The history of embroidery dates back to many centuries. In a way, theyare actually “painting by needle”, thus, giving freedom to theartisans to conduct experiments with embroidery. The mere look of theintricate 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 ashape 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 ofdiversity 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. Denver, Colorado and the greater Denver front range metro area. The invention of embroidery machines devastated the hand embroidery industry, causing major economic crises in many parts of the world. It is the common allegation that machine embroidery has to go with.It may have been true in that era when most of the people were adept in hand embroidery. Gradually, machine embroidery has developed as an individual art. The machine embroidery involves as much dedication and technique as hand embroidery. The speed may have increased but the patterns are still the same. The representation may be different, themes are still the same. The motifs can be floral, religious, natural surroundings, geometrical or realistic, the fineness comes with practice as in any other art. In the beginning, it may have been the imitation of the handwork,contemporary machine embroidery is an original, unique art form. Digitizing: Digitizing is the process of taking any form of art work and transforming it into a language that the sewing machine will understand and stitch it out. Digitizing is a complex process which uses the machines running, satin and fill stitchesto create an embroidery design. Digitizing is for someone who enjoys a challenge and wants to create their own designs. It requires many steps from starting with a simple clip art to a stitched out design. Digitizing Software is needed for this process Conversion Software: Conversion Software converts a design from one format to another so that it can be read by a different machine than it was digitized for. For Example; Bernina designs are in ART format, in order for a BabyLock machine to read the design, it needs to be in PES format. Conversion software is needed to change the design form ART format to PES format. Customizing or Editing: Customizing allows you to edit and manipulate a design. Merging two designs is an example of customizing. Software is required. What is Hooping? Hooping is the process of putting the fabric you want to embroider into a machine embroidery hoop. It is not as simple as it sounds. Stabilizing and tightness are very important. Unlike hand embroidery, the fabric MUST stay put in the same position while the machine embroiders the design. If the fabric moves, the design will not stitch out correctly. The border not lining up with the rest of the design is a common tell tale that the fabric moved.The simplest way to think of hooping, is that the hoop is acting as your presser foot as the machine embroiders. It is the only thing holding your fabric in place.Some machines are "Embroidery Only" machines. These machines are solely devoted to doing machine embroidery. They do not do the work of a regular sewing machine.Other machines, the higher end of the market, offers machines that can do any and everything. They usually have a removable embroidery unit so the machine will meet any sewing need! hread Breaks> - Causes: incorrect needle, burrs in needle eye, hook or throat plate, machine threaded incorrectly, incorrect needle bar height, tension adjustment needed, bent needle, machine needs lubrication, lint buildup, incorrect digitizing causing design to be too dense in an area, need for a silicon spray due to friction caused by thick fabrics or fabrics with treatments, pooling of thread which causes portions of the spool to wind off improperly - use Incredible Tape to prevent thisNeedle Breakage - Causes: timing needs adjusting for needle and hook point, needle in machine incorrectly, bent or dull needle. Thread Pileups on back of fabric- Causes: tension adjustment needed, machine incorrectly threaded.Stitching not following pattern outline - Causes: bent needles, loose hoop in frameFlat stitching - Causes: tension tightness, topping film necessary on fabrics with a pile Pigtailing - Cause: Top tension tootight Skipped stitches - Causes: wrong bobbin timing, incorrect needle sizePuckering - Causes: tension too tight, backing not hooped the same tension as fabric, fabric hooped too tightly, needles not sharp enough, density of design too thick and needs to be increased in size slightly The following definitions were taken from the Dictionary of Needlework by S. F. A. Caulfield and B. C. Sawaed. A book I picked up at last years Pennsic. I have shortened the definitions a bit, so if you would like to read the long version let me know and I will bring the book to a meeting or practice.

Chain Stitch - One of the most ancient of embroideries, and first brought from the East. It was known to the workers of Europe of the middle ages, and much of the celebrated Opus Anglicanum was simply chain stitch. When worked with a hook, and not with a needle it was known in later times as Tambour Work.

Breton Work - An ancient embroidery long practiced in Brittany, and still found on the best garments of the peasants. Like most ancient work, chain stitch forms the basic motif, but satin stitch, Point Lance, and Point Russe can also be introduced. The foundation material is either of cloth or silk, the embroidery in colored silks and gold and silver thread. The work is usually made for borders of garments. Breton work is also used for ornamenting necktie ends and book markers. Also known as Breton embroidery.

Braiding - From the Saxon bredon, to braid or plait together. Braiding has for many centuries been a form of ornamental needlework, gold plaits having been found in British Barrows and ornaments of braidwork are seen upon the pictured dresses of the ancient Danes.

Berlin Work - Modern name given to the Opus Palvinarium, also known as Cushion Style and Point de Marque. Work was prevalent during the 13th and following centuries but then chiefly used for kneeling mats and cushions in churches, as it was more durable than embroidery. Fine example of a church still left us, the Sion cope, date 1225, the border of which is worked in cross stitch upon canvas. During the 15th and 16th centuries Tent Stitch was more used than cross stitch, and it was called canvas work until present.

Darned Embroidery - Are needlework practiced in Europe during the 16th and two following centuries, but originally of Oriental origin. Patterns used in the earlier centuries are diaper arrangements as backgrounds to more important work.

Point Tresse - Up to the 10th century a lace was occasionally made from human hair, and probably originated in the custom, during the barbarous ages, of forming the beards and hairs of the vanquished into fringes wherewith to adorn the mantels of the conquerors.