Embroidery

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Thisarticleisabouthandcraft.ForBradbury'sshortstory,seeEmbroidery(shortstory).

Goldembroideryonthegognots(apron)ofa19thcenturyArmenianbridaldressfromAkhaltsikhe.
Embroideryisthehandicraftofdecoratingfabricorothermaterialswithneedleandthreadoryarn.Embroidery
mayalsoincorporateothermaterialssuchasmetalstrips,pearls,beads,quills,andsequins.Today,embroideryis
mostoftenseenoncaps,hats,coats,blankets,dressshirts,denim,stockings,andgolfshirts.Embroideryis
availablewithawidevarietyofthreadoryarncolor.
Thebasictechniquesorstitchesonsurvivingexamplesoftheearliestembroiderychainstitch,buttonholeor
blanketstitch,runningstitch,satinstitch,crossstitchremainthefundamentaltechniquesofhandembroidery
today.

Contents
[hide]

1History
o

1.1Origins

1.2Historicalapplicationsandtechniques
1.2.1TheIslamicworld

1.3Automation
2Classification

3Materials

4Machine

5Qualifications

6Gallery

7Seealso

8Notes

9References

History[edit]

TraditionalembroideryinchainstitchonaKazakhrug,contemporary.

Caucasusembroidery

Origins[edit]
Theprocessusedtotailor,patch,mendandreinforceclothfosteredthedevelopmentofsewingtechniques,andthe
decorativepossibilitiesofsewingledtotheartofembroidery.[1]Indeed,theremarkablestabilityofbasic
embroiderystitcheshasbeennoted:

Itisastrikingfactthatinthedevelopmentofembroidery...therearenochangesofmaterialsortechniqueswhich
canbefeltorinterpretedasadvancesfromaprimitivetoalater,morerefinedstage.Ontheotherhand,weoften
findinearlyworksatechnicalaccomplishmentandhighstandardofcraftsmanshiprarelyattainedinlatertimes.[2]
Theartofembroideryhasbeenfoundworldwideandseveralearlyexampleshavebeenfound.WorksinChina
havebeendatedtotheWarringStatesperiod(5th3rdcenturyBC).[3]InagarmentfromMigrationperiodSweden,
roughly300700AD,theedgesofbandsoftrimmingarereinforcedwithrunningstitch,backstitch,stemstitch,
tailor'sbuttonholestitch,andwhipstitching,butitisuncertainwhetherthisworksimplyreinforcedtheseamsor
shouldbeinterpretedasdecorativeembroidery.[4]

Historicalapplicationsandtechniques[edit]
Dependingontime,locationandmaterialsavailable,embroiderycouldbethedomainofafewexpertsora
widespread,populartechnique.Thisflexibilityledtoavarietyofworks,fromtheroyaltothemundane.
Elaboratelyembroideredclothing,religiousobjects,andhouseholditemsoftenwereseenasamarkofwealthand
status,asinthecaseofOpusAnglicanum,atechniqueusedbyprofessionalworkshopsandguildsin
medievalEngland.[5]In18thcenturyEnglandanditscolonies,samplersemployingfinesilkswereproducedbythe
daughtersofwealthyfamilies.Embroiderywasaskillmarkingagirl'spathintowomanhoodaswellasconveying
rankandsocialstanding.[6]
Conversely,embroideryisalsoafolkart,usingmaterialsthatwereaccessibletononprofessionals.Examples
includeHardangerfromNorway,MerezhkafromUkraine,MountmellickembroideryfromIreland,Nakshi
kanthafromBangladeshandWestBengal,andBrazilianembroidery.Manytechniqueshadapracticalusesuch
asSashikofromJapan,whichwasusedasawaytoreinforceclothing.[citationneeded]

TheIslamicworld[edit]

