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Embroidery is the art of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to stitch thread or yarn. It is one of the oldest forms of textile art, with origins dating back thousands of years across various cultures.<ref name=":03">Template:Cite book</ref> Common stitches found in early embroidery include the chain stitch, buttonhole or blanket stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, and cross stitch.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Modern embroidery continutes to utilize traditional techniques, though many contemporary stitches are exclusive to machine embroidery.
Embroidery is commonly used to embellish accessories and garments is usually seen on quilts, clothing, and accessories. In addition to thread, embroidery may incorporate materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins to highlight texture and design. Today, embroidery serves both decorative and functional purposes and is utilized in fashion expression, cultural identity, and custom-made gifts.
HistoryEdit
OriginsEdit
The process used to tailor, patch, mend and reinforce cloth fostered the development of sewing techniques, and the decorative possibilities of sewing led to the art of embroidery.Template:Sfn Indeed, the remarkable stability of basic embroidery stitches has been noted:
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It is a striking fact that in the development of embroidery ... there are no changes of materials or techniques which can be felt or interpreted as advances from a primitive to a later, more refined stage. On the other hand, we often find in early works a technical accomplishment and high standard of craftsmanship rarely attained in later times.<ref>Marie Schuette and Sigrid Muller-Christensen, The Art of Embroidery translated by Donald King, Thames and Hudson, 1964, quoted in Template:Harvnb.</ref>{{#if:|{{#if:|}}
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The art of embroidery has been found worldwide and several early examples have been found. The earliest surviving embroidered cloth comes from Egypt. The Egyptians were skilled at embroidery, using appliqué decorations with leather and beads. <ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Works in China have been dated to the Warring States period (5th–3rd century BC).Template:Sfn In a garment from Migration period Sweden, roughly 300–700 AD, the edges of bands of trimming are reinforced with running stitch, back stitch, stem stitch, tailor's buttonhole stitch, and Whip stitch, but it is uncertain whether this work simply reinforced the seams or should be interpreted as decorative embroidery.<ref name="Coatsworth">Coatsworth, Elizabeth: "Stitches in Time: Establishing a History of Anglo-Saxon Embroidery", in Template:Harvnb.</ref>
Historical applications and techniquesEdit
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Depending on time, location and materials available, embroidery could be the domain of a few experts or a widespread, popular technique. This flexibility led to a variety of works, from the royal to the mundane. Examples of high status items include elaborately embroidered clothing, religious objects, and household items often were seen as a mark of wealth and status.
In medieval England, Opus Anglicanum, a technique used by professional workshops and guilds in medieval England,Template:Sfn was used to embellish textiles used in church rituals. In 16th century England, some books, usually bibles or other religious texts, had embroidered bindings. The Bodleian Library in Oxford contains one presented to Queen Elizabeth I in 1583. It also owns a copy of The Epistles of Saint Paul, whose cover was reputedly embroidered by the Queen.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In 18th-century England and its colonies, with the rise of the merchant class and the wider availability of luxury materials, rich embroideries began to appear in a secular context. These embroideries took the form of items displayed in private homes of well-to-do citizens, as opposed to a church or royal setting. Even so, the embroideries themselves may still have had religious themes. Samplers employing fine silks were produced by the daughters of wealthy families. Embroidery was a skill marking a girl's path into womanhood as well as conveying rank and social standing.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Embroidery was an important art and signified social status in the Medieval Islamic world as well. The 17th-century Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi called it the "craft of the two hands". In cities such as Damascus, Cairo and Istanbul, embroidery was visible on handkerchiefs, uniforms, flags, calligraphy, shoes, robes, tunics, horse trappings, slippers, sheaths, pouches, covers, and even on leather belts. Craftsmen embroidered items with gold and silver thread. Embroidery cottage industries, some employing over 800 people, grew to supply these items.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In the 16th century, in the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, his chronicler Abu al-Fazl ibn Mubarak wrote in the famous Ain-i-Akbari:
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His majesty [Akbar] pays much attention to various stuffs; hence Irani, Ottoman, and Mongolian articles of wear are in much abundance especially textiles embroidered in the patterns of Nakshi, Saadi, Chikhan, Ari, Zardozi, Wastli, Gota and Kohra. The imperial workshops in the towns of Lahore, Agra, Fatehpur and Ahmedabad turn out many masterpieces of workmanship in fabrics, and the figures and patterns, knots and variety of fashions which now prevail astonish even the most experienced travelers. Taste for fine material has since become general, and the drapery of embroidered fabrics used at feasts surpasses every description.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>{{#if:|{{#if:|}}
