Embroidery

Gold Embroidery Sicut lilium inter spinas, Saint Laurentius church in Lokeren, Belgium

Embroidery, c. 1660, Flanders

Japnese Embroidery

Embroidery is the art of decorating fabric or other materials with designs stitched in strands of thread or yarn using a needle. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. Sewing machines can be used to create machine embroidery.

Qualifications

City and Guilds qualification^[1] in Embroidery allows embroiderers to become recognized for their skill. This qualification also gives them the credibility to teach. For example, the notable textiles artist, Kathleen Laurel Sage,^[2] began her teaching career by getting the City and Guilds Embroidery 1 and 2 qualifications. She has now gone on to write a book on the subject.^[3]

Embroidery Media

Embroidery sampler by Alice Maywood, 1826
Laid threads, a surface technique in wool on linen. The Bayeux Tapestry, 11th century
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.
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 Ramallah
Tea-cloth, Hungary, mid-20th century
Detail of Art Needlework embroidery "Artichoke" in wool on linen, designed by William Morris for Ada Phoebe Godman in 1877 and subsequently available from Morris and Company. (See Linda Parry, William Morris Textiles, New York, Viking Press, 1983, p. 20-21.)
Assisi embroidery - traditional
Traditional Baluchi needlework