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Embroidery
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A
stitch since time immemorial – that is what embroidery has been.
Embroidery is an ode to the creativity that the human mind
is capable of. Ornamentation done with a needle using colored
threads and/or beads to embellish a garment or cloth is called
embroidery. Embroidery has been used since times immemorial to
enhance the beauty of cloth, not just for clothes that we wear
but for furnishings and ecclesiastical vestments as well.
The earliest usage of embroidery has been traced to medieval
church vestments. These vestments used to have decoratively
stitched borders attached to them. Various types of embroidery
have emerged in different parts of the world. Proof that
embroidery was used in the ancient times has been found in the
form of a decorative strip of silk in the tomb of St. Cuthbert
in Durham and dating from 905. |
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Ancient paintings bear
testimony to the fact that embroidery was in existence in ancient
Egypt, Persia, Babylon, Israel, Phoenicia and Syria. In India,
embroidery has probably been in existence since pre-historic times.
In China and Japan, embroidery was primarily done on silk and satin.
Many exquisite examples of Chinese and Japanese work have been
exhibited in museums the world over.
Some techniques used in embroidery
The French have a word for English
embroidery -- broderie anglaise -- that was used in garments
worn by men and women. In this type of work, holes are cut into
patterns and then over sewn to make interesting designs and motifs.
The traditionally used material for this type of work has been white
cotton. |
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The Bayeux Tapestry is an example of embroidery being used
for historical records. It gives a pictorial representation of the
invasion of England by William I. The painstaking effort that has
gone into in its making is evident from the 72 separate scenes that
are depicted along with explanatory words in Latin. Woollen threads
in blue, green, red and yellow seem to bring the scenes to life.
A form of embroidery common in the eighteenth century was petit
point. Here, short and slanting stitches were used on net
canvas. Upholstery was the chosen display ground for skills in petit
point.
Applique is a type of embroidery that
has been used through the years on both garments and furnishings. It
is widely used even today. In this type of work, patterns are
created by applying pieces of cloth cut into shapes on to a
background cloth, to achieve a desired effect. It’s a deft
combination of overstitching, gaps and other embroidery stitches to
achieve the desired pattern. Appliqué work has been used the world
over for many years.
Cut work embroidery is a technique
using small shapes that are cut from the ground material. The cut
edges are then embroidered using decorative stitches. Vacant spaces
in between shapes are often filled in using decorative stitches.
Drawn thread embroidery is yet another
form of embroidery wherein threads from the warp, weft or both
(depending on the desired final effect) are removed. The remaining
threads are tied together using various embroidery stitches.
India has always been known for its exquisite embroidery. The Mughal
period saw a lot of progress in embroidering techniques. In fact,
garments with varieties of Indian embroidery like Kutch,
Kathiawar and Phulkari are in great demand the world
over.
The first embroidery machine was invented by Alsatian Joseph Heilman
in 1828. However, the true connoisseur values hand embroidery and
this is done in so many different ways and techniques, that despite
the presence of machines, hand work is always given a place of
pride. |
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