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?
Sarah has been researching and sharing hand embroidery lessons for over 17 years, making it accessible to everyone around the globe.
Dear Sarah,
I’m living here in Pakistan now with husband and kids, i am an American, so for my question. where can i buy the canvas for cross stitching. In America we use our cross stitch like x’s on the canvas. I have asked my Bhabi and she is not sure. Our cross stitch there, is needle points here. And our needle points there are the same but we also call the cross stitch. I have been doing this for yrs, and would like to continue, but need supplies. We live in the Sindh area, between Karachi and Hyderabad.
Thank u so much,
Tina Baloch
Dear Sarah
Thank you for the excellent manner in which you illustrate the different stitches. I love hand embroidery and have learnt many more new stitches. Thanks for inspiring me.
Faiza
i want buy your book.can u please give me details how can i buy your books please please
Dear Priyanka,
We are making an E-book. You can purchase that once available in a few months. 🙂
Hi Sarah,
I’m very much excited to see this website. All types of stitches are illustrated in a very simple manner. Have you published any books for the stitches available in this site. If so where can I get those books.
Hello sarah how r u?
ur stitches 2 gooood.It was very nice beginner like me.:) ur pics r so easy to follow really a great tutorial n helpful.
can u learn me shisha (mirror) stitches.
i m still waiting ur reply plz kindly reply i’ll be waiting.
thank you
kya me ap k sath urdu me bat kar sakti hon
dear sarah
thanks a ot at least u have the decency to response me back u r such asweet person in spite of being busy with kids and all u have provided not only me ut amilion of people with various of stitches it does not matter that u r help less right now but i m alwayz hoping for the best for the future ok i can still eait becuase honesly speakig i had mailed many of the people before for this stitch but firstly they have not responded me back and secondly there respons was always negative and u r the only one person wh has not only responded me back only but also have given me ope i m hope ful that one day u will load the stitch
tahnks a million
hi sarah i m still waiting for your reply i mailed you on 4th of may
Dear Alia,
I am sorry that right now, I won’t be able to provide you with the tutorials. I have a few projects to finish, which is my priority, of course. I also have a lot of travels in between.
There are other readers who have requested for different stitches, and many of them are still pending. I don’t work on individual request basis as it is not quite possible for me. Also, there is a need for some time and effort required for the research I do before making any tutorial.
Though I can understand your desperation to learn the load stitch and the unavailability of the tutorial anywhere else, I am helpless right now.
hi sarah
do u remember me i m the same old person kept on asking about loading the LOAD STITCH and today again i m again back with the same request i know its must be really tiring for u as your husband haz told me previously about your two kids i know its really hard to take out time with the kids around but still i appreciate your effort because even i have three kids mashallah i dont even have the time to brush my hair even when the kids go to sleep then its possible for me to do something so i wantd to ask you if you have time so plz whn can i expect this stitch because i m still ery despearte for this particular stitch i have searched thousands of sites but no one has ever even responded me back and i could not even find out such help ful tutorals as you have taught each and every step in your tutorial believe me i m not flattering i m serious so plz response me back and when ever u feel comcfortable to load this stitch plz let me know in your reply thanks a lot
Dear Sarah,
This is an extremely useful embroidery tutorial site, very well explained and a boon to beginners like me.
Thanks,
jayanthi
hello madam..
sth kindled my interest in embroidery now..when i goggled i just come across your site…it was very nice or beginners like me.I was shell-shocked to see the types of stitches. now being very basic i wanted to know how am i to begin with right from buying needles threads etc., how should i ask the shopkeepers …like what sought of needles, threads etc..
Dear Shalu,
You can check out for pearl cotton threads to start with. If that is not available, go for the anchor embroidery threads. Then, ask for embroidery needles. They are like the normal sewing needles, but with a longer eye.
hello madam..
sth kindled my interest in embroidery now..when i googled i just come across your site…it was very nive or beginers like me.I was shell-shocked to see the types of stitches. now being very basic i wanted to know how am i to begin with right from buying needles threads etc., how should i ask the shopkeepers …like what sought of needles, threads etc..
