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Needlecraft Superior Embroidery Techniques!

WHAT IS EMBROIDERY?
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other
materials with designs stitched in strands of thread or yarn using
a needle.
Embroidery may also use other materials such as metal strips, pearls,
beads, quills, and sequins.
The word “embroidery” sometimes confuses people.
It is a term to describe all forms of needlework made with needle and
thread upon an embroidery fabric,including cross-stitch, needlepoint,
and samplers.
Actually, these techniques fall into the category of counted-thread work,
in which the stitcher follows a printed pattern on a chart or grid,
then counts the fabric threads to determine the exact placement of each
stitch.
Occasionally, an experienced embroiderer simply stitches directly onto
fabric using no pattern, creating a design much as a painter would paint
a canvas-an example of true artistic freedom!
Another name for this style of needlework is “surface”
embroidery, with the implication that the design-the thread,
actually-sits upon the surface of the fabric.
You may also encounter the term “flat” embroidery, which doesn’t really
take into consideration the raised effects of various knots, padded stitches,
and stitch overlays.
Traditional Chinese satin-stitch embroidery on a woman’s coat:
silk thread on silk fabric.

Types of embroidery!

Embroidery is classified according to the use of the underlying foundation fabric.
Embroidery styles can be described according to the relationship of stitch
placement to the fabric.

In free embroidery, designs are applied without regard to the weave of the
underlying fabric.
Examples include crewel and traditional Chinese embroidery.

In counted-thread embroidery, patterns are created by making
stitches over a pre-determined number of threads in the
foundation fabric.
Counted-thread embroidery is more easily worked on an even-weave foundation
fabric such as embroidery canvas, aida cloth, or specially woven cotton and
linen fabrics although non-even weave linen is used as well.
Examples include needlepoint and cross-stitch.

What we choose to call embroidery is free from these constraints, and is often
referred to as “free embroidery” to signify freedom from having to count fabric
threads.
Reduced to its most elemental essence, embroidery fills in shapes to make a picture,
using a variety of stitches.
Usually the picture already exists as an outline, either drawn directly onto the fabric,
or transferred by some other means You may follow this outline exactly or use it as an
informal guide, taking small liberties by making adjustments to suit individual idea’s.

Embroidery Fabrics fall into three categories.

The first group, common  weave (image below) common-weave fabrics includes most
tightly woven fabrics with ralatively smooth surface.
Although medium-weight linens and wool are the traditional preferences,fabrics
of other weights and fibres (such as cotton and synthetics)
are also acceptable as long as the working thread is not too heavy.
A coarsely woven cotton called head cloth is a common choice.
Most standard free-form embroidery (including crewel) is worked on common-weave fabrics.

Even weave fabrics the second classification, ( image below) are all plain weaves
with the number of thread per centimetre the same for both warp and weft.
One type,the single even-weave, is made from single strands of intersecting threads,
the thread count can vary from about 5 per centimetre (coarse) to about 15 per centimetre
(fine).
In Hardanger, another of the even weaves,pairs of threads intersect;9 pairs of threads
per centimetre is the usual count.
Still another type is Aida cloth, which consists of intersecting thread groups,
generally about 4 to the centimetre.
As a rule, even-weave fabrics are used for thread-counting techniques,such as blackwork
and openwork.They may be cotton, linen, wool, or blends with synthetics.

With the fabrics in the third group, woven patterned (image below) have in common is
a evenly spaced woven pattern that supplies guidelines for certain kinds of embroidery,
such as cross stitch and smocking.
Fabrics as damask or the pale brown floral pattern shown at the right allow embroidery
motif to be incorporated into their woven-in designs.

The list or embroidery fabrics is far from fixed-new ones are always appearing.
Printed fabrics can be used  for some free-form embroidery, but be careful:
the print design may not follow the straight grain of the fabric.Knits are rarely
satisfactory.