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Conversely, embroidery is also a folk art, using materials that were accessible to nonprofessionals. Examples include Hardanger embroidery from Norway; Merezhka from Ukraine; Mountmellick embroidery from Ireland; Nakshi kantha from Bangladesh and West Bengal; Achachi from Peru; and Brazilian embroidery. Many techniques had a practical use such as Sashiko from Japan, which was used as a way to reinforce clothing.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Historically, embroidery was often perceived primarily as a domestic task performed by women, frequently viewed as a leisurely activity rather than recognized as a skilled craft.<ref name=":04">Template:Cite book</ref> Women who lacked access to formal education or writing implements often used embroidery to document their lives through stitched narratives, effectively creating personal diaries through textile art, especially when literacy was limited.<ref name=":12">Template:Cite book</ref>
In marginalized communities, embroidery has also served as a tool of empowerment and expression. For example, in Inner Mongolia, embroidery initiatives arose in response to economic pressures intensified by climate change, including desertification, allowing women to express themselves and preserve cultural identities through traditional embroidery skills.<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Embroidery has also preserved the stories of marginalized groups, particularly women of color, whose experiences were historically underrepresented in written records. In South African communities, embroidered "story cloths" have captured and preserved critical perspectives and events otherwise missing from historical narratives.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite journal</ref>
21st centuryEdit
Since the late 2010s, there has been a growth in the popularity of embroidering by hand. As a result of visual social media such as Pinterest and Instagram, artists can share their work more extensively, which has inspired younger generations to pick up needlework. <ref>Kouhia, A. (2023). Crafts in the Time of Coronavirus: Pandemic Domestic Crafting in Finland on Instagram’s Covid-Related Craft Posts. M/C Journal, 26(6). https://doi.org/10.5204/mcj.2932 </ref><ref>Mayne, A. (2020). Make/share: Textile making alone together in private and social media spaces. Journal of Arts & Communities, 10(1–2), 95–108. https://doi.org/10.1386/jaac_00008_1 </ref>
Contemporary embroidery artists believe hand embroidery has grown in popularity as a result of an increasing need for relaxation and digitally disconnecting practices.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Many people are also using embroidery to creatively upcycle and repair clothing, to help counteract over-consumption and fashion industry waste.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Modern hand embroidery, as opposed to cross-stitching, is characterized by a more "liberal" approach, where stitches are more freely combined in unconventional ways to create various textures and designs.Template:Fact
Modern canvas work tends to follow symmetrical counted stitching patterns with designs emerging from the repetition of one or just a few similar stitches in a variety of hues. In contrast, many forms of surface embroidery make use of a wide range of stitching patterns in a single piece of work.Template:Sfn
ClassificationEdit
Embroidery can be classified according to what degree the design takes into account the nature of the base material and by the relationship of stitch placement to the fabric. The main categories are free or surface embroidery, counted-thread embroidery, and needlepoint or canvas work.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In free or surface embroidery, designs are applied without regard to the weave of the underlying fabric. Examples include crewel and traditional Chinese and Japanese embroidery.
Counted-thread embroidery patterns are created by making stitches over a predetermined number of threads in the foundation fabric. Counted-thread embroidery is more easily worked on an even-weave foundation fabric such as embroidery canvas, aida cloth, or specially woven cotton and linen fabrics. Examples include cross-stitch and some forms of blackwork embroidery.
While similar to counted thread in regards to technique, in canvas work or needlepoint, threads are stitched through a fabric mesh to create a dense pattern that completely covers the foundation fabric.Template:Sfn Examples of canvas work include bargello and Berlin wool work.
Embroidery can also be classified by the similarity of its appearance. In drawn thread work and cutwork, the foundation fabric is deformed or cut away to create holes that are then embellished with embroidery, often with thread in the same color as the foundation fabric. When created with white thread on white linen or cotton, this work is collectively referred to as whitework.Template:Sfn However, whitework can either be counted or free. Hardanger embroidery is a counted embroidery and the designs are often geometric.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Conversely, styles such as Broderie anglaise are similar to free embroidery, with floral or abstract designs that are not dependent on the weave of the fabric.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Traditional hand embroidery around the worldEdit
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Materials and toolsEdit
MaterialsEdit
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The fabrics and yarns used in traditional embroidery vary from place to place. Wool, linen, and silk have been in use for thousands of years for both fabric and yarn. Today, embroidery thread is manufactured in cotton, rayon, and novelty yarns as well as in traditional wool, linen, and silk. Ribbon embroidery uses narrow ribbon in silk or silk/organza blend ribbon, most commonly to create floral motifs.Template:Sfn
Surface embroidery techniques such as chain stitch and couching or laid-work are the most economical of expensive yarns; couching is generally used for goldwork. Canvas work techniques, in which large amounts of yarn are buried on the back of the work, use more materials but provide a sturdier and more substantial finished textile.Template:Sfn
