This section will introduce you to the different traditional embroideries and give a step-by-step guide to those embroideries. Every culture around the world had developed the art of needlework unique to themselves and laden with historical information. There had also been an exchange of the art of embroidery between cultures and countries over the ages and every time, it evolved into something newer!
The art with thread and needle has been an ongoing and evolving process. While many hand embroidery forms must already be extinct, many others have managed to pull through. Hand embroidery is now evolving with modern expressions. In short, hand embroidery has moved from being a mere necessity to being a form of art as well.
If you are absolutely new to the art of Hand Embroidery, then I recommend you to check the For Hand Embroidery Beginners section first.
Which traditional hand embroidery would you like to explore today?
hi sarah
your stitches are awesome.can you learn me kashmiri and sawati stitches?
Dear Hira,
check https://www.embroidery.rocksea.org/hand-embroidery/zalakdozi/zalakdozi-tutorial/ for one of the kashmiri stitches.
I will try to check on Swati or Phulakri embroidery and make a tutorial. It might take a bit time though.
Fantastic work!!! Great to see such elaborate work on the net and to learn from it!! Very inspiring would love to see images of application of your stitches…it would be good to see !!
Hi Sarah,
I’m so glad to have found a like minded ‘Sarah’ who embroiders too! I just came across your site when I was searching for Malayali surnames and then I saw your embroidery tutorials…
I used to embroider in childhood and then stopped for a few years – I want to start again so I am sure your site will help me with that.
You have a great site and I will be coming back for more…
Have a great day!
Hi sarah,
ur website is great. Specially for beginners like me it is a good learning experience. Please keep them coming. Could you give me some beginner’s tips?
Thanks a lot for ur time!!
Hello Anu,
I am glad that you found our tutorials good. I am tryi nto work on a couple of pages with some basics and tips for the beginners. So, please bear with that time. You might also suggest if you are looking for any particular tips as a beginner. 🙂
hi sarah,i have started my hand embroidery classes this week….ur site seams very usefull…i thank u for giving such a good tutorial for us…hope this pictures will help me alot…
Dear Afaf,
I hope too, that this tutorial helps you. Try to upload some of your works. It will be nice to see what you have learnt. 🙂
Hi Sarah,
Your tutorial is too good and its also very easy to learn from it. I feel so proud that an Indian has created this tutorial 🙂
Can you do me a small favour? I want to make a hand embroidery design on a blank shirt for my nephew. Can you please tell me which stitches should I use? The design which I want to make goes like this:
Hi
lil’
star (for star, I would like to make a star design and not just write)
It would be very nice of you, if you can tell what stitches I should use for “Hi”, “lil” and “star”.
Thanks,
Nitya
Hi Sarah, Hats off to your efforts on this tutorials. Really appreciate your patience.I too have a great passion for hand embroidery, but dreaming to do some work after retiring :-).I found your site very helpful and is always in my favourites.I’ve been looking for tutorials on smoking for quite some time. Can you help on that? Also looking for how to do Jali work from Chikan work designs.
Keep posting new stiches. You picture Dictionary is Excellent !!
Thanks a lot Sherin. 🙂 I feel happy that our pages are your favourite.We are planning to upload many traditional embroideries, but it will come slowly. Will keep your request in mind.
I appreciate u for sharing your knowledge with others. Its very rare that people enjoy by sharing what they know. I will try each and every stich explained by you.
I do not know how to adjust designs on the fabric. can u just tell me how to decrease or increase designs accordingly to embroider on the fabric
Dear Lakshmi,
Thank you for recognising our efforts. It makes it all the more worthwhile.
If you want to increase or decrease the size of the design you want to use, just take an enlarged or minimised photocopy of the design.
There is a traditional method, where you make a table over the design you want to change the size of. It could be time and energy consuming. Also, it is difficult explaining it here only without illustrations.So, for now, try the photocopy method. 🙂
Just found your site. I have enjoyed embroidery for over 30 years. But Just getting back into it after a 15 year leave. I was saddedned to find ‘no’ books or charts on stitches. Your site is the most extensive I have found. Can you recommend any charts or books. I live where there is no internet and wish to expand my work in embroidery.
I have embroidered thru each pregnancy and have made many simple patterns. Your site had the most detail and I enjoy trying them in a new sampler I am making for my daughters.Thank you!
Dear Pam,
Thank you for writing. I am sorry to be responding so late. In fact, we were blessed with a daughter just a day before you worte and the chores kept us busy.
I can understand your need for a book or chart to learn from. But, right now, I don’t know much of any books that I can recommend to you. However I can suggest that if you happen to be at the internet, you can check for some books online and even purchase them too.
Just to inform, we are also working on a book and hope to get it out as soon as possible.