THANK YOU
Thank you !!!!!!!!! I must have been on this stupid computer an hour looking for your help. Your photo’s are so easy to follow. I am working on a Baltimore Album Quilt and need to do some embroidery work on the leaves and couldn’t find the outline stitch. I remember doing it long ago and just couldn’t make it work on the quilt. I see what I was doing wrong thanks to your help.
Most offers of help required a signed contract it seemed.
Really a nice tutorial and really helpfull desingning
It will be good if u can provide some design layouts where we can use for dress designing and saree designing
Thanks Krupa. 🙂
You can try using satin stitch for the leaf. The size of leaf you mentioned, if I understand correctly, is apt for this stitch.
Hi Sarah,
You are just blessings for me… I am getting back to hand embroidery after a long time and your site is really really helping me a lot in this… I learnt many new stitches from your articles.
Currently, I am working on a dress border where it has small leaf … not as small that I can use tulip stich / lazy daisy stich and not that big that I can use Herringbone stitch… I am thinking to use chain stitch over its border… Is there any other stitch which can be suitable for such thing?? Its urgent… please let me know
Thanks,
Krupa.
This site is simply superb…i loved it..keep rocking…this is really helpful to all who are interested in learning embroidery..:) 🙂 🙂
Hi Sarah!
Thank you for so much information. I appreciate that you would share your skill with me. If you have a newsletter could you please add me on the list using the email address that I supplied. I love hand embroidery – but after so very many years – I still stay with the basic stitches. Perhaps I will expand my stitch knowledge.
Blessings to you!!
Dear Jane,
We don’t have a newsletter, but we do have a facility where every new article I make will come as a news update.
You can use any reader, like the google reader to subscribe to it. The link to subscribe is https://www.embroidery.rocksea.org/feed
I hope this helped you. Sorry that I could not reply to you earlier as I was travelling.
dear sarah
iam surekha from sri lanka. i always wanted to enjoy this fasinating art but never had time as i was working as a journalist.now iam a grandma and at home. i love your tutorials and have started to practice. thanks a mln. may the noble triple gem bless u, your husband and the baby. regards surekha
Dear Sarah mam,
Your tutorial is awesome. Eventhough I know some of the basic stitches earlier, seeing your website, I was so impressed on your tutorial, and started doing work in my Twin Daughters dresses. They appreciate me in spending time for the handwork even I am an office goer. Even they are doing their 3 rd standard schooling, becoz of my interest, they have started doing embroidery work, so I gave 2 sets of embroidery kit for them. They are very interested and they wanted to embroidery for their dresses and wants to get appreciation from everybody..
ITS ALL BECOZ OF YOU SARAH MAM. THANK U MAM !!!!!
Dear Sasirekha,
It is heart warming to know how you are spending time to stitch for your daughters. I am so happy to hear that they also took to this interest and are all set to learn!
Please do share some of yours and your daughters’ works here. You can take a picture of what they have stitched and upload it using the function given just below the comment box. You will find this facility in every page, so you can correspond it with the respective stitch they are doing. It will give them a chance to share their work with the rest of the world and also earn some appreciation. 🙂
hey sarah..i m doing fashion designing in mumbai..i really like ur site..its awesome..nd easy to learn..u r doing such a gud work..i love it..i need a book of that if its is published..its urgent ..pls kindly reply..i ll be waiting..
hi sarah
very good work dear!!! Great to see such elaborate work on the net and to learn from it!! its very easy to learn from images, i am making my kurta by using patal stitches and other stitches,
i did mail before but u didn’t reply, plz reply 🙂
can you learn me sindhi embroidery stitches?
hey sarah,
your site is prtty good but i dint get any embroidery of kashidakari ,kathiwar or mochi bharat……if you hv ny idea regardng dese topics plzz leme knw soon….
