Embroidery, the art of forming decorative designs with hand or machine
needlework, has been around nearly as long as clothing itself. Evidence shows
that Ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Phoenicians and Hebrews used embroidery for
decorating their robes. The Moors also decorated much of their clothing with
embroidery. They had a style of their own which spread to other countries like
Spain and Sicily. Moorish embroidery greatly influenced many European countries.
The oldest embroidery works still in existence date back to the Middle Ages when
embroidery was often used in ecclesiastical vestments as well as clothing. It
also represented a sign of wealth, and rich traders and merchants were willing
to pay a large sum of money for the luxury of embroidered clothing. A great
example from this period is the
Bayeux Tapestry,
which is 231 feet long and recounts the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
