The Return of Embroidery

Here at Craft Insurance we have seen an exciting resurgence in a wide variety of traditional crafts over the last decade. Over the next few months we will be running a set of blog posts to showcase these, explaining their history and development and pointing you in the direction of some inspiring crafters who have built successful business upon these skills. In today’s post we’re delighted to be looking at the ancient and intricate art of embroidery.

What comes to mind when you hear the word embroidery? Maybe it’s a small Victorian girl, head bowed low as she works industrially over a meticulously stitched sampler. It could be your team motif machine stitched on your sports kit, uniting your particular squad of players. Or perhaps it is a beautifully hand stitched design of a favourite holiday haunt, bringing back memories of coastal walks and cream teas whenever you glance its way. It probably is not of a man finding fulfilment in creating these complex pieces. However, while embroidery is mostly attributed to women and girls, it is not solely their domain. Both Henry Fonda, the dancer, and Gustav V King of Sweden, have admitted to their enjoyment of embroidery.

Embroidery can be described as the art of creating intricate and complex designs on fabric, using needle and thread. It comes from the French word, “broderie” meaning embellishment. It is commonly believed to have originated from China and the Near East, and to have spread as far as Europe by the Viking era. Samples have been found in Egyptian burial grounds dating from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It became popular in Europe from 1000AD during the rise of the Christian Catholic Church and associated royalty where it was used to embellish robes, decorate table cloths and create wall hangings. Possibly the most famous of these is the Bayeaux Tapestry, depicting the battle of Hastings in 1066 where William of Normandy conquered King Harold, thus establishing French rule, culture and language in England. It is a truly spectacular hanging, with incredible detail and story telling ability.

If you have visited your local museum, the chances are there will be a few samplers, framed and hanging in a darkened room to prevent spoilage. These might be the most commonly known form of embroidery and those of us of a certain age may even remember having made a small cross stitch square sampler or smaller bookmark at school. The word sampler has Latin and French roots, meaning “an example”. This was exactly the purpose of the original samplers in Tudor England; in days before mass printing made pattern books a possibility, women used to record stitches and patterns on long pieces of fabric, to be used for reference at a later date. In the seventeenth century they became the mode whereby girls practiced stitching the alphabet; this was necessary to mark and embellish linen. In the eighteenth century working samplers almost became a right of passage for girls as they prepared for womanhood. Rather than being long pieces or linen rolled away for reference use only, they became pieces of artwork, to be displayed on the walls of their homes. Girls were not only stitching letters, but other motifs and designs. Religious depictions were popular as, interestingly, were maps. These became so sought after that printed, ready to stitch versions were made available. (An example of an early crafting business based on popular demand!). It was around this time that wool as well as linen was used as background material. As we reach the nineteenth century, working a cross stitch sampler became an exercise for girls in schoolrooms across the country. The coming of the Industrial Revolution, the beginnings of machine embroidery and the availability of cheaper cloth made this skill available to all; no longer was it just for the upper classes of society. The huge social upheaval that followed the First World War could have caused this rich tradition to slip into insignificance. However, a dedicated group of needlework schools and art guilds kept embroidery skills alive and now, almost another century later, we are thrilled to see modern crafting business thriving on the skills and heritage of embroidery.

So why is making hand embroidery such a popular basis for crafting businesses? In itself it is pleasurable and satisfying. Start up costs are low, it is easily transferable (ie it can be carried in a bag and picked up throughout the day), and there seems to be an increasing demand for it. Many tips for starting up are similar to those for any small crafting business, so have a root around our previous helpful blogs. Specifically though, you will need some basic supplies; fabric, embroidery silks, needles, embroidery hoops, marker pens and scissors. You will also need to find your niche, a product area which is unique to you. You will need to develop a marketing strategy and find some selling outlets, either in person or online.

It is also important to set good business foundations in place so you are then free to concentrate on the creative side of your business. Having the correct insurance is one of these. One question we are often asked is what is product liability insurance? There are several types of insurance it is advisable to have in place as you are starting out, and this is one of them. So, what is product liability insurance? It covers you for any completely unforeseeable occurrence in which a customer might claim that your product has caused harm, or not met expectations and make a claim against you. Even if it is not your fault, it will cover your legal defence costs and compensation. Give us a call or drop us a line and either Naomi or Sam will be able to answer not only what is product liability insurance? but also any other questions you have regarding the insurance building blocks of a new business. In the meantime, we look forward to hearing about how you are taking the rich heritage of embroidery and giving it a unique twist for your contemporary customers.

If you are interested in following some modern day embroidery influencers on Instagram why not follow the work of @brwnpaperbag_stitch, @mrxstitch, @jessicalongembroidery and @tessa_perlow?

We would also like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a really Happy Christmas and a wonderful, prosperous New Year.