Why Learn Embroidery?

Here, you’ll learn more about the ways that you can benefit from embroidery and how it can enhance your life. Many people find embroidery to be a relaxing and meditative hobby as well as an impressive skill that turns plain textiles into beautiful works of art.

What is Embroidery?

Embroidery involves using needle and thread to stitch designs onto various textiles, often pillowcases, clothing (jackets, baby clothes, jeans, etc.) napkins, towels, hats, and bags. A hoop is a distinctive embroidery tool that is used to hold your fabric taut as you stitch. You can also embroider designs on plain pieces of fabric to display in your home, using the embroidery hoop as a frame to hold your artwork. Cross stitch is a popular form of counted-thread embroidery that involves creating X-shaped stitches on a grid or pattern. 

Hand embroidery is an ancient craft and art form, with some of the earliest surviving embroidered pieces found in the burial mounds of Scythians, a nomadic group of people originating from Southern Siberia around 900 BCE. Scythians (who some say may have inspired the "Game of Thrones" Dothraki tribe) may have been formidable horse warriors but they also thrived in the decorative arts; much of their clothing found by archaeologists is beautifully embroidered with intricate designs.

Fast forward to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, embroidery was a popular and socially acceptable form of artistic expression for women and was included in the education of young women in the wealthier classes. Embroidery as a craft was a mark of status since only affluent women had the time to sit and embroider for hours. Although some women, including Queen Charlotte and English Quaker poet and abolitionist Mary Knowles, could replicate great artworks with a needle and thread, embroidery was deemed a lower type of art than other forms such as painting. This was partly because it was considered "women's work" and thus deemed inferior by the patriarchy. 

Learn Embroidery

• Up to $20 off your first class
• 10% Reward Points
• Price lock guaranteed
  
• No added fees

Thousands of classes & experiences. As featured in Time Out.

Learn More

The Feminist Art Movement of the 1960s sought to reclaim feminine art forms and use them as a source of power in artistic expression. Women created subversive art using embroidery as their medium to advocate for women's rights and racial equality. Today, embroidery continues to be valued as a creative form of expression as well as a way to bring people together to teach and learn from each other. 

Benefits of Learning Embroidery?

Learning embroidery will provide you with the skills to create a vast array of projects to enjoy for yourself and share with others. In addition to creating embroidered artwork to hang on your wall, there are numerous types of fabric items you can embroider such as household items, accessories, and clothing. There are also endless possibilities for the designs you can embroider, with botanicals, monograms, lettering, animals, scenes from nature, and portraits being some of the most popular themes. Some embroiderers earn money by selling their designs and projects on websites like Etsy or Amazon Handmade. 

Many people also find embroidery to be a highly effective form of meditation and relaxation. A 2022 qualitative study by von Kürthyet. Al. Collected discursive data from five embroiderers over six months, finding that "embroidering can promote meaningful change through an intimate companionship of body, mind, and materials." Expressing oneself creatively combined with the physically repetitive act of stitching can center your mind and melt the stress away. 

Not only is it a productive and meditative skill to learn, but embroidery is also a great way to plug into a social network of fiber artists. You may be able to find local embroidery clubs that gather in your area through your local library or Facebook Groups. The Embroiderers' Guild of America (EGA) is a national embroidery organization that offers educational resources, events, and networking opportunities to its members. You can join a local chapter to attend meetings in your area and connect in-person and online with fellow embroiderers. 

Building Practical Skills

Are you looking for a hobby that will give you the skills to create a wide variety of projects for yourself and others? Learning embroidery will give you a practical skill with endless creative possibilities that is both impressive and fun to do. 

When beginning to learn embroidery, it's important to master the foundational skills before moving on to more advanced techniques. To learn the essential stitches as well as knots and edging techniques, individuals in the New York City area can attend Embroidery Basics: Making a Sampler at the 92nd Street Y on the Upper East Side. In this three-hour beginner class, you'll create a sampler with eight different stitches that you'll continue to use in your future embroidery projects. All materials are included.

The Brooklyn Craft Company also offers a beginner embroidery class at their space in Greenpoint. Beginner Cross Stitch will teach you how to master cross-stitch basics such as reading a pattern chart, what types of fabric, thread, and tools are needed, and how to frame your piece in an embroidery hoop. While learning the essentials, you'll create a cute mini-succulent pattern created by The Stitch Mill, an independent pattern designer in New York. All materials are provided and included in the cost of the class.

Earning Money

In addition to making gifts for friends and family, you can start a side business to earn money from your embroidery. People love to buy handmade items for their uniqueness and the hard work they represent. Etsy is a great website to sell your embroidery projects, with commonly sold embroidered items such as t-shirts, jackets, jeans, baby clothes and blankets, bags, shoes, towels, fabric headbands, and handkerchiefs. Or, you can sell your embroidery as beautiful artwork for people to display in their homes; floral, animal, and other scenes from nature are popular embroidered designs that make beautiful pieces of art.

Custom embroidery, monogramming t-shirts, for example, is another popular business on Etsy. New York City area residents who want to learn more about embellishing clothes can attend the Embroidery Workshop offered by the New York Sewing Center in Midtown. In this two-hour class open to all skill levels, you'll learn how to embellish a garment with a word or phrase in your own handwriting. Students are asked to bring their own articles of clothing to embellish, but the rest of the supplies and materials are provided. 

