Embroidery

Art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn

This article is about handcraft. For Bradbury's short story, see Embroidery (short story).

Traditional Nakshi Kantha of Bangladesh Embroidery sampler by Alice Maywood, 1826 Laid threads, a surface technique in wool on linen. The Bayeux Tapestry, 11th century

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.[1] Common stitches found in early embroidery include the chain stitch, buttonhole or blanket stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, and cross stitch.[2] 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 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.

## History

[edit]

Detail of embroidered silk gauze ritual garment. Rows of even, round chain stitch used for outline and color. 4th century BC, Zhou tomb at Mashan, Hubei, China.

### Origins

[edit]

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.[3] Indeed, the remarkable stability of basic embroidery stitches has been noted:

> 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.[4]

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. [5] Works in China have been dated to the Warring States period (5th–3rd century BC).[6] 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.[7]

### Historical applications and techniques

[edit]

A pair of Chinese shoes for bound 'lily' feet Embroidered book cover made by Elizabeth I at the age of 11, presented to Katherine Parr 19th century women's thobe from Palestine

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,[8] 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.[9]

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.[10]

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.[11]

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:

> 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.[12]

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.[13][14]

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.[15] 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.[16]

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.[17] 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.[18]

### 21st century

[edit]

Japanese free embroidery in silk and metal threads, contemporary Hardanger, a whitework technique. Contemporary

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. [19][20]

Contemporary embroidery artists believe hand embroidery has grown in popularity as a result of an increasing need for relaxation and digitally disconnecting practices.[21] Many people are also using embroidery to creatively upcycle and repair clothing, to help counteract over-consumption and fashion industry waste.[22]

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.[23]

## Classification

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Tea-cloth, Hungary, mid-20th century

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.[24]

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.[25] 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.[26] However, whitework can either be counted or free. Hardanger embroidery is a counted embroidery and the designs are often geometric.[27] 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.[28]

## Traditional hand embroidery around the world

[edit]

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Traditional embroidery  | Origin  | Stitches used  | materials  | Picture

|
|
|
|

Aari embroidery | Kashmir and Kutch, Gujarat, India | Chain stitch | Silk thread, fabric, beads or sequins  |
Art needlework | England |  |  |
Assisi embroidery | Assisi, Italy  | Backstitch, cross stitch, 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 stitch 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, French knots, featherstitch, fly stitch, stem stitch  | Cloth, rayon thread  |
Broderie anglaise | Czechia | 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[29] | Unbleached cotton thread, unbleached muslin |
Chasu | Korea | Chain stitch, couching, leaf stitch, long-and-short stitch, mat stitch, outline stitch, padding stitch, satin stitches, seed stitch  |  |
Chikan | Lucknow, India  | Backstitches, chain stitches, 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, stem stitch | Cloth, metallic thread |
Gota patti | Rajasthan, India  |  |  |
Gu Xiu | Shanghai, China  |  | Silk cloth and thread  |
Hardanger embroidery | Norway | Buttonhole stitch, cable stitch, fly stitch, knotted stitch, picot, running stitch, satin stitch | White thread, white even-weave 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 | Burma |  |  |
Kantha | Eastern India |  | Old saris, thread  |
Kasidakari | India | Chain stitch, darning stitch, satin stitch, stem stitch |  |
Kasuti | Karnataka, India  | Cross stitch, double running stitch, running 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, Gujarat, India  |  | Cotton cloth, cotton or silk thread  |
Lambada embroidery | Banjara people |  |  |
Mountmellick work | Mountmellick, County Laois, Ireland  | Knotted stitches, padded stitches  | White cotton cloth and thread  |
Opus anglicanum | England | Split stitch, surface couching, underside couching[30] | Linen or velvet cloth, metallic thread, silk thread  |
Opus teutonicum | Holy Roman Empire | Buttonhole stitch, chain stitch, goblien stitch, pulled work, satin stitch, stem stitch[31] | White linen cloth and thread[31] |
Or nué | Western Europe | Couching | Fabric, metallic thread, silk thread  |
Orphrey |  |  |  |
Needlepoint | Ancient Egypt | Cross stitch, tent stitch, brick stitch  | Linen or cotton canvas, wool or silk floss or yarn  |
Phool Patti ka Kaam | Uttar Pradesh, India  |  |  |
Phulkari | Punjab | Darning stitches | 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[32] | Cross stitch,[33] Holbein stitch, satin stitch[32] | Linen or hemp cloth, thread  |
Sashiko | Japan | Running 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, knotted stitches, outline stitch, 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, chain stitches, couching, satin stitches | Cotton fabric, silk thread  |
Tatreez | Palestine,[34] Syria | Cross stitch | Cotton fabric, silk thread  |
Tenango embroidery | Tenango de Doria, Hidalgo, Mexico  |  |  |
Velours du Kasaï | Kasai, the Congo |  |  |
Vietnamese embroidery | Vietnam |  |  |
Xiang Xiu | Hunan, China  |  | Silk cloth, black, white, and grey silk thread  |
Yue Xiu | Guangdong, China  |  | Silk cloth and thread  |
Zardozi | Iran and India |  | Cloth, metallic thread |
Zmijanje embroidery | Zmijanje, Bosnia and Herzegovina  |  | Blue thread, white cloth[35] |

