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Study Guide in BYTLED 104 Arts in Daily Living Module No.

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO.___

MODULE OVERVIEW

Chinese embroidery has a long history since the Neolithic age. Because of the quality of silk fibre, most
Chinese fine embroideries are made in silk. Some ancient vestiges of silk production have been found in
various Neolithic sites dating back 5,000–6,000 years in China.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. What is Embroidery?
Embroidery, art of decorating material, primarily textile fabric, by means of a needle and thread (and
sometimes fine wire). The basic techniques include crewel work, needlepoint, cross-stitch
embroidery, and quilting, as well as quillwork and featherwork.
2. History of Embroidery
While embroidery is practiced across the world, its origin stems from China and the Near East. Early
embroidery can actually be traced back to Cro-Magnon days or 30,000 B.C. Archeological finds from
this time period reveals fossilized remains of heavily hand-stitched and decorated clothing.
3. Importance of Embroidery
Eye-hand coordination, color theory, design and planning skills area all developed by embroidery.
These skills easily build academic skills as well by improving fine motor skills, manual dexterity and
manipulative skills as well as a working understanding of art and life management skills.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS IN EMBROIDERY

Embroidery Hoops

An embroidery hoop holds your fabric taut and securely in place as you stitch, which allows for even stitching
and prevents puckering. Hoops come in many sizes, marked by their diameter in inches. For your project,
choose one that encircles the entire design. To mount fabric into the hoop, loosen the screw join and separate
the two rings; then, layer the fabric over the inner ring and press the outer ring down around the inner ring;
tighten the screw again, and this should secure your fabric in the embroidery hoop.

Scissors

You’ll want to keep a few types of scissors on hand for different tasks. For one, a pair of embroidery scissors
are small in size with a sharp point, making them perfect for snipping threads and removing unwanted
stitches. For another, fabric shears are good for cutting fabrics. All-purpose scissors are good for cutting out
patterns on transfer paper.

Embroidery Needles

Embroidery needles have a medium length with a long eye and sharp point. They come in sizes 1 to 12, with
1 being the largest and 12 being the smallest. They’re a solid go-to choose for general embroidery projects,
especially if you’re a beginner.

Sashiko Needles

A signature tool of the Japanese mending method, sashiko needles are long, sturdy, and specially made for
the running stitch. In other words, it is designed to let you load multiple stitches onto it before pulling it through

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Study Guide in BYTLED 104 Arts in Daily Living Module No.

the fabric. They come in a range of sizes; traditional one’s measure about 2 inches while modern ones tend to
be shorter and have a larger eye for easier threading.

Chenille Needles

Chenille needles have a larger eye and a sharp point, measuring thicker than embroidery needles. They come
in sizes 13 to 28, with 13 being the largest and 28 being the smallest. These needles are useful for chenille
embroidery, crewel embroidery, or any technique in which you need a large, long eye to accommodate thicker
thread.

Milliner Needles

Milliner needles have a small, roundish eye and a long shaft. They come in sizes 1 to 10, with 1 being the
largest and 10 being the finest. These needles are ideal for techniques that required wrapping thread around
the needle multiple times such as bullion knots, the drizzle stitch, or French knots.

Quilting Needles

Quilting needles have a small, roundish eye and a short shaft. They come in sizes 3 to 12, with 3 being the
largest and 12 being the smallest. They’re the needles of choice for traditional hand quilting because they
allow for quick, precise stitches between layers of fabric.

Tapestry Needles

Tapestry needles have an extra long eye and blunt point. They come in sizes 13 to 28, with 13 being the
largest and 28 being the smallest. Primarily used for cross stitch, these needles are good for fabrics that have
a looser weave or open holes for predetermined stitches.

Beading Needles

Beading needles have an extra small eye and long, flexible shaft. They commonly come in sizes 10 to 15, with
10 being the largest and 15 being the smallest. Due to their flexibility and fine size, they are the prime choice
for threading seed beads and other small holes.

Woven Fabric

As with needles and thread, there are endless options for choosing a fabric for your next embroidery. By far
the easiest, woven fabrics will hold their shape with added stitches and come in an array of materials: aids
cloth (a natural mesh good for cross stitch), muslin, linen, and canvas.

Felt

Felt has a thickness and texture that holds up well to embroidered stitches. It will not fray at the edges. It
comes in natural wool as well as synthetic fibers like rayon or acrylic.

Embroidery Floss

Embroidery floss (also called stranded cotton) is most popular and comes in a rainbow of colors. It consists of
six individual plies that can be separated or combined to achieve a thickness that best suits your project.

Pearl Cotton

Pearl cotton is also made of twisted strands, but they cannot be divided. It’s commonly packaged in both
spools and skeins. Because of its heavier textured feel, line stitches—like the stem stitch or chain stitch—
usually sit higher up on the fabric, making it a good choice for surface embroidery.

Silk Thread

Soft and fine, silk thread is ideal for embroidery. Of all the natural fibers, silk is not only the strongest, but it
also has the highest sheen. The prime benefits to working with silk are that it doesn’t leave holes, takes well to

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Study Guide in BYTLED 104 Arts in Daily Living Module No.

dyes, and comes in two forms: spun (heavier strands) or filament (single strand).

Wool Yarn

This natural fiber is long-lasting, colorfast, and wears well over time. For embroidery, wool thread is
categorized into three main varieties: fine crewel yarn, divisible 3-ply Persian wool, and tapestry wool (the
latter of which is most commonly used).

Satin and Rayon Floss

Satin and rayon threads are both synthetics with a high sheen. While they glide easily through fabric and stay
soft even at high stitch counts, they are not recommended for machine embroidery.

Over-Dyed Thread
EARNING CONTENTS
As its name implies, “over-dyed” non-divisible thread features multiple colors that harmoniously progress from
one to the other. This is differentiated from variegated thread or floss, which features subtle shades of a single
color.

Metallic Thread

Metallic thread is used to enhance embroidery with added shine, and they come in colors of gold, silver, and
platinum as well as antiqued finishes. These threads can be delicate and fairly difficult to handle, so it’s best to
work with shorter lengths.

Novelty Embroidery

Beyond the basic embroidery floss and pearl cotton, there’s a wide assortment of specialty fibers available in
the market: glittered thread, multi-colored matte thread, even glow-in-the-dark thread—often as polyester.
Experiment freely, but just remembers to pair your thread with the right size needle.

Ribbon

Ribbon, as it is used in ribbon embroidery, adds bright luster and dimension to floral designs, romantic
vignettes, and more. Silk and satin are the preferred material, since it glides smoothly with every stitch of the
hand.

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