National Embroidery Month (February 2024)

Embroidery isn’t something just Grandma does anymore! Needlecrafts and handicrafts like embroidery, cross stitch, quilting, sewing and so much more have been making a comeback in recent decades. 

With a departure from fast fashion and disposable products, and a movement toward arts & crafts and sustainability, National Embroidery Month is just one of the ways that this handiwork is celebrated.

History of National Embroidery Month

While modern machine embroidery techniques were a result of the industrial revolution, historians believe the craft of hand embroidery may date all the way back to 30,000 BC! Evidence shows that humans from so long ago were engaged with this art by using plant threads or animal sinews to sew decorations into garments or other items using rows of shells, ivory or different materials.

Throughout History, different cultures have used embroidery stitches in different ways to decorate for beauty, to indicate tribal associations, to tell stories, to reveal class distinctions and much more. In many traditions, embroidery was a skill that was often passed down from grandmother to mother to daughter, keeping girls’ hands busy with needlework.

Today, most hand embroidery is done for decorative purposes and personal pleasure using colorful threads to create pictures, designs, words and more. This type of handicraft has been embraced by both women and men who are experiencing a resurgence in this form of artistry.

National Embroidery Day was founded in 1992, originally with the purpose of promoting commercial monogramming and embroidery. But the day has since spread in popularity to crafters, hobbyists and needlework enthusiasts who love the simplicity of embroidery.

How to Celebrate National Embroidery Month

Join in on the fun and create something beautiful by celebrating National Embroidery Month with a few of these ideas:

Do Some Embroidery

Whether a novice or an old pro, National Embroidery Month is the perfect time to start a new project or pick up an old one that has been lying dormant for a while. Beginners might want to start with a small kit that already includes the needed items like a needle, colorful thread, and printed fabric.

Take an Embroidery Class

While it used to be common for skills like embroidery to be passed down through the women in the family, in the modern era this is not necessarily the case. Due to women who work outside the home or are busy with other activities, the skills of sewing, embroidery and other needlecrafts may have fallen by the wayside.

The good news is that there are plenty of ways to learn from someone other than your mother. Check into local fabric and crafts stores or sewing shops that may offer embroidery classes. Or look into online tutorials that help individuals learn how to do basic stitches or improve their process with more advanced knowledge and skills.

Start an Embroidery Club

Grab a few friends who enjoy needlework such as embroidery, cross stitch or other crafts and invite them to meet regularly as a group. Work on projects together, share some tips and tricks, enjoy some stories and get excited when someone finishes a project! National Embroidery Month might be just the motivation to get started.