What slides into your mind when you hear the word embroidery? Distortionary says it means embellishment.

It is a form of art that is used to add creative designs to fabric using colorful threads and needles. History tells that its an ancient craft that has been used for thousands of years to add life, colors, and beauty to plain cloth. Embroidered patterns immediately spring to our minds when we think of  highly cultural clothings. As the world progresses, the advancements raises many silent or open wars between hand and machine embroidery. Does the human hand hold an irreplaceable charm, or does the machine stand tall with its speed and precision? Let’s explore some quick facts about the differences between hand and machine embroidery.

Looking back at the different sides of  embroidery history, we see that it has many forms and types. It has been cultivated independently in different cultures over a long period. All the traditional styles have many types, for example, surface embroidery, stumpwork, crewel embroidery, cross stitch, and needle-painting with long and short stitches. Every type of hand-embroidered item is timeless. All handmade items are a statement because of artist’s skill. The variety and softness of threads in hand embroidery is unmatched from machine embroidery.

The new era brought embroidery machine, and it became so big that it has formed an industry not just that now it has made its way inside homes. Machines in the world of embroidery are successful because they brought efficiency, quick pace and reproducibility. It also brought the big explosion of styles, designs and patterns. Its capability to produce in bulks makes it more commercial in my opinion.

After separating the two main types of embroidery—hand and machine—lets further break their basic comparisons that bring out the pros and cons of both. 

Uniformity, Precision, and Speed of Machine Embroidery 

Effortlessly machine embroidery takes the cake when it comes to consistency of the work. Embroidery machines can replicate any easy or complex designs without making a single mistake once they are given the good computerized inputs. A machine-made stitch will always be quicker and exact with size and shape.  Once the design is properly digitized, it will always come as planned. 

Uniqueness, Versatility, and Personal Touch of Hand Embroidery 

Versatility in machine embroidery is not deniable as the machine work can handle and produce a massive variety of patterns with different types and colors of embroidery machine threads. But the gemstone crown of uniqueness and personal touch goes to hand embroidery without and debate. Hand embroidery gives fabric so much appealing because different people work on different materials to create the designs and patterns. Each person creation becomes the piece that owns unique stamp on the fabric. It gives the flexibility and adjustments, it brings out the royal feel for both the maker and receiver.  

Given the required skill, time, and focus for hand embroidery, it is not questionable that it is pricier, in a luxurious items on the market. Buying a hand embroidery work can cost an earth these days. 

Machine embroidery is cheaper once the machine is brought in and set up, and its capability to produce a large amount of work quickly makes it more pocket friendly. Also, it doesn’t tale an expert to work with machines, anyone with the knowledge of 9 years old can easily learn to work with it easily. 

There is an important emotional component to the work of embroidery. Clothing embroidered by hand symbolize the spirit of the artist. Many hand embroidery wearers form a strong connection with the efforts, traditional and cultural value that goes into it. It is decided that the legacy and artistry of hand embroidery will never go away.

Every handmade piece tells its own interesting story. Meanwhile, machine embroidery even with its exquisite beauty and intricacy, cannot have this side. It’s less about individual stories and more about trends and fast bulk production. It is for the normal people who just like to wear casual or formal attire with specific designs and patterns. On the innovative side the quality and ease that machine embroidery brings cannot be compared to hand embroidery. 

Thread difference: 

This is the basic difference between two. Thread used for hand embroidery is usually thicker and softer, its kinda fluffy. Also known as embroidery floss, and it comes separately which makes the use of different color variation easier. Floss is made with cotton, rayon, and silk. It is not tightly intertwined like a machine thread. Unlike this, thread used for machine embroidery comes on spools and is most of the time used as it is. On the other hand embroidery floss needs distributions and sorting. 

Appearance of the pattern: 

Designs of hand embroidery appear loose and give the alluring bloomed look to the overall finish. This is one of the reasons why the handy work looks livelier and more colorful. Machine embroidery uses very fine thread, resulting in tightly woven embroidery. It becomes thicker, harder, and less open as a result even when its not dense. 

Variety of stitches: 

Hand embroidery is way more diverse and has so many different types of stitches. Each one gives the embroidery work a distinct appearance and feel. Its aims are to give you an artistic medium to create with no-ending possibilities. On the other hand, Machine stitch has its own types, they do match up with hand craft, but the stitch inclination is more toward the filling in gaps and forming an image. 

Personally, I think in the growing field of embroidery clothing, the argument between hand and machine embroidery is no longer relevant. One should embrace the virtues and strengths of both as they are very different, rather than elevating one above the other. Machine embroidery makes elaborated designs more affordable for a wider audience, while hand-embroidered items give a timeless charm and a deep connection to their cultural heritage. Choosing one over the other depends on what is required and liked. Both of the methods need close inspection and careful detailing on every step of the procedure.