Product Code Database
Embroidery is the art of decorating Textile or other materials using a Sewing needle to stitch Yarn. It is one of the oldest forms of Textile arts, with origins dating back thousands of years across various cultures. Common stitches found in early embroidery include the chain stitch, buttonhole or blanket stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, and cross stitch. Modern embroidery continues 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 Quilt, clothing, and accessories. In addition to thread, embroidery may incorporate materials such as Pearl, Bead, Quill, and Sequin 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.
A person who is doing embroidery is called an embroiderer. An archaic term is broderer, derived from French broderie for 'embroidery'. Broderer
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. 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. However, whitework can either be counted or free. Hardanger embroidery is a counted embroidery and the designs are often geometric. Conversely, styles such as Broderie anglaise are similar to free embroidery, with floral or Abstract art that are not dependent on the weave of the fabric.
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. Works in China have been dated to the Warring States period (5th–3rd century BC). 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.Coatsworth, Elizabeth: "Stitches in Time: Establishing a History of Anglo-Saxon Embroidery", in .
In medieval England, Opus Anglicanum, a technique used by professional workshops and guilds in medieval England, 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 Elizabeth I in 1583. It also owns a copy of The Epistles of Saint Paul, whose cover was reputedly embroidered by the Queen. (1978). 9780448220666, Paddington Press. ISBN 9780448220666
One of the oldest complete embroidered works still in existence is the Bayeux Tapestry, an embroidered cloth nearly long and tall that depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest in 1066, led by William, Duke of Normandy, challenging Harold Godwinson, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings. It is thought to date to the 11th century, within a few years of the battle.; ;
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.
Embroidery was an important art and signified social status in the Medieval Islamic world as well. The 17th-century Turkish people traveler Evliya Çelebi called it the "craft of the two hands". In cities such as Damascus, Cairo and Istanbul, embroidery was visible on , uniforms, flags, calligraphy, shoes, , 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.
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:
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. 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.
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.
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. 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.
Contemporary embroidery artists believe hand embroidery has grown in popularity as a result of an increasing need for relaxation and digitally disconnecting practices. Many people are also using embroidery to creatively upcycle and repair clothing, to help counteract over-consumption and fashion industry waste.
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.
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.
| Aari embroidery | Kashmir and Kutch district | Chain stitch | Silk thread, fabric, beads or sequins | |
| Art needlework | England | |||
| Assisi embroidery | Assisi, Italy | Backstitch, Cross stitches, Holbein stitch | Cloth, red thread, silk, stranded perlé cotton | |
| Balochi needlework | Balochistan, Pakistan | Beads, cloth, shisha, thread | ||
| Bargello | Florence, Italy | Vertical stitches (e.g. "flame stitch") | Linen or cotton canvas, wool floss or yarn | |
| Berlin wool work | Berlin, Germany | Cross stitches or tent stitch | Linen or cotton canvas, wool floss or yarn | |
| Blackwork | England | Backstitch, Holbein stitch, stem stitch | Linen or cotton fabric, black or red silk thread | |
| Brazilian embroidery | Brazil | Bullion knots, cast-on stitch, drizzle stitch, Knotted stitch, featherstitch, fly stitch, stem stitch | Cloth, rayon thread | |
| Broderie anglaise | Czech Republic | Buttonhole stitch, overcast stitch, satin stitch | White cloth and thread | |
| Broderie perse | India | Chintz, thread | ||
| Bunka shishu | Japan | Punch needle techniques | Rayon or silk thread | |
| Candlewicking | United States | Knotted stitch, satin stitch | Unbleached cotton thread, unbleached muslin | |
| Chasu | Korea | Chain stitch, couching, leaf stitch, long-and-short stitch, mat stitch, Backstitch, padding stitch, , seed stitch | ||