## Materials and tools

[edit]

### Materials

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Multi-colored crewel wool threads on a panel of linen warp and cotton weft, 18th century English

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.[36]

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.[37]

### Tools

[edit]

An embroidery hoop

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.[38]

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.[39] 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.[38]

Beeswax is often used to treat thread. It smooths and strengthens threads, especially silk and metallic threads.[38]

## Machine embroidery

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Brother Innov-is V7 computerised Sewing/Quilting/Embroidery machine embroidering onto cloth held in a hoop Commercial machine embroidery in chain stitch on a voile curtain, China, early 21st century

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.[40] The first embroidery machine was the hand embroidery machine, invented in France in 1832 by Josué Heilmann.[41] 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.[42] 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.[43]

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.[44]

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 literature

[edit]

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.[45]

## Gallery

[edit]

* Nakshi Kantha from Sonargaon, Bangladesh Folk Arts and Crafts Foundation

* Traditional embroidery in chain stitch on a Kazakh rug, contemporary.

* Caucasian embroidery

* 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.

* Extremely fine underlay of St. Gallen Embroidery

* Traditional Turkish embroidery. Izmir Ethnography Museum, Turkey.

* Traditional Croatian embroidery.

* Decorated Easter eggs from the Luhansk region of Ukraine

* Gold embroidery on a gognots (apron) of a 19th-century Armenian bridal dress from Akhaltsikhe

* Brightly coloured Korean embroidery.

* Uzbekistan embroidery on a traditional women's parandja robe.

* Woman wearing a traditional embroidered Kalash headdress, Pakistan.

* Bookmark of black fabric with multicolored Bedouin embroidery and tassel of embroidery floss

* Chain-stitch embroidery from England c. 1775

* Traditional Bulgarian Floral embroidery from Sofia and Trun.

* A 1919 painting depicting the Brazilian flag being embroidered by a family.

## See also

[edit]

* 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

## Notes

[edit]

### Citations

[edit]

