Embroidery

Embroidery is a textile technique in which a carrier material ( fabric, leather, paper) is decorated by swiping or sewing threads. There are a plurality of embroidery techniques.

A special form is the quill embroidery.

• 2.1 Cross Stitch
• 2.2 Gold Embroidery
• 2.3 Bargello
• 2.4 Kilim
• 2.5 tapestry
• 2.6 needle painting
• 2.7 Ajour embroidery
• 2.8 Richelieu
• 2.9 Hardanger
• 2:10 Sashiko
• 2:11 Quillarbeit

• 3.1 Yarn
• 3.2 Needles 3.2.1 hand sewing needle
• 3.2.2 machine needle

History of Embroidery

Maintained by the Chinese since ancient times, embroidery was also known to the ancient Indians and Egyptians. This went into decorating their drawings also do not have geometric figures, whereas the Assyrians first introduced animal and human figures on their subsequent smooth clothes and curtains for display. Of them learned the Greeks and of these the Romans, who called the Phrygian embroidery work. In the Middle Ages it was cultivated in the monasteries in the service of the cult of sacred vestments and altar clothing ( vestments ).

Her work has been surpassed by the 11th century by Arab art institutions. Rare examples of how a German imperial coronation mantle, still bear witness to the height of that embroidery art. With the spiritual education and the art of embroidery came into secular hands. It was only in England, but later in Burgundy she reached in the 14th century, the highest training and has since slowly come down to our time quite into decay, where she received to the general uplift of arts and crafts their share and now a sympathetic care, in part by larger studios ( Bessert - Nettelbeck in Berlin), finds.

The embroidery decorated not only, but often covers the you applied to tangible substance entirely; one could then distinguish white and colored embroidery, although in the latter sometimes the reason remains free.

Colorful embroidery

Stained embroidery can be placed either on a dense ground on canvas, cloth, silk, leather, or on a specially -crafted to, sieve-like perforated fabric, canvas, hemp, linen, cotton, silk also. On canvas the ordinary cross stitch and its variants ( gobelin, Webstich ) are mainly performed as well as the very fine petit point stitch, which very delicate, mosaic-like visual art allows. Less cumbersome than the latter, but better than the cross stitch to figurative representation suitable is the satin stitch with which the medieval works are made almost entirely of dense ground. During the petit point stitch is made ​​with only silk threads are used usually dyed wool for the other stitch types, albeit with them silk, gold thread and are not excluded even occasionally, with sewn beads. Other types of embroidery are: the chain stitch, in which each stitch is made ​​twice by the thread from the bottom up and through the same hole back again, a loop -forming, by which he, having come through a new hole back up is drawn; the lock stitch, wherein on the lower side of the fabric, a long pass is made ​​, on the upper side by a half of the extension of the same again use is made so that on the lower side of each stitch is twice as long as the above; in the reverse application creates the stem stitch. Still other types of stitch ( stitch braiding, double stitch, lattice stitch, Moorish, Spanish stitch) are at Lipperheide old Italian linen embroidery pattern ( Berl. 1881-85, 2 vols ), described.

The type of highly famous in the Middle Ages gold embroidery, so brought forth wonderful effect, as seen in the still preserved in Vienna so-called Burgundian vestments ( chasubles ) from the 15th century, is technically very different from ours. While now the gold threads as other threads are treated, you put it earlier parallel to each other and sewed them down with overlay stitches. Now on the ground so only formed the actual embroidery was set with satin stitch, through which the gold gleamed through ( relief embroidery ). Today gold and silver jug Tille embroidery approaches already beadwork. This row by row sewing cheaper glass beads has the fact that it makes the raw material heavy and inflexible, contributed much to the decline of art. The sketch of the pattern is for the artistic value always important that rarely is now the invention of the artificer embroidery. The preparation of the samples has become a special branch of industry Dessinateure or pattern artists, however.

A special type of embroidery is still the Tamburieren that does not happen with the sewing needle, but with the crochet hook, like on the back of the hand fine Glaceehandschuhe. Furthermore, now fine leather goods, especially in America, very delicate decorated by produced on the sewing machine lockstitch.

