Embroidery tools, materials and stitches are essential for creating quality embroidery work. Correct tools like needles, thread, fabric and hoops help achieve the best results. There are many different types of embroidery stitches that each have their own unique properties and uses. Learning various stitches like running, chain, satin and stem stitches allows one to embellish fabrics for personal and decorative purposes. Proper use of tools, materials and stitches are key to embroidery's development as an art form.

1. EMBROIDERY TOOLS, MATERIALS
AND STITCHES

2. ■ DEVELOPMENT OF PHILIPPINE EMBROIDERY
Embroidery is the ornamentation of textiles and other
materials with needlework for personal use and decoration not only
at home but for offices as well. The term embroidery is an English
word derived from the old French embroiders meaning edge and
border.
Embroidery was introduced into the Orient by the
Netherlanders in the 15th century. It was bought by the Spaniards
into the Philippines where it has made a wonderful growth and work
done it rivals the best work done in Switzerland, a country noted for
its exquisite embroidery.
Embroidery reached its highest development during the middle
ages. The nuns in the convents were the first to make articles with
embroidery work during their leisure

3. ■ time. Since then, it became so popular that women started to
enjoy it, creating designs of their own. In the beginning
embroiderers were done by hand. But since the advent of
technology and invention of the sewing machine , people are now
engaged in the machine embroidery.
The high quality of embroidery in the Philippines is partly due
partly due to its history and another to its native talent. Although
it is always difficult to pinpoint the origins of an ancient art form,
the Philippines early exposure to Chinese and Indian artistic
traditions may explain the features of its embroidery.
Iron needles were a major Chinese import to the

4. ■ Islands of the Philippines in the early 13th century. In the days of
the Manila-Acapulco trade, 1565-1815, the embroidered silk
shawls of Canton were loaded onto the galleons headed for
Mexico. Eventually, they became known as mantones de Manila
(Manila shawls) even if they were done in China. This is not to say
that Filipino themselves were not doing embroidery. In fact,
according to the Jesuit Pedro Murillo Velarde(1934), embroidery
was one of the handicraft perfected by the Filipinos.
Today , because of the fast growth of the industry, elegance of
designs and fineness of workmanship, Filipinos export articles
with embroidery work.

5. Embroidery work is best achieved if correct tools and materials are
used.
Design- arrangement of line, form, color, and texture with the
purpose of achieving order and beauty.
Embroidery- the method of putting or embellishing a fabric with
stitched designs.
Embroidery stitches- stitches are grouped into different types, each
offering different effects and uses for embroidery.
Fabric- any woven , knitted or felt cloth.
Thread- a very fine cord composed of strand or strands of spun silk,
flax, or cotton used in sewing.

6. TOOLS:
Gauge- use to measure Tape measure-use for
Short distance. Measuring more than
one foot distance .

7. ■ Thimbles- it is made from
metal or plastic , it protect
the middle finger and push
the needle while doing your
embroidery work.
■ Embroidery hoop/ stiletto- it is
made of wood , metal or plastic.
It is use to make eyelets in the
fabric to be embroidered. It is
also use to keep the fabric
stretched while embroidery
stitches are applied on the
design.

8. ■ Embroidery scissors- a small,
sharp, and pointed-good for
fine work use for trimmings
scallops, and clipping threads,
and cutting large eyelets.
■ Needle threader- is use for
easier threading especially by
those sewers with poor eyesight.

9. ■ Pounce- is a fine powder used in transferring design by pricking
method.

10. ■ Embroidery needles- a short pieces of steel with a fine point at one end
and a little opening or eye at the other. The kind of embroidery work to
do and the kind of thread to use are two things to be considered in
choosing your needle.
■ Needles should always have a fine tip so that they can easily move in
and out of the fabric. Do not use a needle which is bent, without a
point or rusty. This will affect the regularity and needles or make pins
last longer by rubbing them with an abrasive material such as
sandpaper or heavy wool.
■ Keep in mind that pins and needles are one of the most inexpensive
notions used. Simple care and knowing when to discard them are the
key. It is recommended to discard your needle after eight hours of use;
usually when threads or fibers start breaking and you feel it pulling on
your fabric instead of gliding through it.

