Illusionistic Stitching Turns Embroidery Hoops Into Plates of Delectable Food

Embroidery has been around for centuries, and the craft continues to evolve today. Artists are pushing the boundaries of their materials and bringing to life extraordinary designs with needles and thread. One of those creatives is Japanese textile artist ipnot. She stitches 3D replicas of food, household items, leaves, and more that look astonishingly real.

Ipnot was inspired to take up embroidery after watching her grandmother’s stitching techniques as a child. She started exploring the possibilities of the craft and soon found a particular stitch that became her signature style. “I discovered myself that the French knot stitch can be done by wrapping thread around the needle,” she says. “I find this type of stitching to be a lot of fun to do and it is my favorite type of stitch.”

Choosing from a palette of 500 colors, ipnot builds up each 3D object in tiny French knot stitches. Just like a Pointillism painting, the artist explains that she uses her “needle like a paintbrush and stitches one knot at a time.” From realistic renderings of food to an upright cherry blossom tree, each piece seems to jump from the fabric.

Ipnot playfully photographs her works using props and clever angles to create the illusion that her stitched creations are, in fact, real. In one piece, two autumn leaves appear to delicately float in mid-air. Another work of hoop art uses strands of cream and yellow threads to represent an oozing pizza cheese—one made even gooier with her holding the embroidery in her hand. With food pieces like that, scrolling through her portfolio is sure to make you hungry.

Check out ipnot’s 3D embroidered objects below and find more from her artwork on Instagram.