Embroidered Art 

Embroidery is considered an art or handicraft. It involves the decoration of a piece of fabric or other similar materials, using a needle and thread or piece of yarn. Embroidery can have both practical and ornamental uses: it can be used to hold a piece of clothing together and give it shape. It can also be used as a decorative feature on fabric, to make it look more attractive and interesting. The use of embroidery as a decorative embellishment is not only restricted to clothing and garments. It can also be used to create a piece of art in itself. Embroidered art is very popular amongst people who want to brighten up their home or another interior space.

Embroidered art has been going on since ancient times in many parts of the world, and is a tradition basic to many cultures. Examples of this ancient practice come to us from the ancient Egyptians, from the northern Europeans during the Iron Age and from the Chinese of the very oldest dynasties. The practical application of sewing garments eventually led to the evolution of a practice of using it for more decorative purposes. Most of the stitches that were used in ancient times for embroidered art are still used today: running stitch, back stitch, whip-stitching and so on. Ancient cultures used embroidery to embellish clothing, items of religious significance and items used in every day household tasks, as well as furnishings. These embellished items generally signify the owner’s elevated wealth and status within a society. Within these societies, the knowledge needed to produce these beautiful items has been passed between generations.

Embroidered art is categorized according to the placement of the stitches in the basic fabric and the position of the design. A piece of free embroidered art will have a design that has been stitched to the fabric without consideration for the particular weave of that material. Examples of this are seen in Japanese and Chinese embroidered artwork. Art which uses counted-thread patterns is made by placing the embroidery over a particular number of threads in the material; this is used in needle point.

Almost any kind of fabric and materials can be used to make embroidered art. The materials that are employed are different in different places. Most popular are fabrics such as wool, silk and linen, which have been used for hundreds if not thousands of years. Today, a very wide range of older, traditional fabrics, as well as newer synthetic fabrics are in use in embroidered artwork. Thread for embroidery work is manufactured from many different materials, such as cotton, silk, rayon and so on.

Embroidered art remains very popular today because of its attractiveness and durability. A design that has been embroidered onto a piece of fabric will be able to withstand the passing of time and stresses put upon it. It is also a popular mode of decoration because of its traditional roots; it is a good way to keep contact with the practices of ancient cultures.