1. ^ Fowler, Cynthia (April 25, 2019). The Modern Embroidery Movement (1st ed.). London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts. ISBN 978-1350123366.
2. ^ "Top 12 Basic Hand Embroidery Stitches". Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
3. ^ Gillow & Sentance 1999, p. 12.
4. ^ Marie Schuette and Sigrid Muller-Christensen, The Art of Embroidery translated by Donald King, Thames and Hudson, 1964, quoted in Netherton & Owen-Crocker 2005, p. 2.
5. ^ Needlework. Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. January 2018.
6. ^ Gillow & Sentance 1999, p. 178.
7. ^ Coatsworth, Elizabeth: "Stitches in Time: Establishing a History of Anglo-Saxon Embroidery", in Netherton & Owen-Crocker 2005, p. 2.
8. ^ Levey & King 1993, p. 12.
9. ^ Harriet Bridgeman; Elizabeth Drury (1978). Needlework : an illustrated history. New York: Paddington Press. p. 42\. ISBN 0-448-22066-0. OCLC 3843144.
10. ^ Power, Lisa (27 March 2015). "NGV embroidery exhibition: imagine a 12-year-old spending two years on this..." The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
11. ^ Stone, Caroline (May–June 2007). "The Skill of the Two Hands". Saudi Aramco World. Vol. 58, no. 3\. Archived from the original on 2014-10-13. Retrieved 2011-01-21.
12. ^ Werner, Louis (July–August 2011). "Mughal Maal". Saudi Aramco World. Vol. 62, no. 4\. Archived from the original on 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
13. ^ "Handa City Sashiko Program at the Society for Contemporary Craft". Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania. 7 Oct 2016. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
14. ^ Siddle, Kat. "Sashiko". Seamwork Magazine. Colette Media, LLC. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
15. ^ Fowler, Cynthia (April 25, 2019). The Modern Embroidery Movement (1st ed.). London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts. ISBN 978-1350123366.
16. ^ Barber, Elizabeth Wayland (April 1, 1994). Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times (1st ed.). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0393035063.
17. ^ "Community threads together". chinadailyhk. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
18. ^ Merwe, Ria van der (2017). "From a silent past to a spoken future. Black women's voices in the archival process". Archives and Records: The Journal of the Archives and Records Association. 40 (3): 239–258\. doi:10.1080/23257962.2017.1388224 - via Taylor & Francis.
19. ^ 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
20. ^ 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
21. ^ Elin (2019-06-11). "History of embroidery and its rise in popularity". Charles and Elin. Archived from the original on 2019-07-25. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
22. ^ "How a traditional craft became a Gen-Z statement". www.bbc.com. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
23. ^ Reader's Digest 1979, pp. 1–19, 112–117.
24. ^ Corbet, Mary (October 3, 2016). "Needlework Terminology: Surface Embroidery". Retrieved November 1, 2016.
25. ^ Gillow & Sentance 1999, p. 198.
26. ^ Reader's Digest 1979, pp. 74–91.
27. ^ Yvette Stanton (30 March 2016). Early Style Hardanger. Vetty Creations. ISBN 978-0-9757677-7-1.
28. ^ Catherine Amoroso Leslie (1 January 2007). Needlework Through History: An Encyclopedia. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 34, 226, 58. ISBN 978-0-313-33548-8. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
29. ^ "The History and Technique of Candlewicking and Whitework". Needlepointers.com. 2020-10-27. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
30. ^ "Technique - Opus Anglicanum". medieval.webcon.net.au. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
31. ^ a b "Technique - Opus Teutonicum". medieval.webcon.net.au. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
32. ^ a b K, Roman (2012-08-07). "FolkCostume&Embroidery: Rushnyk embroidery of southern East Podillia". FolkCostume&Embroidery. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
33. ^ K, Roman (2014-07-01). "FolkCostume&Embroidery: Ukrainian Rose Embroidery". FolkCostume&Embroidery. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
34. ^ Ollman, Leah (October 25, 2017). "Quiet power of embroidery hits eloquently". The Los Angeles Times. p. E3.
35. ^ "UNESCO - Zmijanje embroidery". ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
36. ^ van Niekerk 2006.
37. ^ Reader's Digest 1979, pp. 112–115.
38. ^ a b c "Glossary of Embroidery Terms". Embroiderers' Guild of America. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
39. ^ "Materials Required for Hand Embroidery". Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
40. ^ Adamson, Glenn (Jan 10, 2019). The Invention of Craft (1st ed.). London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts. ISBN 978-0857850645.
41. ^ Willem. "Hand Embroidery Machine". trc-leiden.nl. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
42. ^ Röllin, Peter. Stickerei-Zeit, Kultur und Kunst in St. Gallen 1870–1930. VGS Verlagsgemeinschaft, St. Gallen 1989, ISBN 3-7291-1052-7 (in German)
43. ^ Schneider, Coleman (1968). Machine Made Embroideries. Globe Lithographing Company.
44. ^ "Choosing Machine-Embroidery Threads". Threads Magazine. The Taunton Press, Inc. 2008-11-02. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
45. ^ Synge, Lanto (2001). Art of Embroidery: History of Style and Technique. Woodbridge, England: Antique Collectors' Club. p. 32\. ISBN 9781851493593.

### Bibliography

[edit]

* Gillow, John; Sentance, Bryan (1999). World Textiles. Bulfinch Press/Little, Brown. ISBN 0-8212-2621-5.
* Levey, S. M.; King, D. (1993). The Victoria and Albert Museum's Textile Collection Vol. 3: Embroidery in Britain from 1200 to 1750. Victoria and Albert Museum. ISBN 1-85177-126-3.
* Netherton, Robin; Owen-Crocker, Gale R., eds. (2005). Medieval Clothing and Textiles, Volume 1. Boydell Press. ISBN 1-84383-123-6.
* Complete Guide to Needlework. Reader's Digest. 1979. ISBN 0-89577-059-8.
* van Niekerk, Di (2006). A Perfect World in Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork. Search Press. ISBN 1-84448-231-6.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Berman, Pat (2000). "Berlin Work". American Needlepoint Guild. Archived from the original on 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
* Caulfeild, 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.
* Koll, Juby Aleyas (2019). Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials.
* Lemon, Jane (2004). Metal Thread Embroidery. Sterling. ISBN 0-7134-8926-X.
* Vogelsang, Gillian; Vogelsang, Willem, eds. (2015). TRC Needles. The TRC Digital Encyclopaedia of Decorative Needlework. Leiden, The Netherlands: Textile Research Centre.
* Wilson, David M. (1985). The Bayeux Tapestry. Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-25122-3.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Embroidery at Wikimedia Commons

