The History of Embroidery

People have been embellishing their clothing, wall hangings and other materials with embroidery for thousands of years. There are several forms of needlework that are considered embroidery, with something to appeal to just about every taste.

As far back as Egyptian and Hebrew times individuals decorated their clothing with rich embroidery. If you visit some museums today you can still see Ecclesiastical robes from as far back as the Middle Ages that are richly trimmed with embroidery accented with gold or silver threads to reflect the status of high-ranking bishops or cardinals.

In Europe, needlework evolved as a way to dress up the otherwise austere environments of castles and manor houses during Norman times when these buildings were still mainly fortifications. Noblewomen were taught embroidery as an essential talent that would be considered valuable when they married. It would make their homes more luxurious and attractive.

One of the most famous pieces of embroidery in the world is the Bayeux Tapestry, a 231 foot long rendition of the Battle of Hastings originally hung, no doubt, in some Great Hall. It is easy to imagine a group of ladies gathered round the fine linen during long winters in front of a roaring fireplace carefully working the stitches while they shared news and stories. Embroidery was a social event, an activity and a way to add beauty to their lives.

During the 1700s and 1800s, needlework became more and more elaborate and the work fell to a new class of women who were specialized needlewomen. The aristocracy no longer did the work themselves, but paid these women to do the work for them during the rise of the merchant class. It was no longer something a noblewoman would do herself. A middle-class woman who was talented with a needle, however, could earn a fine living doing embroidery work.

In 1848 an entrepreneur named Jacob Schiess opened an embroidery shop in New York staffed with fifteen women to do hand-needlework. Although technically a “factory” operation, all of the work was done by hand – he was simply mass producing the work to sell in his shop. It sold quickly to a new generation of women who no longer had time to do needlework themselves.

In the 1870’s, the Schiffli embroidery machine revolutionized the process with a continuously threaded needle and a system similar to the sewing machine, using a bobbin to make it possible to produce embroidery that looked like the hand-made variety. Soon nearly everyone could afford embroidered clothing, not just the wealthy.

Embroidery Styles Reflect Regions

Over the centuries, different regions of the world developed specific styles of embroidery. Today many of these cultural regions are reviving interest in their embroidery heritage.

• Hardanger is an elaborate tone-on-tone (usually white on white) embroidery originated by Norwegian women who used the linen raised in the region and elaborate stitches and cut-work to decorate their clothing and household items. It is a delicate form of whitework. There are other variations of whitework as well, including Broderie Anglaise (specific to regions of England) and Ayrshire (specific to regions of Scotland). Each are delicate forms of embroidery with cut-work and are known for specific stitches and/or details such as eyelet or satin trims.

• Crewel embroidery is done of two-ply wool on top of a heavy linen. It gives a raised appearance and is a style over 600 years old, probably originating in Persia although sometimes mistakenly called “Jacobean.” It is most frequently seen in flower, leaf and vine motifs for home décor items. This is very distinctive in style.

• Chikan is traditional Indian embroidery using a variety of stitches, especially a chain stitch, on a colored ground. Popular on saris and other articles of clothing.

• Cross-stitch is one of the most popular forms of embroidery done in the world today. This is done with the same stitch over and over, a tiny “x,” across a canvas in order to form an image out of the varying colors of thread. The threads are usually silk or some other richly colored, high sheen material.

Why Embroidery?

The elaborate detail and painstaking work involved in the various forms have seen a resurgence in recent years. In fact, millions more people do embroidery each year for personal pleasure. Why? The most common reason given is relaxation. This may sound surprising, but many will tell you that focusing on a project that encourages focusing on details and forces you to stop festering on everyday worries can really clear the mind! Others will tell you that embroidery is habit-forming – once you begin creating unique designs, you can’t seem to stop! Another surprise – more and more men are taking up cross-stitch and other forms of embroidery.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Embroidery is a fun hobby. There are tons of people doing it all over the world. We've dug up the most important articles that we could have written for you and present them here for your embroidery hobby viewing.

Copyright © 2006 KatesEmbroidery.com. 

Embroidery History | Embroidery Designs | Custom Embroidery | Embroidery Machine | Embroidery Software