Moroccofezhorsecovermetalsilverthread18th19th
Furtherinformation:Islamicembroidery
EmbroiderywasanimportantartintheMedievalIslamicworld.The17thcenturyTurkishtravelerEvliya
elebicalleditthe"craftofthetwohands".BecauseembroiderywasasignofhighsocialstatusinMuslim
societies,itbecamewidelypopular.IncitiessuchasDamascus,CairoandIstanbul,embroiderywasvisible
onhandkerchiefs,uniforms,flags,calligraphy,shoes,robes,tunics,horsetrappings,slippers,sheaths,pouches,
covers,andevenonleatherbelts.Craftsmenembroidereditemswithgoldandsilverthread.Embroiderycottage
industries,someemployingover800people,grewtosupplytheseitems.[7]
Inthe16thcentury,inthereignoftheMughalEmperorAkbar,hischroniclerAbualFazlibnMubarakwrotein
thefamousAiniAkbari:"Hismajesty(Akbar)paysmuchattentiontovariousstuffs;henceIrani,Ottoman,
andMongolianarticlesofwearareinmuchabundanceespeciallytextilesembroideredinthepatterns
ofNakshi,Saadi,Chikhan,Ari,Zardozi,Wastli,GotaandKohra.Theimperialworkshopsinthetowns
ofLahore,Agra,FatehpurandAhmedabadturnoutmanymasterpiecesofworkmanshipinfabrics,andthefigures
andpatterns,knotsandvarietyoffashionswhichnowprevailastonisheventhemostexperiencedtravelers.Taste
forfinematerialhassincebecomegeneral,andthedraperyofembroideredfabricsusedatfeastssurpassesevery
description."[8]

Automation[edit]
ThedevelopmentofmachineembroideryanditsmassproductioncameaboutinstagesintheIndustrial
Revolution.Theearliestmachineembroideryusedacombinationofmachineloomsandteamsofwomen

embroideringthetextilesbyhand.ThiswasdoneinFrancebythemid1800s.[9]Themanufactureofmachinemade
embroideriesinSt.GallenineasternSwitzerlandflourishedinthelatterhalfofthe19thcentury.[10]

HandmadeembroiderySzkelyLand,2014

Classification[edit]

Japanesefreeembroideryinsilkandmetalthreads,contemporary.

EmbroideredEastereggs.WorksbyInnaForostyuk,thefolkmasterfromtheLuhanskregion(Ukraine)
Embroiderycanbeclassifiedaccordingtowhatdegreethedesigntakesintoaccountthenatureofthebasematerial
andbytherelationshipofstitchplacementtothefabric.Themaincategoriesarefreeorsurfaceembroidery,
countedembroideryandneedlepointorcanvaswork.[11]
Infreeorsurfaceembroidery,designsareappliedwithoutregardtotheweaveoftheunderlyingfabric.Examples
includecrewelandtraditionalChineseandJapaneseembroidery.

Crossstitchcountedthreadembroidery.Teacloth,Hungary,mid20thcentury
Countedthreadembroiderypatternsarecreatedbymakingstitchesoverapredeterminednumberofthreadsinthe
foundationfabric.Countedthreadembroideryismoreeasilyworkedonanevenweavefoundationfabricsuchas
embroiderycanvas,aidacloth,orspeciallywovencottonandlinenfabrics.Examplesincludecrossstitchand
someformsofblackworkembroidery.

Hardanger,awhiteworktechnique.Contemporary.
Whilesimilartocountedthreadinregardstotechnique,incanvasworkorneedlepointthreadsarestitchedthrough
afabricmeshtocreateadensepatternthatcompletelycoversthefoundationfabric.[12]Examplesofcanvaswork
includebargelloandBerlinwoolwork.
Embroiderycanalsobeclassifiedbythesimilarityofappearance.Indrawnthreadworkandcutwork,the
foundationfabricisdeformedorcutawaytocreateholesthatarethenembellishedwithembroidery,oftenwith
threadinthesamecolorasthefoundationfabric.Whencreatedwithwhitethreadonwhitelinenorcotton,this
workiscollectivelyreferredtoaswhitework.[13]However,whiteworkcaneitherbecountedorfree.Hardanger
embroideryisacountedembroideryandthedesignsareoftengeometric.[14]Conversely,stylessuchasBroderie
anglaisearesimilartofreeembroidery,withfloralorabstractdesignsthatarenotdependentontheweaveofthe
fabric.[15]

Materials[edit]

PhulkarifromthePunjabregionofIndia.Phulkariembroidery,popularsinceatleastthe15thcentury,is
traditionallydoneonhandspuncottonclothwithsimpledarningstitchesusingsilkfloss.