Please do share a picture of your sampler work with us when you get a chance. It will be inspiring to many beginners. 🙂
Hello, you are GREAT!!!
I’d like to know which stitch is perfect to sew my gir’s name on her school aprom , but not cross stitch could you help me?
thank you and I’m sorry for my english.
If you prefer you could send me an e-mail (I don’t see your e-mail)
thank you
Dear Lady,
Thank you. 🙂
You can use any of the straight stitches to do a name on your daughter’s school apron. Try the chain stitch, stem stitch, back stitch or any of its variations. I hope this would help.
Hi Sarah, I’m so impressed with your embroidery tutorials! I will definitely include a link to your site in a future blog post. I’m always looking for great resources and your is excellent! Thanks for the taking the time to post all of these stitches, with such great photos!!
Thanks Anne. Your comment comes as an encouragement to us.
I went through your blog and found it impressive…lots of nice ideas. 🙂 Thank you.
Dear Sarah…..
I’m a housewife who’s been very keen in doing the the embroidery…i’ve learnt it during my childhood…..n over the years along with my earlier job…kids n family….i never got chance to practice it or do which i used to enjoy a lot….recently i got a chance of finding out abt ur website accidently….nd guess wt ur work is exactly wt i was looking for…..
hats off to ur effort n patience….i really appreciate ur work…its a really good website…..its helping me a lot to recollect my memory n my lng lost passion.thank u so much….god bless u n ur family…….
Dear Preetha,
We are happy to read you. Thanks. Your appreciation and interest in this art makes all our hard work and effort behind each picture worthwhile. 🙂
I know how family responsibilities can rob you off your hobbies and passions easily. We are only glad that our pages are helping you to get back to what you loved doing once. Best wishes.
it will be helpful if you can mention at the end of each stitch for what designs these stitches can be used.
Dear Parimala,
That is a good suggestion. In many stitches, I usually tell what kind of embroidery that particular stitch is used for, at the beginning. Sometimes, it is in the stitch family description. 🙂
Hej! Thank you for all your detailed lovely photos! I found you trew Pinterest.com. I just bought a pretty litle blouse for a friends newborn baby and now I will make an embrodery on it with this terriffic help. Thanks!
Spring greetings from a sunny Stockholm, Sweden.
Mia
Hey Mia,
🙂 It is nice to have happy learners from lovely places like Sweden too!
We are glad that you are able to stitch for you friends little baby with lessons from our pages. Wishes and greetings to you and your friend.
dear sarah hi
i m interested in kasuti work .pls send me any information if y r having abt the same.
Mrinal,
You can find information on Kasuti in the Kasuti tutorial section.
Hai,
I came across ur website just few days back its quite usefull and the pictures are so clear that it creates interest on seeing. I referred yuor website to my friends who are interested in emby. Thanks a lotttttt
Dear Selvi,
Frequent travels kept me away from giving a quick response. I am glad that you enjoy going through and learnign frmo our pages. 🙂
he sarah i love ur tips i m mini frm. india . i want some video of basic stich can u send me as soon as possible
thanks n u r gr8 designer
ur loving
mini
Thanks Mini. 🙂
Sadly, I do not have any video tutorials at the moment.
please send all types of mirror work embroidery ideas,
sara your work is very super,please give some mirror,and indian embroidery methods
Hello Mahes India,
Thank you. 🙂
I will posting different indian and non indian embroideries. Right now, I am posting a very traditional and old indian embrodiery called Kasuti.
Please check the links on right hand side or click this link:
https://www.embroidery.rocksea.org/hand-embroidery/kasuti
Hi Sarah,
Just found your tutorial on the Fishbone stitch. Thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!! I finally get it!!! I appreciate the help.
Elaine
🙂 Thanks Elaine. Happy to know it helped.
Hi Sarah,
A great work ya. Proud to see an Indian and much more a Malayali helping others learn embroidery. Off late I am very much wanting to learn embroidery. I believe your tutorials will help me learn it.
Thankyou once again Sarah.
Regards,
Leema
Thanks Leema 🙂 .
Hope you enjoy learning from our pages.
Dear Sarah,You have done a wonderful job ,I really appreciate your patience and ability.Please let me know if you have it in book form ,if so the name of the book.the language is simple and understandable and the pictures just right please find time to reply I am eighty still embroider and knit
janaki
Dear Janaki ji,
I am totally inspired and happy to know your enthusiasm in hand embroidery, and that too at a grand age like yours. 🙂 It is very rare to see women like you still keeping up with such interests. Hats off to you! I can suppose that you are in good health and wish you the same always.
Your appreciations will be treasured. Thank you. 🙂
As of now, I have no book published, though it is something we wish to do in the near future. We are planning to include some patterns on the website, but that too might take a couple of weeks or even months as some planning is required.
