History of Embroidery

History of Embroidery

• Embroidery was introduced to the Orient by the Netherlanders in the 15th century.
• It was brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards, where it underwent significant growth and rivals the best work done in Switzerland.

Tools and Materials

• Gauge: measures short distances
• Tape measure: measures more than one-foot distances or materials
• Thimble: protects the middle finger and pushes the needle while doing embroidery work (comes in sizes 6-12)
• Embroidery hoop/stiletto: made of wood, bone, metal, or plastic; used to make eyelets in the fabric and keep it stretched while applying embroidery stitches
• Embroidery scissors: small, sharp, and pointed; used for trimming scallops, clipping threads, and cutting large eyelets
• Needle threader: used for easier threading, especially for those with poor eyesight
• Pounce: a fine powder used in transferring designs by the pricking method
• Embroidery needle: a short piece of steel with a fine point at one end and a little opening or eye at the other
• Three types of embroidery needles: crewel, chenille, and tapestry

Fabric

• Fabric is referred to as cloth and comes in a variety of materials, weights, weaves, designs, colors, and finishes
• Common weave: tightly woven fabrics with a smooth surface (e.g., linen, wool, and cotton); best for articles with decorative stitches
• Even-weave: intended for hardanger embroidery, with the same number of threads per square inch for both warp and woof

Embroidery Stitches

• Holbein Stitch: also known as the double running stitch, often used to outline blackwork embroidery
• Herringbone Stitch: a basic overlapping stitch popular in border making
• Fish Bone Stitch: a filling stitch ideal for making leaves or feathers
• Blanket and Buttonhole Stitches: popular embroidery stitches used to create an edging or stitch elements in place
• Roumanian Stitch: a couching stitch with only one working yarn
• Chevron Stitch: a wider form of backstitch ideal for decorative borders and bands
• Satin Stitches: solid filling stitches used to cover a design area with long, straight stitches worked close together
• Split Stitch: a loose stitch catching only a thread or two of fabric, designed to be invisible from the right side
• Back Stitch: often used to outline a design and forms the base line for other embroidery stitches
• Couching Stitch: considered especially useful for outlining or giving more weight to a single stitch line
• Cross Stitch: formed by two crossing arms, used for outlining, borders, or filling an entire area
• Tent Stitch: also called the Continental Stitch, often used in basic needlepoint stitches
• French Knot: an embroidery technique that creates small tight knots, used to create centers of flowers or accents
• Stem Stitch: an outline stitch often used for the stems in floral designs
• Stemlazy Daisy Chain Stitch: also called the Detached Chain Stitch, worked in a circle to resemble the petals of a flower
• Hem Stitch: used to draw out parallel threads and stitch the exposed threads in groups to form various designs
• Fly Stitch: a single stitch with a loop, used for borders or to fill in a design area
• Pekinese Stitch: also known as the Chinese stitch, has back stitches as a base
• Feather Stitch: a stitch with a loop, worked evenly on both left and right sides of a design area