11. EMBROIDERY NEEDLES

12. TYPES OF EMBROIDERY NEEDLES
■ Crewell- are sharp-pointed,
medium length with large eyes
for easy threading, they are used
for most standard embroidery
stitchery. Sizes 1-10.
■ Chenille- are also sharp-pointed
needles but they are thicker and
longer and have larger eyes. They
are the types of needles
appropriate for embroidery that
is worked with heavier yarns.
Sizes 13-26.

13. ■ Tapestry needle- they are similar
in size to chenille but are blunt
rather than sharp. This makes
them best for thread-counting
embroidery and for needle point
as well. Sizes 13-26.
■ Water color brush- use for
transferring the design using
pricking and pouncing method.

14. ■ Pin cushion-a place for pins and
needles.
■ Tracing paper-used for tracing
designs.

15. ■ Sewing box- use to keep
together the embroidery tools
and materials.
■ Bag- used to keep the work
clean, have a bag made of
washable material to hold your
work .

16. MATERIALS
■ Fabric-sometimes referred to as cloth, are great variety and they differ in
material, weight, weave, design, color and finish.
THREE TYPES OF FABRIC
1. Common weave- includes most tightly woven fabrics with a relatively
smooth surface like linen, wool, and cotton. They are best used for
articles with decorative stitches.

17. 2. Even weave-are intended for hardanger embroidery since the number
of threads per square inch is same for both warp and woof.

18. 3. Basket weave- is commonly used by beginners and ramie linen by
those who have been used to this embroidery. It supplies guidelines for
cross stitch and smocking having an evenly spaced pattern like gingham
cloth and polka dots.

19. ■ Gingham cloth polka dot
■
■ ramie linen
■

20. 2. thread- it is available in various types. They differ in terms of texture,
fiber content, number of strands and colors. Threads are usually coded in
numbers and color names. They can be bought in skeins, ball or spools.
The color of the thread should suit the color texture of the design and the
fabric to be embroiders.

21. DIFFERENT STITCHES
1.Running stitch- a simple needlework stitch consisting of a line of small
even stitches that run in and out through the cloth without overlapping. It
is also considered being the easiest stitch for outlining.

23. 3. Bullion stitch- is a decorative technique that is worked by twisting a
thread around a sewing needle several times before inserting the needle
into the cloth. Short bullion stitches are sometimes called bullion knots.

24. 4. Chain stitch- a continuous series of looped stitches that form a
chain. One of the more popular stitches used for outlining.

25. 5. Twisted chain stitch-is a variation of the basic chain stitch. You worked
it the same way except for one slight difference and that difference
makes the chain twist and form a rope-like chain.

26. 6. Fishbone stitch- is a kind of filling stitch which is ideal for
making leaves or feathers. It requires us to divide the pattern
into two and each side is filed alternately giving it a plated effect
in the center, thus ideal to make leaves or feathers.

27. 7. French knot- a decorative embroidery stitch made by looping the
thread two r more time around the needle, which is then inserted into
the fabric.

28. 8.Lazy daisy chain stitch- also called detached chain stitch, this
stitch is work in a circle to resemble the petals of a flower.

29. 9. Laced or whipped running stitch- is a stitch used with a line of
running stitches that are whipped with the same or a contrasting
thread. The needle creating the whipped running stitch does not
enter the ground material at all. It is also known as cordonnet stitch or
laced running stitch.

30. 10. Satin stitch-a solid filling that is used to cover a design area
with long, straight stitches worked very close together.

31. 11. Padded satin stitch- is a form of satin stitch, whereby the
stitches are used to cover a number of small isolated straight
stitches in the design area. This technique gives a raised effect.
The padded satin stitch is also called the raised satin stitch.

32. 12. Split stitch- is an embroidery technique that closely
resembles the chain stitch. The split stitch is formed when the
working thread, after a small straight stitch is taken backwards
underneath the ground cloth , but instead of coming up next to
the thread on top, the point of the needle ‘splits’ the working
thread, and the needle /thread is pulled through the split
portion.

33. 13. Stem stitch- is also known as the crewel stitch boasts of a
beautiful rope-like textured appearance that suits outlining an
embroidery design or creating Beautiful patterns. It is ideal for
defining stems of plants, stalks of flowers , etc. it can be sewed
on both straight and curve.

34. 14. Seed stitch- also known as the rice grain stitch. It is used as a
filler stitch. It is simple a series of straight stitches that are even
in size and evenly space apart but going in random direction.

35. 15. Couching stitch- it is also called couch stitch. A form of crewel
work in hand embroidery that is worked mostly on the surface of
the fabric using thread.