Embroidering A Tale
by Ulla Lavransdotter
http://www.fyiembroidery.com
Whose idea was it to embroider a story in pictures into a
beautiful tapestry? Where did decorating with thread start?
Back when cloth and clothing were simply one color
wrapped pieces of cloth like a kimono or a sari, it was
hard to tell one person's clothes from another. Then
someone got the idea to mark each person's clothes with
one, two, three knots of thread so you could tell them
apart. Very clever. As dyes were developed a different
color could distinguish Mom's clothes from Dad's or
Sister's from Brother's.
When that got boring, someone decided to sew a pattern
into the material and embroidery was born. In French,
embroidery is "point de marque" indicating its original
purpose. Patterns and colors multiplied and soon
embroidery was on tapestries, curtains and decorations,
not just clothing. Even the most common fabrics became
works of art with beautiful patterns and designs. France,
Japan, England and other countries developed their own
unique styles.
Embroidery is our own way of creating art on cloth.
Imagine the young Japanese girl, kneeling quietly at her
work. Men who aspired to earn a golden needle worked
up to 8 years as apprentices to learn their art. The unique
style of various countries eventually found their way to
the Americas where Latin America and the US developed
their own blend of threads and colors. Each country
expresses something all their own in the designs and
stories.
Back in ancient Egypt, white threads on white fabric have
been discovered that are at least 3000 years old. This
technique was developed into very intricate and elegant
designs in Western Europe that rivals even multi-colored
threads and various fabrics.
Church art, wall decorations and home furnishings
embellished with embroidery increased as time progressed.
When stories of lords and ladies, and historical and
Biblical tales showing heroes and their quests became
popular subjects for embroidery, the word came to also
mean "embellish a story." We can "tell a yarn" or "embroider
a tale." Meaning and variety flourished on fine cloth sold
by wealthy merchants to the gentry and nobility of the time.
Eventually cloth and thread became less expensive to make.
Cotton replaced muslin, linen and silk. So embroidery was
made available as a hobby and even a good income for the
poorer folks up to the 19th century. New and more vibrant
threads of color and fabrics are still being created today.
The women of the Victorian era might be shocked, but now
we have neon colors and not just pastels to work with.
Mothers and their daughters embroidered many things for
their homes, including pillowcases, seat cushions, piano
bench covers and kitchen decorations. Strong religious
themes were developed in Catholic schools and Protestant
church communities.
Today we have a huge variety of popular embroidery work to
choose from. Liquid paint, developed in the late 60s makes
it possible for those without nimble fingers to create artwork
on fabric much like embroidery, but easier to do if your skill
is in drawing. Purists may not care for this technique, but it
has its place among the butterfingers of the world.
Modern technology simplifies basic and repetitive
embroidering. Machines can now sew colors and patterns on
most anything. Linens, bath towels, purses, baseball caps
and more can be embroidered with initials and logos.
Advertising and sports teams make great use of machine
embroidery for letter jackets, shirts, and more. Mass-
marketed custom embroidery spreads the word for your
business or your team.
Of course, handmade fine gifts are still available at
renaissance festivals and craft fairs across the world.
Explore the true craftsmanship and individual designs at
home or abroad.
If you want a special gift you can commission an artist or
a company that specializes in custom design work. Ask for
your dog's name on his favorite cushion, your girlfriend's
initials on a blouse, even a nature scene you like for
your decorative hand towels. Anything you can draw or paint
can be embroidered. Use your imagination in finding
beautiful gifts and decorations.
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