Look up embroider in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

* The History of Embroidery

* v
* t
* e

Embroidery

Styles|

* Assisi
* Bargello
* Berlin work
* Blackwork
* Broderie anglaise
* Broderie perse
* Candlewicking
* Clare embroidery
* Counted-thread
* Crewel
* Cross-stitch
* Cutwork
* Darning
* Drawn thread work
* Goldwork
* Hardanger
* Hedebo
* Machine
* Needlepoint
* Quillwork
* Smocking
* Stumpwork
* Surface
* Suzani
* Whitework

Stitches|

* Backstitch
* Blanket
* Box
* Buttonhole
* Chain stitch
* Couching and laid work
* Cross stitches
* Embroidery stitch
* Featherstitch
* Holbein
* Parisian
* Running
* Satin stitch
* Sashiko
* Shisha
* Straight stitch
* Tent stitch

Tools and materials|

* Aida cloth
* Embroidery hoop
* Embroidery thread
* Evenweave
* Perforated paper
* Plainweave
* Plastic canvas
* Sampler
* Slip
* Yarn

Regional

and historical|

* Art needlework
* Balochi
* Brazilian
* Bunka shishu
* Burmese
* Chikan
* Chinese
* Cantonese
* Sichuan
* Suzhou
* Xiang
* English
* Indian
* Islamic
* Jacobean
* Sashiko
* Kogin-zashi
* Bunka shishu
* Kaitag
* Kantha
* Kasuti
* Korean
* Macedonian
* Mountmellick
* Nakshi kantha
* Persian
* Rasht
* Sermeh
* Sistan
* Zardozi
* Opus Anglicanum
* Rushnyk
* Sewed muslin
* Ukrainian
* Vietnamese
* Vyshyvanka

Embroideries|

* Butler-Bowden Cope
* Bayeux Tapestry
* Bradford carpet
* Great Tapestry of Scotland
* Great Tapestry of Scotland: People's Panel
* Hastings Embroidery
* Hestia tapestry
* Magna Carta (An Embroidery)
* Margaret Layton's jacket
* New World Tapestry
* Overlord Embroidery
* Oxburgh Hangings
* Prestonpans Tapestry
* Quaker Tapestry
* Scottish Diaspora Tapestry
* Fragments of a Cope with the Seven Sacraments

Designers

and embroiderers|

* Emilie Bach
* Leon Conrad
* Beryl Dean
* Shahin Ebrahimzadeh-Pezeshki
* Kaffe Fassett
* Juanita Growing Thunder Fogarty
* Constance Howard
* Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum
* François Lesage
* Ann Macbeth
* May Morris
* Jessie Newbery
* Mahtab Norouzi
* Tetiana Protcheva
* Charles Germain de Saint Aubin
* Mary Elizabeth Turner
* Dimitri Vlachos - Castano
* Kathleen Whyte
* Erica Wilson
* Lily Yeats

Organizations

and museums|

* Embroiderers' Guild (UK)
* Embroiderers' Guild of America
* Embroidery Software Protection Coalition
* Needlework Development Scheme
* Royal School of Needlework
* Wemyss School of Needlework
* Chung Young Yang Embroidery Museum
* Han Sang Soo Embroidery Museum

Related|

* Appliqué
* Crochet
* Knitting
* Lace
* Needlework
* Quilting

* v
* t
* e

Sewing

Techniques|

* Basting
* Cut
* Darning
* Ease
* Embellishment
* Fabric tube turning
* Floating canvas
* Gather
* Godet
* Gore
* Gusset
* Heirloom sewing
* Pleat
* Shirring

Stitches
(list)|

* Backstitch
* Bar tack
* Blanket
* Blind stitch
* Buttonhole
* Catch stitch
* Chain stitch
* Coverstitch
* Cross-stitch
* Embroidery stitch
* Hemstitch
* Lockstitch
* Overlock
* Pad stitch
* Pick stitch
* Rantering
* Running
* Sashiko
* Stoating
* Tack
* Topstitch
* Zigzag

