Designing Embroidery Patterns

Here is a great textile and embroidery resource for anyone interested in historical embroidery, counted thread techniques, or costuming. This site has it all embroidery designs, fashion plates of historical costumes, and lots of interesting articles and tidbits about historical textiles.

Embroidery is the handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. Today, embroidery is most often seen on caps, hats, coats, blankets, dress shirts, denim, stockings, and golf shirts. Embroidery is available with a wide variety of thread or yarn color.

The basic techniques or stitches on surviving examples of the earliest embroidery chain stitch, buttonhole or blanket stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, cross stitch remain the fundamental techniques of hand embroidery today.