White embroidery

The white embroidery, apart from the name embroidery, drawing the wash, (hence also called linen embroidery ) is limited to decorating the laundry and the table finished in linen or cotton. In the so-called French or Huguenot Weißstickerei prevails over the satin stitch, delivered in the English of the perforated work Bindlochstich; but come in two nor the Languettenstich and various fancy stitches used. The Venetian white embroidery, in places, the reason will be removed after work, so that the broken places are filled by fine Fadenverschlingungen, streaks already close to the top stitching. The white embroidery is in western Europe more thing the industry; in Germany it is in the Saxon Vogtland, especially in Plauen ( forerunner of Plauen lace ), and the adjacent areas of the Ore Mountains and located in Bavaria Upper Franconia and indeed in the most extensive way with embroidery machines ( qv) operated. The traditional form this elaborate handwork is operated in Germany even today in the Schwalm in northern Hesse. The center of the German Machine embroidery is the city of Plauen and the surrounding area, which was known by the Plauen lace since 1890.

Hair embroidery

In hair embroidery is used instead of yarn human hair, particularly fine because of its thin, glossy smoothness similar to embroidery allows such tissue embroidery.

This type of embroidery is still practiced in China, where it originated over 1300 years ago in the province of Jiangsu.

About embroidered with human hair in the 19th century has also been reported from Mexico, as well as from France and Germany.

Techniques

Cross Stitch

In this technique, small crosses are embroidered on a countable fabric. Here, first, an oblique stitch is made ​​, then about a second at an angle of 90 degrees to it. Embroiders you several crosses in a row, so to embroider first all lower stitches next to each other and then the upper stitches in a back row above.

For this technique, it is useful to use a substance that is coarsely woven and has countable fibers.

Gold embroidery

The gold embroidery is next to the beadwork, the most precious stick form. This ornaments are applied on a textile backing with gold thread. This is primarily for the manufacture of trimmings and is used for vestments liturgical vestments.

Bargello

Florentine and embroidery, a whole area covering the embroidery in which the stitches are made ​​in parallel to the yarn path between two and five cross strings. By slightly moving the stitches abstract zigzag or curve patterns. Oldest detectable application on chairs of the 17th century in the library of the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, after the technique is named.

Kilim

The Kelimstich and its modification, the stem stitch, form patterns that look like knitted. The Kelimstichmuster has horizontal ribs; from the stem stitch are perpendicular. Both patterns are made up of rows of diagonal stitches, which run opposite the stitches in every other row. When stem stitch back stitches are worked between the Kelimstichreihen. Both stitches are suitable for large and small pattern areas.

Tapestry

The needlepoint is an imitation of tapestry, named after the Manufacture des Gobelins. In contrast to the knitting technique that gives rise to color surfaces by placing different colored weft yarns in the warp threads taut, the crosshairs of the carrier material are stitched diagonally with colored embroidery thread in the tapestry embroidery. The character of the image is determined by the skillful stitch by stitch assembling with few colors. For murals, for pillows and other decorative handicrafts special Stramingewebe is embroidered with tapestry embroidery thread made ​​of pure wool in general. In stores, there are specially prepared stick packs, which contain both the canvas on which the motif may already be printed, as well as embroidery thread. Gobelin Stitch: called with the very simple, even half cross stitch, embroidery technique is the subject field completely embroidered on the substrate, with always running in the same direction diagonal surges of the crosshairs. The quality of the finished handiwork is evident in the uniformity of the stitches, which completely cover the substrate.

Needle painting

This is called needle painting when color transitions are generated in the illustrations that are reminiscent of paintings. When the needle painting satin stitches are interlocked razor and nuanced in fine shades of color. The stitches will be set tight, the direction of the stitches follows the shape of the pattern. The needle painting is often combined with stem stitches, split stitches and nodules stitches.

As embroidery material is particularly suitable untwisted, little twisted silk. It may also wool, chenille or web use.

Ajour embroidery

Under Ajourstickerei refers to a piece of embroidery, are drawn together in a thread loosely woven fabric threads, there arise breakthroughs. The edges do not have to be serged, since the apertures can only be achieved by the contraction of the threads. With different stitch variations to get to various kinds of breakthroughs that still can then be filled with other top stitches. Famous examples of this embroidery was the Dresden lace and embroidery from Ayrshire Scotland.

Traditional embroideries were embroidered in white only.