Laidthreads,asurfacetechniqueinwoolonlinen.TheBayeuxTapestry,11thcentury.
Thefabricsandyarnsusedintraditionalembroideryvaryfromplacetoplace.Wool,linen,andsilkhavebeenin
useforthousandsofyearsforbothfabricandyarn.Today,embroiderythreadismanufacturedincotton,rayon,
andnoveltyyarnsaswellasintraditionalwool,linen,andsilk.Ribbonembroideryusesnarrowribboninsilkor
silk/organzablendribbon,mostcommonlytocreatefloralmotifs.[16]
Surfaceembroiderytechniquessuchaschainstitchandcouchingorlaidworkarethemosteconomicalof
expensiveyarns;couchingisgenerallyusedforgoldwork.Canvasworktechniques,inwhichlargeamountsof
yarnareburiedonthebackofthework,usemorematerialsbutprovideasturdierandmoresubstantialfinished
textile.[17]
Inbothcanvasworkandsurfaceembroideryanembroideryhooporframecanbeusedtostretchthematerialand
ensureevenstitchingtensionthatpreventspatterndistortion.Moderncanvasworktendstofollowsymmetrical
countedstitchingpatternswithdesignsemergingfromtherepetitionofoneorjustafewsimilarstitchesina
varietyofhues.Incontrast,manyformsofsurfaceembroiderymakeuseofawiderangeofstitchingpatternsina
singlepieceofwork.[18]

Machine[edit]

Commercialmachineembroideryinchainstitchonavoilecurtain,China,early21stcentury.
Contemporaryembroideryisstitchedwithacomputerizedembroiderymachineusingpatternsdigitized
withembroiderysoftware.Inmachineembroidery,differenttypesof"fills"addtextureanddesigntothefinished
work.Machineembroideryisusedtoaddlogosandmonogramstobusinessshirtsorjackets,gifts,andteam
apparelaswellastodecoratehouseholdlinens,draperies,anddecoratorfabricsthatmimictheelaboratehand
embroideryofthepast.
Therehasalsobeenadevelopmentinfreehandmachineembroidery,newmachineshavebeendesignedthatallow
fortheusertocreatefreemotionembroiderywhichhasitsplaceintextilearts,quilting,dressmaking,home
furnishingsandmore.[19]

Qualifications[edit]
CityandGuildsqualification[20]inEmbroideryallowsembroidererstobecomerecognizedfortheirskill.This
qualificationalsogivesthemthecredibilitytoteach.Forexample,thenotabletextilesartist,KathleenLaurelSage
TextilesArtist,[21]beganherteachingcareerbygettingtheCityandGuildsEmbroidery1and2qualifications.She
hasnowgoneontowriteabookonthesubject.[22]

Gallery[edit]

Detailofembroideredsilkgauzeritualgarment.Rowsofeven,roundchainstitchusedforoutlineand
color.4thcenturyBC,ZhoutombatMashan,Hubei,China.

Englishcope,late15thorearly16thcentury.Silkvelvetembroideredwithsilkandgoldthreads,
closelylaidandcouched.ContemporaryArtInstituteofChicagotextilecollection.

ExtremelyfineunderlayofSt.GallenEmbroidery

TraditionalTurkishembroidery.IzmirEthnographyMuseum,Turkey.

TraditionalCroatianembroidery.

BrightlycolouredKoreanembroidery.

Uzbekistanembroideryonatraditionalwomen'sparandjarobe.

TraditionalPeruvianembroideredfloralmotifs.

WomanwearingatraditionalembroideredKalashheaddress,Pakistan.

DecorativeembroideryonatefillinbaginJerusalem,Israel.

BookmarkofblackfabricwithmulticoloredBedouinembroideryandtasselofembroideryfloss

ChainstitchembroideryfromEnglandcirca1775

TraditionalBulgarianFloralembroderyfromSofiaandTrun

See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
1.
2.

