The Origins of Embroidery

The pursuit of ornamenting a fabric or other materials by means of a thread or a needle is known as the art of Embroidery. Embroidery has existed since the creation of fabrics. The word, “Embroidery” is extracted from the word “broderie” which comes from French, and is defined as beautification or embellishment.

Embroidery mainly emanated from China and the Middle East. Many Archaeologists have found out the remains of hand-stitched and decorated clothing from the time when Cro-Magnons used to exist. The origins of Embroidery varied from country to country. For example, Embroidery in China is as old as the 3rd Century B.C, and then there were finds of embroidery in Sweden that came around from the time period known as the “Vikings Age”.  Embroidery initiated its rise in Europe in the 1000s as the practice of Embroidery was popularizing and with the growth of Churches, it also gained royalty and power as decorated clothing in the form of wall-hangings were detailed to showcase wealth. In the same way, Embroidery had its own importance in the Middle East and in the Islamic world. The practice of embroidery was also common in cities such as Damascus, Istanbul, Cairo, etc.

  

From being just “a girl’s trait”, embroidery became notable for men as well and became a profession to be mastered by both sexes. In the 18th Century, soon after the industrial revolution, the mass production of the machines for Embroidery came in. The oldest machine for embroidery made use of the amalgamation of hand embroidery and machine looms.

Around the 1900s, the industries modernized and embroidery became less complicated than it was before. After that period, Embroidery wasn’t just a hobby for only rich people. Due to that revolution, embroidery became extensive and could be done on economic materials by people of all walks of life. The art of embroidery was now being practised by men too, the same art that was entirely accomplished by women historically.

Centuries have passed and hundreds of decades, and the art of Embroidery has been through many changes, phases, and times. The distinct art only thrived throughout the time. The time passed and progressed, and so did the world, embroidery became more and more modern.

The embroidery of today is a foundation laid by the embroidery of the old times. The art that used to be only performed by hands has now been computerized. The present-day embroidery is stitched with a computerized embroidery machine that uses patterns digitized by software. The methods and the manners used in today’s embroidery may be different from the embroidery of the old times but the use of it is still the same. As long as there are people devoted to this art who are willing to beautify their fabrics, materials, or even themselves, embroidery will keep its place in the world.