About Stitches
Stitches in needlework can range from the very basic to quite complex. Many people today start doing with cross stitch. However, there are far more stitch options out there and these can make your embroidery projects more interesting to work as well as expanding your design possibilities. You can use embroidery stitches of all sorts on traditional and very modern projects, so the same stitching skills are applicable to any design aesthetic.
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Time Frame
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Embroidery stitches of all sorts have a very long history. Evidence of thread embroidery of various sorts has been found dating back thousands of years. Thread embellishments were used on clothing and other textiles in ancient Egypt, China and Persia. It seems likely that embroidery developed simultaneously alongside sewing. The two crafts use the same basic skills; however, embroidery requires a wider variety of stitches, a better eye and a more careful hand. Embroidery continued to develop, increasing in intricacy over time.
History
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Embroidery stitches have been used to decorate textiles of all sorts. While many of us immediately think of elaborately embellished clothing, embroidery has also been used for church and secular decorations. One of the most famous historical embroideries is the Bayeux Tapestry. This embroidery uses outline and couching stitches, revealing the development already present in this art by the late 11th century. As time went on, the number of embroidery stitches grew, with influences from the rest of the world. By the 17th century, embroidery stitches included both traditional options, as well as bullion embroideries, stumpwork and more.
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Types
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There are several distinct types of embroidery stitches. The basic stitches include the running stitch, the back stitch, outline or stem stitch and satin stitching. Some stitches, like cross stitches, are most commonly used for counted thread work of one sort or another. Other more complex surface embroidery stitches include all sorts of bullion embroideries, stumpwork embroidery and couched thread work. There are also stitches used exclusively for cut thread or pulled thread embroidery to create a delicate, lacy appearance.
Significance
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Historically, embroidery signified wealth. Some embroidery stitches use substantially more thread, dyes and other resources, making them especially relevant in this regard. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, embroidery was done privately by wealthy women and professionally for the very wealthy. As time went on, embroidery spread to a wider range of classes. By the Colonial period in the Americas, skill with embroidery was a standard and expected part of home keeping, and samplers were made by young girls to show their dexterity at all sorts of stitches. A good hand with embroidery was a valuable work skill, especially for women. Many women supported themselves and their families by doing hand work of various sorts for the wealthy, particularly during the Victorian era. While needlework was a common pastime for wealthy women, it was often of the decorative sort, not the wearable. As time has gone on, embroidery of all sorts is no longer a needed or valued skill, but rather simply a hobby.
Potential
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Today, many of the stitches used in traditional hand embroidery can be replicated by computerized embroidery machines. While technology is making embroidery stitches of all sorts more prevalent in our society, you can also see a growing interest in hand work as more and more people of a new generation choose to learn these traditional stitches and skills, using them in new and different ways.
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