Stitches in Time

Needlework is generally defined as decorative sewing and textile arts handicrafts. Anything that uses a needle for construction may be called needlework, and various techniques and disciplines date back thousands of years, to the Asian Warring States Period of the 5th Century BC. Multiple forms of needlework can include needle lace, quilting, appliqué, embroidery, crochet, knitting, tatting, braiding and tassel making, tapestry, needlepoint and bead weaving, both off and on-loom. For our purposes, we will focus principally on embroidery, including the techniques of long and short stitches, chain stitch, buttonhole or blanket stitch, running stitch, satin stitch and many more. It is noted despite their age these stitches and the tools required remain the fundamentals of hand embroidery today.