25 February: Embroidery

February is International embroidery month. Here are 10 things you might not know about embroidery:

1. Embroidery has been around a long time. Since 30,000 BC at least. In 1964 remains of a Cro-Magnon were discovered in Russia with clothing decorated with ivory beads. Primitive embroidery has been found all over the world, dating back thousands of years, so historians have no idea where the craft first originated.
2. Greek mythology offers the explanation that the goddess Athena passed down the art of embroidery and weaving to humans, leading to the famous competition between herself and the mortal Arachne.
3. In the Muslim world, embroidery was historically a way to tell the status of an individual. In general, it was only the higher social classes who would wear embroidered clothing. Gold and Silver thread, in particular, were a symbol of power and status on clothing or religious objects all over the world.
4. Embroidery is often seen as something only women do, but Gustaf V, King of Sweden and Henry Fonda and both enjoyed this hobby.
5. In 18th century England and its colonies, embroidery was a skill marking a girl’s passage into womanhood as well as conveying rank and social standing. Historically, women would be taught embroidery even if they weren’t taught to read or write. Hence some marginalised groups who were illiterate or not allowed access to pen and paper, would tell their stories through embroidery, which can now be used as a way to study their everyday lives.
6. The world’s largest piece of embroidery is 50 cm in height and 70 m in length, and is on display in the Bretagne Museum in northern France. It’s called the Bayeux Tapestry.
7. The first embroidery machine was the hand embroidery machine, invented in France in 1832 by Josué Heilmann.
8. The word embroidery conjures up work on fabric, but fabric isn’t the only material which can be embroidered. Medieval artists would use it to repair holes in their manuscripts. It’s also possible to embroider leaves and even wood.
9. In 16th century England, fine books might have embroidered bindings. The Bodleian Library in Oxford contains one presented to Queen Elizabeth I in 1583. It also owns a copy of The Epistles of Saint Paul, whose cover was reputedly embroidered by the Queen herself.
10. It’s even possible to embroider using human hair rather than thread. It was a tradition in Mexico that scarves would be embroidered with a man’s hair as part of the formal marriage proposal; and there is Buddhist art from late Imperial China which uses human Hair.

Character birthday

Amanda Somerset-Liquorish: A non-powered character who eventually married Gary Winchcombe (Chain) and had four children with him before they divorced.