All the best wishes.
sarah,Iam sojourning in usa at present I used to do a lot of needle work but now i knit more and am collecting materials for my daughter who smocks very well and stitches them she is also good at needle craft.As a hobby i collect designs and have a lot of kasuti patterns .i plan to copy all of them and keep it for our personal use on cloth,ihave collected some stitches frosharon b”sdictionaryand there are demonstrations there too.Youtube as also demonstrated kutch work and other good stitches.My blessings to you and I pray that you may be a great lady one dayand your fame and name be spread everywhere.May you be succesful in printing it into a big book and the royalties be overwhelming. I live in chennai and keep a close watch on your success love
patti
Dear patti,
It is wonderful to hear back from you. I am once again happy to hear about all your needle interests. 🙂 I am working on kasuti lessons as of now and will be posting it by next week and the subsequent weeks as a four part lesson.
Would love to keep in touch with you. Your blessings just give us more interest and strength to go ahead with our book project.
sarah
lovely work sarah, I am really amazed at your work Do you have a book I would love to buy one if it is not very costly,wonderful job Itis an achievement surely. Do you have design books too reply
janaki E-mail ID janakipatti@gmail.com
Dear Sarah,
I want to learn kasuti. Which site of yours will help me to learn? Please send me a reply.
Thx,
R Sudha kumar
Dear Sudha,
I am happy about your interest in Kasuti. I am still working on the Kasuti tutorial and will take a month or so before I could put it up on the website. Hopefully, it won’t be too long a wait for you.
Dear Sarah,
Thx sarah for your immediate reply. Your tutorials are great,
I don’t mind waiting for a month or more.
Best Regards,
R Sudha Kumar
hai sarah……nice tutorials….could you pls snd me some embroidery designs to my mail id leji_harty@yahoo.co.in
Hello Liji,
I am planning to put up some patterns for practice on the website, hopefully, soon. You can refer to that. 🙂
Hai Sarah,
Awesome work. Its like a boon to beginners like me. though i have seen umpteen no of articles on embroidery yours is the best as it is extremely userfriendly.
Keep up ur good work.
Take care
Priyadarsini
Thanks Priyadarshini. A lot of stitches are yet to be uploaded…will do it as soon as I get some time off. 😀
You are amazing! =D I just picked up embroidery like a few hours ago on a whim because i had some floss lying around from previous weaving projects, and I LOVE IT! Your tutorials are extremely helpful and informative! You made embroidery very easy for me to learn in just a few minutes with your descriptive photos and everything, i thought i would not get into it if i could not find a way to learn it easy and effortless, but you really made it easy and fun! You are very appreciated! =]
Dear Jessy,
Thanks a lot for all your words. There are more stitch lessons to come up. We had been a bit inactive on teh website of late as we got tied up with having a baby, travelling, shifting our house, settling in etc… I am waiting to get back to posting more stitch lessons soon. 🙂
Thats great! =]
I would love to see you post little projects for us to do that incorporate types on stitches and knots to help become familiar with using them.
hi sarah,
i must thank u first bcoz for creating such a useful site for a housewife like me. i love to stitch, but i dint get a proper guideline. I searched for a long time but just now only i saw ur site. Ur tutorials are really very clear &understandable.
I had one question that did u publish any books on stitch? if so pls let me know, r can u suggest me any good new editions with author name? once again thank u
Dear Priya,
We are so glad that you liked the lessons and that you found it helpful.
As of now, I have not published any books…but maybe in near future. 😀
PS: Appologies for being late to reply, as we were on a long travel till now.
Happy Holidays Sarah… Enjoy the valuable days…..
Hey Jisha,
Thanks. We had a wonderful time. Back to India now…will be back online soon. 🙂
Dear Sarah,
I have one son and two daughters and I live in Negombo.
I have found your tutorials extremely useful and am really grateful to you. They are clear and easy to understand.
My daughter, Shazeenah, and I have learnt and successfully stitched many of the stitches.
I hope and am wishing you success in expanding your knowledge on embroidery.
Congratulations on ur lovely son.
Im thanking u again.
Dear Mrs. Jinnah and Shazeenah,
We are extremely happy to know that you both have learnt to stitch from our tutorials. Like I always say, your words of appreciation makes it all the more worthwhile and inspiring to work more on this tutorial. 🙂
We are, at the moment, a little busy with travels and packing up to go back to india. Will take 4-5 weeks to settle back in. If possible I will be posting a couple of stitches, but it will take me some time before I start posting them on a regular basis.
Thanks a lot for your compliments and wishes. 🙂 I find myself blessed to have a huband like Roxy an an adorable son like Pratya.
PS: It is nice to receive a word from mother and daughter! 😀 I wrote this as a reply to both of you since I realised that you are sharing the same email id.