| Chikan | Lucknow, India | , , shadow-work | Cloth, white thread | |
| Colcha embroidery | Southwestern United States | Cotton or linen cloth, wool thread | ||
| Crewelwork | Great Britain | Chain stitch, couched stitches, knotted stitches, satin stitch, seed stitch, split stitch, stem stitch | Crewel yarn, linen twill | |
| Goldwork | China | Couching, Holbein stitch, Backstitch | Cloth, Metallic fiber | |
| Gota patti | Rajasthan, India | |||
| Gu Xiu | Shanghai, China | Silk cloth and thread | ||
| Hardanger embroidery | Norway | Buttonhole stitch, cable stitch, Featherstitch, knotted stitch, picot, Straight stitch, satin stitch | White thread, white Balanced fabric linen cloth | |
| Hedebo embroidery | Hedebo, Zealand, Denmark | White linen cloth and thread | ||
| Kaitag textiles | Kaytagsky District, Dagestan, Russia | Laid-and-couched work | Cotton cloth, silk thread | |
| Kalaga | Myanmar | |||
| Kantha | East India | Old saris, thread | ||
| Kasidakari | India | Chain stitch, Darning, satin stitch, Backstitch | ||
| Kasuti | Karnataka, India | Cross stitches, double running stitch, Straight stitch, zigzag running stitch | Cotton thread and cloth | |
| Khamak | Kandahar, Afghanistan | Satin stitch | Cotton or wool fabric, silk thread | |
| Kuba textiles | The Congo | Embroidery, appliqué, cut-pile embroidery | Raffia cloth and thread | |
| Kutch Embroidery | Kutch district, Gujarat, India | Cotton cloth, cotton or silk thread | ||
| Lambada embroidery | Banjara | |||
| Mountmellick work | Mountmellick, County Laois, Ireland | , padded stitches | White cotton cloth and thread | |
| Opus Anglicanum | England | Backstitch, Couching, underside couching | Linen or velvet cloth, Metallic fiber, silk thread | |
| Opus teutonicum | Holy Roman Empire | Buttonhole stitch, chain stitch, goblien stitch, pulled work, satin stitch, Backstitch | White linen cloth and thread | |
| Or nué | Western Europe | Couching | Fabric, Metallic fiber, silk thread | |
| Orphrey | ||||
| Needlepoint | Ancient Egypt | Cross stitches, tent stitch, brick stitch | Linen or cotton canvas, wool or silk floss or yarn | |
| Phool Patti ka Kaam | Uttar Pradesh, India | |||
| Phulkari | Punjab | Darning | Hand-spun cotton cloth, silk floss | |
| Piteado | Central America | Ixtle or pita thread, leather | ||
| Quillwork | North America | Beads, cloth, feathers, feather quills, leather, porcupine quills | ||
| Rasht embroidery | Rasht, Gilan province, Iran | Chain stitch | Felt, silk thread | |
| Redwork | United States | Backstitch, outline stitch | Red thread, white cloth | |
| Richelieu | Purportedly from 16th century Italy, revival in 19th century England and France | Buttonhole stitch | White thread, white cloth | |
| Rushnyk | Slavs | Cross-stitch, Holbein stitch, satin stitch | Linen or hemp cloth, thread | |
| Sashiko | Japan | Straight stitch | Indigo-dyed cloth, white or red cotton thread | |
| Sermeh embroidery | Achaemenid Persia | Termeh cloth, velvet, cotton fabrics, various threads | ||
| Sewed muslin | Scotland | Muslin, thread | ||
| Shu Xiu | Chengdu, Sichuan, China | Satin, silk thread | ||
| Smocking | England | Cable stitch, honeycomb stitches, , Backstitch, stem stitch, trellis stitch, wave stitch | Any fabric supple enough to be gathered, cotton or silk thread | |
| Stumpwork | England | |||
| Su Xiu | Suzhou, Jiangsu, China | Silk cloth and thread | ||
| Suzani | Central Asia | Buttonhole stitches, , couching, | Cotton fabric, silk thread | |
| Tatreez | Palestine, Syria | Cross stitches | Cotton fabric, silk thread | |
| Tenango embroidery | Tenango de Doria, Hidalgo, Mexico | |||
| Velours du Kasaï | Kasai, the Congo | |||
| Vietnamese embroidery | Vietnam | |||
| Xiang embroidery | Hunan, China | Silk cloth, black, white, and grey silk thread | ||
| Yue Xiu | Guangdong, China | Silk cloth and thread | ||
| Zardozi | Iran and India | Cloth, Metallic fiber | ||
| Zmijanje embroidery | Zmijanje, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Blue thread, white cloth | ||
| Theu tay Truyen thong | Vietnam | Layerd stitch | Silk thread, controlled thin stiches |
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.
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. 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.
Beeswax is often used to treat thread. It smooths and strengthens threads, especially silk and metallic threads.
Contemporary embroidery is stitched with a 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 and 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, although Polyester can also be used. Cotton thread, on the other hand, is prone to breaking and is avoided.
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.
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