One of the biggest rockstars on the subreddit is u/ramintake. Her work "Quarantine Mood" won the Best Project award in the official 2020 r/CrossStitch awards, and I feel that her personal story of discovering this activity is very much alike to what so many members of the sub go through. "When I was little, I would always see my mom crafting something with her hands but for a long time these activities seemed too intimidating for me; I thought I didn't have enough patience," u/ramintake told Bored Panda about the origins of her hobby.

"One day, however, when I was about 21, I just got a sudden urge to cross-stitch something. I think that feeling flooded me out of a need to rest my thoughts. At the time, I was a working student and really needed to reboot myself. Cross stitching turned out to be an excellent solution because it's a very mechanical, repetitive, and calming process."

After getting some supplies, the woman began working on her first piece. It was a cat. u/ramintake shared a pic of the little tabby as soon as she completed it on her social media. Her friend, Justina, loved the image and since she knew u/ramintake decorated clothes, she suggested cross-stitching them too.

"I love that cross stitching is an old traditional craft that has connections to both women from manor houses and village farmhouses but people have also discovered new angles for it, making it become a form of rock and roll!" u/ramintake said. "I personally enjoy a combination of flower patterns and surprising texts."

Though she has made one exception, the cross stitcher highlighted that even though her friends and random people on the internet send commission offers, she rejects them in an attempt to maintain the creative freedom she picked up the needle for in the first place. "The thought that I was doing a project for the result and not the process would simply pressure me and eliminate all the joy."

The famous "Quarantine Mood" was born out of the close relationship u/ramintake has with memes and the internet in general. "I find it really interesting when things that have existed purely online receive a physical body and become real offline, too. I made the 'this is fine' project during the first lockdown in my country, a time when this picture encapsulated the uncertainty of the situation and the sliver of positivity and hope we all tried to hold onto, telling ourselves precisely that it's fine."

The subreddit r/CrossStitch is more than just a virtual gallery of its members' works. It also includes plenty of patterns, discussions, giveaways, and competitions related to the passion they all share. But according to u/ramintake, it's awesome not only for the substance of its content but also the way it's presented.

"Before becoming a member of the subreddit, I was in a local cross stitch Facebook group that continued the 'classic' line of the craft. When I uploaded a picture of a sweatshirt I did, I received a lot of strange comments, like, 'Your work belongs on a doormat' or 'A black top with an equal number of roses is only good for a funeral,'" u/ramintake explained.

Needless to say, her first impression of online stitching communities was bad. It wasn't until u/ramintake discovered r/CrossStitch when she changed her opinion. "The subreddit instantly felt like a remedy for my soul because I discovered the stitching rock and roll I was so fascinated with myself. It's a place where I not only show people my projects but drool at their creativity as well."

This community, u/ramintake said, is very supportive and motivating. Whether an experienced pro uploads a pic of his year-long masterpiece or a newbie submits their first experiment, everyone gets their fair share of love and praise.