How Will You Celebrate World Embroidery Day?

I was absolutely thrilled to learn that there was such a thing as World Embroidery Day, and I’m excited to mark this day in a creative way this year.

​I did a little digging and discovered that World Embroidery Day originated with the Swedish Embroiderers’ Guild on July 30th, 2011. Their intention was for “July 30th to be a day filled with creativity for the sake of peace, freedom and equality.”

One of the lines that stood out for me from their manifesto was,

“People embroider out of joy, as a hobby, professionally, for the bare necessities of life and as an act of freedom. You embroider together with others or in meditative solitude,”

which so eloquently captures my mission with Joyful Soul Stitching.

​Embroidery, which means embellishment in French, dates back centuries. According to CarrieBrummer.com,

“It’s believed embroidery originated in the Middle East and Asia, when people discovered you could stitch animal hides together to make clothing or decorations.”

It was used throughout the ancient world in Byzantium, India, China, West Africa, Siberia, and many other countries and cultures. Embroidery was often used to embellish items to signify wealth. It was a craft that was passed down through the generations, and now it’s a hand craft that people enjoy all over the world not just for embellishing clothing or other items, but for the sheer enjoyment of it.

Joyful Soul Stitching is a reader-supported publication. 🌟Upgrading to Paid gives you access to Members-Only Q&A calls, Swaps, Patterns, Audios, and the Good Feeling of knowing you’re supporting me in bringing more tranquility to the planet.❤️

Embroidery machines have been around since the first one was invented in France in 1828. Although machines could replace much of the work that was previously only ever done by hand, people continued to embroider by hand, as we still do to this day.

​There’s something unique about creating something by hand that can’t be replaced by a machine. Because of this, hand embroidery endures as an art form and a beloved craft.

​People who take up the hobby of hand stitching are fully aware that the work they are doing could be done faster and maybe more accurately by a machine, but they choose to take the time to pull the needle and floss through a piece of cloth and make a beautiful thing that only they could make.

Here are some ideas to spark your imagination and help you to decide how you’ll commemorate this special day:

• ​Participate in Sarah Homfray’s Stitching Around the World project.

• ​Show your work and share what you’re working on, whether here on Substack or on your own blog.

• ​So many cultures share a deep legacy of embroidery. You might take some time to research different cultural traditions related to embroidery within your family’s lineage, or examine embroidery from a specific historical period.

• ​If you don’t already have an embroidery project going, why not pull out a pair of jeans or another garment that needs repair and do some visible mending?

• ​Visit the Royal School of Needlework’s stitch wall and practice some embroidery stitches that you’ve never tried before and broaden your skills.

• ​If you have young people in your life, you might teach them embroidery. It’s a great way to share your love of stitching and share this beautiful pastime with the next generation.

• ​Consider how you might be more eco-conscious when acquiring embroidery tools and supplies. Could you make better use of vintage, thrifted, or second-hand cloth, supplies, and tools?

For me, it’s a day to celebrate one of my favorite hand crafts and share my enjoyment of it with the world.

If you weren’t sure how you’d mark the day, you now have a ton of options from which to choose for how you’ll celebrate World Embroidery Day.

​July 30th is also the International Day of Friendship, so grab your best buddy and do some embroidery together.

Share

​❤️