Richelieu

A still popular form of white embroidery is the so-called Richelieu or cutout embroidery. In this case (also Languetten or Schlingstich called ) is with Festo stitch the edge line or the edge of the hole nachgestickt thick. Then, the material can be cut away carefully under the edge of the Festo stitch on the outer edge or in the hole. This embroidery was called by Cardinal Richelieu, who let them introduce a cheaper substitute for the elaborate needle tip.

Hardanger

Hardanger embroidery technique is a special breakthrough embroidery technique.

Sashiko

Japanese Verziertechnik

Quillarbeit

Quillarbeit is a Verziertechnik used by Indians.

Aid

Yarn

To embroider one uses special yarns. The most commonly used today are Sticktwist and pearl cotton. Sticktwist is 6- ply and can be cut up for fine embroidery in thinner strands. Pearl Cotton is indivisible, but it is shiny and has a smoother surface. However, other materials can be embroidering and were also verstickt in past centuries, for example Seidenfilament, twisted silk yarn, narrow silk ribbon, wool yarn, cotton ( sew ) yarn or fancy yarns like chenille.

Embroidery Needles

Needles are the most important and most basic working tool for sewing and embroidering. A sewing and embroidery needle is generally a specially shaped metal pin with an eye or an incorporated hooks can be pierced to the fabric. The needles are provided with one or two tip (s). Through the eye is the sewing and embroidery thread, also known as needle thread drawn / threaded. By the hook of the hook needle ( needle for crank and chain stitch machines ) can be detected and thus allows stitch formation after piercing of the material or the soil stick a thread loop.

There are five basic types of needles:

• Single-pointed sewing or embroidery needles for hand work with the eye in the shaft of the needle,
• Bicuspid needles for hand embroidery machines with the eye in the center of the needle,
• öhrspitzige needles for sewing and embroidery machines,
• Hook needles for chain stitch embroidery machines or crank,
• Special needles for embroidery machines such as, for oriental embroidery machines, tufting machine, etc.

Hand sewing needle

Needles for hand sewing and embroidering are elongated thin straight or curved metal pins that terminate at one of the ends in a tip and have an eye at the other end. There they

• With round tip for countable fabric ( Aida, canvas, etc.) and
• With pointed tip for feinfädigere substances.

In addition, there are different sizes. The fine-threaded the fabric, the thinner the needle used should be. The needle diameter, the length of the needle and the eye ( size and shape) are designed differently for use as sewing or embroidery needle and thread to be processed. Embroidery needles are usually shorter and have a longer and larger eye on.

The single pointed sewing needle was for centuries the most important tool for sewing and embroidering.

Machine needle

Sewing machine needles are öhrspitzige needles, ie the eye is in the area of the needle tip. Since sewing or embroidery threads in machine needles with each stitch glide through the eye, the eyelets have a special form. They must be formed so as to be processed is not damaged and that the needle thread can be avoided with a high number of stitches per unit time yarn breakage.

The needles for embroidery machines are available today in a variety of special models with different shape and configuration of the eye, the top surface of the material, etc.. Be and also when the machine Fädelhaken, also called Fädelhäkchen used - for threading the needle thread into the eye during the operation of shuttle embroidery - Gangfädeln.

Stick reason

Depending on the technique used, there are various materials which are suitable for stitching. For cross-stitch the fabric should be countable for needle painting, this is not necessary, however. Countable substances include Aida fabric, canvas or linen. Not suitable for any kind of embroidery on the other hand are stretch fabrics.

Hoop

To the substance does not contract by the embroidery and to avoid distortions in the pattern must be preloaded, the fabric taut in an embroidery hoop. This is round and generally consists of an inner and an outer ring, between which the material is laid.

Heavy materials or substances such as a gold embroidery receive, need a squared frame, which consists of a spar and two perforated slats. The fabric must be sewn to the spars as a rectangle may be rolled up on the bars and then with the perforated slats, which are guided by the spars, tension. This allows even large format embroidery realize very well without distortion.

Visual aids

Especially for fine embroidery, it is helpful to use a magnifying glass mounted on a pivoting arm. These magnifiers are also available with integrated lamp.

Embroidery

Patterns are mostly on paper or fabric printed or embroidered templates for embroidery.