ToolsEdit
A sewing needle is the main stitching tool in embroidery, and comes in various sizes and types. The tips may be sharp or blunt, depending on the type of material the needle needs to be drawn through. Tapestry needles are blunt and larger than a chenille needle which is sharp and shorter than a standard embroidery needle.<ref name=gloss>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In both canvas work and surface embroidery, an embroidery hoop or frame can be used to stretch the material and ensure even stitching tension that prevents pattern distortion.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Frames can come in a square or rectangular shape and prevent the canvas from distorting. The two types of frames used are scroll and artist's stretcher bars.<ref name=gloss />
Beeswax is often used to treat thread. It smooths and strengthens threads, especially silk and metallic threads.<ref name=gloss />
Machine embroideryEdit
Mass-produced machine embroidery emerged in the early 20th century. As embroidery shifted from personalized craft to mechanical output during the Industrial Revolution, the craft developed into a structured industry centered on large-scale production.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The first embroidery machine was the hand embroidery machine, invented in France in 1832 by Josué Heilmann.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The next evolutionary step was the schiffli embroidery machine. The latter borrowed from the sewing machine and the Jacquard loom to fully automate its operation. The manufacture of machine-made embroideries in St. Gallen in eastern Switzerland flourished in the latter half of the 19th century.<ref>Röllin, Peter. Stickerei-Zeit, Kultur und Kunst in St. Gallen 1870–1930. VGS Verlagsgemeinschaft, St. Gallen 1989, Template:ISBN (in German)</ref> Both St. Gallen, Switzerland and Plauen, Germany were important centers for machine embroidery and embroidery machine development. Many Swiss and Germans immigrated to Hudson county, New Jersey in the early twentieth century and developed a machine embroidery industry there. Shiffli machines have continued to evolve and are still used for industrial scale embroidery.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Contemporary embroidery is stitched with a computerized embroidery machine using patterns digitized with embroidery software. In machine embroidery, different types of "fills" add texture and design to the finished work. Machine embroidery is used to add logos and monograms to business shirts or jackets, gifts, and team apparel as well as to decorate household items for the bed and bath and other linens, draperies, and decorator fabrics that mimic the elaborate hand embroidery of the past.
Machine embroidery is most typically done with rayon thread, although polyester thread can also be used. Cotton thread, on the other hand, is prone to breaking and is avoided.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
There has also been a development in free hand machine embroidery, new machines have been designed that allow for the user to create free-motion embroidery which has its place in textile arts, quilting, dressmaking, home furnishings and more. Users can use the embroidery software to digitize the digital embroidery designs. These digitized design are then transferred to the embroidery machine with the help of a flash drive and then the embroidery machine embroiders the selected design onto the fabric.
In literatureEdit
In Greek mythology the goddess Athena is said to have passed down the art of embroidery (along with weaving) to humans, leading to the famed competition between herself and the mortal Arachne.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
GalleryEdit
- Nakshi Kantha, Sonargaon Folk Art and Craft Museum.jpg
- Kazakh rug chain stitch embroidery.jpg
Traditional embroidery in chain stitch on a Kazakh rug, contemporary.
- Cover, silk embroidery on cotton. Iran, Caucasus; 1st half of 18th century. Stored at The David Collection, inventarnummer 37-1969.jpg
Caucasian embroidery
- English cope.jpg
English cope, late 15th or early 16th century. Silk velvet embroidered with silk and gold threads, closely laid and couched. Contemporary Art Institute of Chicago textile collection.
- St. Galler Stickerei Muster c.jpg
Extremely fine underlay of St. Gallen Embroidery
- Turkish embroidery.jpg
Traditional Turkish embroidery. Izmir Ethnography Museum, Turkey.
- Croatian embroidery.jpg
Traditional Croatian embroidery.
- EMBROIDERED EGGS BY I FOROSTYUK.jpg
Decorated Easter eggs from the Luhansk region of Ukraine
- Ախալցխայի տարազ մանրամասն.jpg
Gold embroidery on a gognots (apron) of a 19th-century Armenian bridal dress from Akhaltsikhe
- Korean embroidery patterns.jpg
Brightly coloured Korean embroidery.
- Uzbekistan embroidery.jpg
Uzbekistan embroidery on a traditional women's parandja robe.
- Woman headdress Kalash.jpg
Woman wearing a traditional embroidered Kalash headdress, Pakistan.
- Bedouin bookmark.jpg
Bookmark of black fabric with multicolored Bedouin embroidery and tassel of embroidery floss
- Woman's Robe a l'anglaise with Petticoat LACMA M.66.31a-b (4 of 6).jpg
Chain-stitch embroidery from England Template:Circa
- Bulgarian embrodery from Sofia and Trun.jpg
Traditional Bulgarian Floral embroidery from Sofia and Trun.
- Pedro Bruno - A Pátria.jpg
A 1919 painting depicting the Brazilian flag being embroidered by a family.
See alsoEdit
- Broderie de Fontenoy-le-Château
- Chikankari
- Chinese embroidery
- Embroidery of India
- Khamak
- Mary Ann Beinecke Decorative Art Collection
- Sachet (scented bag)
- Sampler (needlework)
- Sichuan embroidery
NotesEdit
CitationsEdit
BibliographyEdit
Further readingEdit
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- Koll, Juby Aleyas (2019). Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials.
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External linksEdit
- The History of Embroidery
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