Dear Sarah,
I found your site very helpful that I can learn again about hand embroidery. I started learning hand embroidery when I was in elementary and falling deeply in love with the needle work right away. But left it for a long time and starting to come back on doing what I love, so your site really help me to refresh my memory, because I need it to teach a group of non-working moms with HIV who need more income for their family.
Thank you so much for helping the needy moms.
JOE
would like to learn embroidery…pls let me know what i should do
hiiiiiiii sara,
i am looking for embroidery can send me simple designs to mail id plsssssssssss.
looking for ur reply.
Dear Sara,
Thanks a lot for your tutorials.I follow your blog and I am learning lot of new stiches from it.Can you help me with basic lessons in smoking type of emb.
Chhaya
hi……
ur’s site is very useful for innovaters…
thnx 4 dt..
i want to know wat type of thread we can use for embroidery in cotton, silk cotton and poly cotton for gud finish and wat’s the needle no…. thnx in advance
Sarah, my congrats! I’m a Brazilian lover of handcraft who was looking for a simple pattern for a work in vagonite to my kitchen. I decided to search in English (on “Doctor Google”) and suddenly I found this page. WOW! It is really an amazing one! I have many patterns from my mom and grandmom who also embroidered. I’m trying to scan them, maybe someday they will be ready, so I can send to you. God bless you and your family, dear!
Dear Celia,
Thanks! 🙂 I am glad that our pages have impressed you. Please do share some old and valuable patterns…I would love to put them up relevantly so that learners can use them.
your tutorials are lovely.keep up the great work
Where do you get your pattern? Thank you , I love you site.
Dear Barbara,
I usually pick up patterns from teh internet or from some pattern books I have.
hi Sarah,
can you tell me if you know about the hadangar stitch
dear sarah,
you are really a great person with so much of knowledge in this great art. you are the ultimate person ya. please can you help me. basically i know 10 stiches but an expert like u.i want to do kamal work for my saree can you please let me know how i can trace the design on my saree without hassles
thanking you
Hi Shubha,
I usually recommend the traditional method of using carbon paper to trace the designs onto the fabric.
Hi Sarah,
I would like to join for hand embroidery tutorial classes online. I am staying in bangalore so I would need online coaching.
Please let me how is the fees and how many days will it take to learn.
Thanks
Dear Poornima,
I have not started providing online embroidery classes yet. For now, you can just go to the picture dictionary section and pick each stitch to learn from. Check the top right hand side of this page, and you will find an ‘Embroidery’ section with few embroidery tutorials too.
hi sarah
very good work dear!!! Great to see such elaborate work on the net and to learn from it!! its very easy to learn from images, i am making my kurta by using patal stitches and other stitches,
can you learn me sindhi embroidery stitches?
hello，Sarah，i am a college student of China,i find this website by chance, pictures with explanation is very careful, and your embroidery works are really amazing. And Chinese embroidery is also very extensive and profound like Suzhou embroidery , Chinese knot and the Art of weaving. My mother is a woker to make Woven clothes, so i started to learn it when i was a little girl. I am interested in embroidery and the art of weaving. and i sometimes do some small toys or some simple embroidery. That really makes my life much colorful. By the way, i am very happy to find ths website, and hope you can create more beautiful arts.
Thanks Winnie for stopping by. We are happy that you liked our website. 🙂
I have wanted to learn more of chinese embroidery styles and have done a very brief research too. But, I guess it needs a lot of time. I have also seen many wonderful chinese art (including embroidery) at a museum here near my mother’s place. Some of them were truly a feast to the eyes and the precision and intricacies had to be appreciated.
I am happy to hear that you also like chinese art, and I hope that one day you can come to China to see more wonderful arts.
Sarah,
Thank you so much for your helpful website! I was just recently introduced to hand embroidery by my great aunt, but she isn’t able to explain how to do things at this point in her life. I really appreciate your tutorials and plan on coming back to your site frequently!!!
Thanks,
~Danielle
Hii sarah…
Your blog so interesting and very helpful for begginers so keep it on.
hi sarah ur tutorial is excellent
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.