3.
4.

5.
6.

Jumpup^GillowandBryan1999,p.12
Jumpup^MarieSchuetteandSigridMullerChristensen,TheArtof
EmbroiderytranslatedbyDonaldKing,ThamesandHudson,1964,quotedinNethertonand
OwenCrocker2005,p.2
Jumpup^GillowandBryan1999,p.178
Jumpup^Coatsworth,Elizabeth:"StitchesinTime:EstablishingaHistoryofAnglo
SaxonEmbroidery",inNethertonandOwenCrocker2005,p.2
Jumpup^LeveyandKing1993,p.12
Jumpup^Power,Lisa(27March2015)."NGVembroideryexhibition:imaginea12
yearoldspendingtwoyearsonthis...".TheSydneyMorningHerald.Retrieved30May2015.

7.

Jumpup^"SaudiAramcoWorld

:TheSkilloftheTwoHands".

8.

Jumpup^"SaudiAramcoWorld

:MughalMaal".

9.

Jumpup^Knight,Charles(1858).PictorialGalleryofArts.England.

10.

Jumpup^Rllin,Peter.StickereiZeit,KulturundKunstinSt.Gallen18701930.VGS
Verlagsgemeinschaft,St.Gallen1989,ISBN3729110527(inGerman)

11.

Jumpup^Corbet,Mary(October3,2016)."NeedleworkTerminology:Surface
Embroidery".RetrievedNovember1,2016.

12.

Jumpup^GillowandBryan1999,p.198

13.

Jumpup^ReadersDigest1979,pp.7491

14.

Jumpup^YvetteStanton.EarlyStyleHardanger.VettyCreations.ISBN9780
975767771.

15.

Jumpup^CatherineAmorosoLeslie(1January2007).NeedleworkThroughHistory:
AnEncyclopedia.GreenwoodPublishingGroup.pp.34,226,58.ISBN9780313335488.
Retrieved13September2013.

16.

Jumpup^vanNiekerk2006

17.

Jumpup^ReadersDigest1979,pp.112115

18.

Jumpup^ReadersDigest1979,pp.119,112117

19.

Jumpup^"Usinglogoembroidery".OekakiRenaissance.Retrieved10November2015.

20.

Jumpup^"Creative".

21.

Jumpup^"ALittleAboutMe".KathleenLaurelSage.

22.

Jumpup^TheZenCartTeam;etal."EmbroideredSolderedandHeatZapped
SurfacesbyKathleenLaurelSage".

References[edit]
WikimediaCommonshas
mediarelated
toEmbroidery.

Berman, Pat (2000). "Berlin Work". American Needlepoint Guild. Retrieved 200901-24.
Caulfield, S.F.A.; B.C. Saward (1885). The Dictionary of Needlework.

Crummy, Andrew (2010). The Prestonpans Tapestry 1745. Burke's Peerage &
Gentry, for Battle of Prestonpans (1745) Heritage Trust.

Embroiderers' Guild Practical Study Group (1984). Needlework School. QED

Publishers. ISBN 0-89009-785-2.

Gillow, John; Bryan Sentance (1999). World Textiles. Bulfinch Press/Little,

Brown. ISBN 0-8212-2621-5.

Lemon, Jane (2004). Metal Thread Embroidery. Sterling. ISBN 0-7134-8926-X.

Levey, S. M.; D. King (1993). The Victoria and Albert Museum's Textile Collection
Vol. 3: Embroidery in Britain from 1200 to 1750. Victoria and Albert Museum. ISBN 185177-126-3.

Netherton, Robin, and Gale R. Owen-Crocker, editors, (2005). Medieval Clothing

and Textiles, Volume 1. Boydell Press. ISBN 1-84383-123-6.

Quinault, Marie-Jo (2003). Filet Lace, Introduction to the Linen Stitch. Trafford
Publishing. ISBN 1-4120-1549-9.

Readers Digest (1979). Complete Guide to Needlework. Readers Digest. ISBN 089577-059-8.

van Niekerk, Di (2006). A Perfect World in Ribbon Embroidery and

Stumpwork. ISBN 1-84448-231-6.