
The history of embroidery dates back to many centuries. In a way, they
are actually painting by needle, thus, giving freedom to the
artisans to conduct experiments with embroidery. The mere look of the
intricate embroidery patterns add elegance & grace to the product.
It manifolds the quality of the product's fabric. It even exhibits the
varied rich culture through its patterns & designs.
Embroidery gives a face lift to the product's fabrics. Additional like
skins, furs, laces & ribbons, to name a few, helps in enhancing the
overall look. The main role is played by needle and thread for giving a
shape to the designs. Be it any type of fabric ranging from woven cloth
of cotton, wool and silk to even leather. Embroidery patterns have been
used to adorn any product.
The legacy of embroidery has its roots in different parts of the world.
Be it Chinese, Egyptian, European or Indian culture, all have their own
saga to describe. There were constant experimentation in this field such
as appliqué decoration with leather and beads. Persia, Babylon,
Israel, Phoenicia, and Syria were the main centers as per the ancient
history. The legacy has continued till date though the production
technique has undergone a tremendous makeover.
Indian embroidery differed from others due to the usage of natural
colors for dying. The variety is apparent in Indian embroidery with so
much of diversity in the culture. Be it the 'bagh' or 'phulkari' stitch
of Punjab, the darn stitch of Kashmir or the 'chikan' work of Uttar
Pradesh, the 'kasauti' stitch of Karnataka or stitches of Kutch. They
are all unique in their own way. Nature and religion are the main source
of inspiration for Indian embroidery.
Themes and motifs have remained as such for centuries. Even in the
prehistoric civilization probably it was the same (embroidery needles
have been found in excavations). The patterns have always been floral,
animals, geometric and religious. Each embroidery style has its own
history and a story of development.
Embroidery is now not just an expression, it is the means and art of
decoration; decoration of clothes, bed covers, furnishings, almost
anything that one can think of in fabric.
Types
Embroidery has varied categories depending upon the kind of embroidery
work required.