Embroidery is a craft that requires unique skills and patience. Mastering the use of needles and thread is difficult but not impossible. Nowadays, you can even use machines for embroidery.
Do you want to learn more about the art and its techniques? If yes, you’ve come to the correct place. So, let’s take a look at everything there is to embroidery.
What Is Embroidery?
Embroidery is one of the favorite ways to pass the time and make something useful. It involves making patterns on fabrics using stitches. Hand embroidery is the most common method of embroidering.
Embroidery Techniques
There are many ways to embroider garments. Below are some of the famous embroidery techniques.
Cross Stitching
Cross stitches are performed on a specific type of fabric, such as Aida. For every stitch, you have to count the threads in the material. It involves doing back stitches as well sometimes.
The pattern is created by working on a grid. Besides that, the stitches are more uniform and give a neat look.
Dawn Threading
This type of embroidery is practiced on an even weave fabric and involves counting threads as well. First, portions of material are cut out, and then dawn thread stitches are used to rework it.
This is an old type of embroidery, so finding resources might be a little tricky. However, you can create complex patterns using this technique.
Candlewicking Embroidery
This technique is mainly performed using a heavy cotton thread on muslin cloth. It is also a type of whitework embroidery and is considered very traditional. The pattern is made using colonial knots to create intricate designs.
A common item that is designed using this technique is pillows. Besides that, typically, you should do the embroidery on unbleached cloth consisting of white floss.
Blackwork
This technique was given the name blackwork as it is done using a black thread on a white garment. The method is ancient and involves double running stitches. You may also know the stitches as Holbein stitch.
The embroidery is reversible, so the front and backside are mirror images.
Zardozi Embroidery
The thread used in this embroidery is called zardozi, which is made up of metal. It is mainly done on velvet and silk fabrics. In fact, the technique was used for making royal clothing in India.
The metal threads give a 3D look, and spirals of zardozi provide a magnificent look to the dress. Zardozi embroidery is widespread in India and is used for making wedding dresses.
Shadow Work
This embroidery is performed by doing herringbone stitches on the backside of semi or fully transparent fabrics. The purpose of using transparent material is so that the pattern can be visible on the front too. It can be done on various types of clothes. Thus, resources are easy to find.
Final Thoughts
That was everything you need to know about being familiar with embroidery work. You can make the designs by hand as well as sewing machines. Embroidery is cost-effective and gives a more authentic look to the garments than printing.