 If you want to grow your embroidery business beyond selling projects you've made, consider selling patterns you've created and/or embroidery kits that come with a pattern you've designed, fabric, thread, hoop, and needle. The Embroiderers' Guild of America has tips for creating your own embroidery pattern, including drawing it yourself (for the artistically inclined) or using embroidery design software that allows you to take any image and create a pattern for it. EGA members also have access to classes taught by experts who can show you how to create your own uniquely designed embroideries. 

Stress Relief

Many embroiderers find the act of stitching to be an extremely effective form of meditation and stress reliever. Focusing on a craft or getting lost in your art can help clear your mind and deter negative thoughts and feelings. Studies have shown that practicing mindfulness activities – exercises that ground you in the current moment and relax your mind – can generate psychological changes such as reducing stress and anxiety. 

Embroidery can be an effective form of art therapy – expressing yourself creatively as a means to meditate and relieve everyday stress, as well as to combat more serious psychiatric disorders. In a recent study, 13 adolescent females who had been hospitalized for a range of psychiatric disorders, attended embroidery group therapy sessions over the course of 12 months to 2 years. It was found that embroidery instilled calmness (from the repetitive action and focus) and could simultaneously provide a sense of control (working from a pattern) and a sense of freedom (creating abstract or freeform embroidery). 

According to CNN, Catherine Carey Levisay, a clinical neuropsychologist (and wife of Craftsy.com CEO John Levisay), says that crafting – whether sewing, knitting, cooking, drawing, photography, or any other craft – can boost our self-efficacy, our belief in our ability to produce results or meet certain expectations we have for ourselves. Finishing an embroidery project can give you a sense of pride and accomplishment that raises your confidence and self-worth.

Levisay also says that you use many different parts of your brain when you craft, which exercises your memory and ability to focus, similar to a crossword puzzle. A 2011 study of over 1,300 participants aged 70 to 89 found that craft activities (knitting, quilting, etc.), as well as computer activities, reading, and playing games, were associated with a decrease in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Crafting such as embroidery, has the added benefit of keeping our minds sharp as we age. 

To reap the stress-reducing benefits of embroidery, New York City-area residents can book Embroidery in 90 Minutes: Floral Monogram at the 92nd Street Y on the Upper East Side. In this low-pressure class for all skill levels, you'll learn two basic embroidery stitches as you create a simple and fun decoration to hang up in your home. All materials are provided, including an embroidery hoop, floss, needles, a tracing pen, and your choice of colored felt. 

Joining a Community

Learning embroidery will connect you to a large community of crafters, needleworkers, and fiber artists. In addition to making new friends, connecting with other embroiderers can help you grow your skills – learning from other more advanced embroiderers is a great way to acquire the skills needed for difficult embroidery patterns and techniques. 

If you're in the Chicago area and looking for a way to connect with other embroiderers and sewers, you can attend Sew Anastasia's 3 Hour Sewing Open Studio, either Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday nights. Sew Anastasia provides sewing and embroidery machines, sergers, dress forms, and large cutting tables for attendants to use for their own projects, as well as access to an expert who can answer your questions and help out when needed. The open studios foster a supportive environment in which teaching and learning from your fellow needleworkers is encouraged. 

Embroiderers in Chicago looking for community may also be interested in Linda Z's Sewing Center's 2-Day Hands-On "Embroidery TNT" Workshop. Participants of all skill levels will learn tips and techniques from Judy Fredenburgh, a Premier Floriani Educator. Students will receive materials for four projects, as well as free Creative Express embroidery software by Floriani, a trusted and popular brand in machine embroidery. If you don't own a machine, Linda Z's has machines available for participants to use. 

How to Start Learning Embroidery

There are several different ways to learn embroidery. If you enjoy self-paced learning, reading books and watching videos on embroidery may be appealing to you. YouTube has a plethora of videos on how to embroider that allow you to pause and rewind if you missed something. While DIY-style learning can teach you embroidery basics, learning from an expert instructor in-person or live online is a great way to advance your skills and grow your knowledge. 

Embroidery classes allow you to receive feedback in real time, which is particularly helpful while learning the many different stitches and intricate techniques used in needlework. In-person classes are often held at a sewing workshop/studio, craft store, or community center, while online classes can be taken from anywhere as long as there's Wi-Fi. While online classes allow students to work from the comfort of their own homes, you may have to supply your own materials and equipment; whereas in-person classes often provide embroidery supplies. 

If you are in the New York area, check out Embroidery Basics: Making a Sampler on the Upper East Side or Beginner Cross Stitch in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. These beginner classes will teach you the foundational skills you need to begin your journey in embroidery. Both classes include all materials. 

Key Takeaways

Now that you know all about embroidery, let's summarize the main points.

• Embroidery is an ancient craft that involves using a needle and thread to stitch designs onto fabric. 
• Many different textiles can be embroidered, some of the more popular ones being clothing, towels, napkins, handkerchiefs, pillows, and bags. 
• Embroidery can also be displayed as art in your home, often framed in an embroidery hoop. 
• Embroidery was included in a subversive art movement in the 1960s that sought to reconceptualize low-brow art and art created by women that have historically been undervalued. 
• Learning embroidery will give you a practical skill that allows you to create a wide variety of projects and has money-making potential.
• Many people find embroidery to be an effective form of meditation and stress reliever.
• Learning embroidery will plug you into a larger community of fiber artists; the Embroiderers Guild of America has local chapters that will connect you to other embroiderers in your area.
• You can learn embroidery by teaching yourself through books and videos but to truly hone your skills, consider taking an in-person or online class.
• You can contact CourseHorse to find options for online or in-person training, including private group sessions.