Seams|

* Neckline
* Felled seam
* Princess seams
* Seam allowance
* Style line

* Notions
* Trim

* Bias tape
* Collar stay
* Elastic
* Galloon
* Grommet/eyelet
* Interfacing
* Passementerie
* Piping
* Ruffle
* Rickrack
* Self-fabric
* Soutache
* Twill tape
* Wrights

Closures|

* Buckle
* Button
* Buttonhole
* Frog
* Hook-and-eye
* Hook-and-loop fastener
* Shank
* Snap
* Zipper

Materials|

* Grain/bias
* Selvage
* Textile/fabric
* Thread
* Yarn

Tools|

* Bobbin
* Dress form
* Needlecase
* Needle threader
* Pattern notcher
* Pin
* Pincushion
* Pinking shears
* Scissors
* Seam ripper
* Sewing gauge
* Sewing needle
* Stitching awl
* Tailor's ham
* Tape measure
* Thimble
* Tracing paper
* Tracing wheel

* Trades
* Suppliers

* Cloth merchant
* Draper
* Dressmaker
* Haberdasher
* Mercer
* Silkwoman
* Tailor

Manufacturers|

| Patterns|

* Butterick
* Burda
* Clothkits
* McCall's
* Simplicity

|

Machines
(list)|

* Barthélemy Thimonnier
* Bernina
* Brother
* Elias Howe
* Elna
* Feiyue
* Frister & Rossmann
* Janome
* Jones
* Juki
* Merrow
* New Home
* Pfaff
* Sewmor
* Singer
* Tape edge machine
* Viking/Husqvarna
* White

* Media related to Sewing at Wikimedia Commons
* Clothing portal
* Glossary of terms

* v
* t
* e

Decorative arts and handicraft

* History

Textile|

* Banner-making
* Crocheting
* Cross-stitch
* Embroidery
* Felting
* Friendship bracelet
* Knitting
* Lace-making
* Lucet
* Macrame
* Millinery
* Needlepoint
* Needlework
* Patchwork
* Quilting
* Ribbon embroidery
* Carpet
* Rug hooking
* Rug making
* Sewing
* Shoemaking
* Spinning
* String art
* Tapestry
* Tatting
* Tie-dye
* Weaving

Paper|

* Altered book
* Bookbinding
* Calligraphy
* Cardmaking
* Cast paper
* Collage
* Decoupage
* Papier collé
* Photomontage
* Decal
* Iris folding
* Kamikiri
* Origami
* Kirigami
* Moneygami
* Embossing
* Marbling
* Papercraft
* Papercutting
* Chinese
* Jewish
* Slavic
* Papermaking
* Paper toys
* Papier-mâché
* Pop-up book
* Quilling
* Scrapbooking
* Stamping
* Wallpaper

Wood|

* Bentwood
* Cabinetry
* Carpentry
* Chip carving
* Ébéniste
* Fretwork
* Intarsia
* Marquetry
* Wood burning
* Wood carving
* Woodturning

Ceramic|

* Azulejo
* Bone china
* Earthenware
* Porcelain
* Pottery
* Stoneware
* Terracotta
* Tile

Glass|

* Cameo glass
* Chip work
* Enamelled glass
* Glass etching
* Glassware
* Mirror
* Stained glass

Metal|

* Andiron
* Bronze and brass
* Chemical milling
* Damascening
* Enamel
* Engraving
* Etching
* Goldsmith
* Ironwork
* Jewellery
* Silversmith

Other|

* Assemblage
* Balloon modelling
* Beadwork
* Bone carving
* Dala horse
* Doll making
* Dollhouse
* Egg decorating
* Engraved gems
* Faux painting
* Featherwork
* Kāhili
* Grotesque
* Gargoyle
* Hardstone carving
* Inro
* Lath art
* Lapidary
* Leatherworking
* Miniatures
* Mosaic
* Glass
* Micromosaic
* Netsuke
* Ornament
* Pargeting
* Pietra dura
* Private press
* Oshibana, pressed flower craft
* Scrimshaw
* Straw marquetry
* Taxidermy
* Wall decal

| Regional or Historical|

* Mexico
* Painting in Hälsingland
* Qing handicrafts
* Victorian

|

Authority control databases

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Japan
* Czech Republic
* Latvia
* Israel

Other|

* IdRef
* Yale LUX

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