real.
7 min read · Updated April 2026
EmbroideryEmbroidery vs Cross Stitch — What's the Difference?
Both use thread, both use a hoop. Here's what actually separates them — and which one to start with.
8 min read · Updated April 2026
EmbroideryBest Embroidery Projects for Gifts
Six beginner-friendly embroidered gift ideas — each frameable or wearable, with specific kit and floss picks.
7 min read · Updated April 2026
EmbroideryCan I Teach Myself Embroidery?
Yes — hand embroidery is one of the easiest crafts to pick up solo. Here's the shortest path from zero to a frameable finished hoop.
5 min read · Updated April 2026
The rest of the team
Who else writes here.
Ready when you are
Ready to start embroidery?
Priya's tested course pick and the exact kit you'll need to follow along.