HAND VS MACHINE EMBROIDERY

Do you buy embroidered apparel?

Before making a purchase, would you check to see if it is hand- or machine-embroidered? Do you know how to distinguish between them? I’ll try to highlight key distinctions between hand embroidery and machine embroidery that should help you shop with confidence and less anxiety about having regrets later on.

Let’s begin by examining the first question of why there are copies of hand-embroidered clothing or accessories available. Well, for the simple reason that machine embroidery, which employs a machine to perform the embroidery work, is much less expensive than hand embroidery and can generate greater profits if sold as handmade.

When seeing for the first time, it may be quite hard (or even impossible) to tell the difference between hand embroidery and machine embroidery. Take a look at the pictures of two similar shawls above and try to figure out which one is Hand Embroidered and which one is Machine Embroidered?

Not sure? Here are a few tests that should be able to help make out what is what. Before going ahead I would also like to point out a price comparison between hand embroidered and machine embroidered items in similar pattern embroidery

It could be difficult or even impossible to distinguish between hand embroidered and machine embroidery when viewing something for the first time. Try to identify which of the two similar shawls in the photographs above is hand-embroidered and which is machine-embroidered.

Not certain Here are a few tests that ought to be able to distinguish between the two. Before continuing, I’d also want to draw attention to a comparison of costs between hand stitching and machine embroidery of the same pattern:

As you can see the price difference is enormous. A machine embroidered jacket costs around 25% of its hand embroidered counterpart, but will sell comparatively higher because it was advertised as a hand embroidered jacket.

As you can see the price difference is enormous. A machine embroidered jacket costs around 25% of its hand embroidered counterpart, but will sell comparatively higher because it was advertised as a hand embroidered jacket.

Kashmiri Embroidery Types

How to spot the differences:

A LOOK AT THE REVERSE SIDE: This is helpful only for items which don’t have a lining (shawls, sarees, salwar kameez, kurtas). A first look at the reverse side of the garment will reveal clearly if the item is embroidered by hand or machine. Machine embroidery is a continuous stitching process and employs multi-colored thread for embroidery. It therefore has continuity in stitches with very few breaks. Hand-stitch on the contrary employs single-color threads for embroidery and the craftsman from time to time breaks off the earlier thread (color) to start a new thread (color) leaving behind a trail of threads hanging on the reverse side of the fabric.

A LOOK AT THE FRONT: This test requires one to have a good understanding regarding familiarity with hand-stitch and machine-stitch.

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LAST UPDATED: 24-04-2024, By SHAFIA