Embroidery, the art of working ornamental designs with the needle upon any fabric. The designs appear as if raised, and may be worked out in silk, cotton, wool, or other yarns. The name comes from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning edge or border, probably from the fact that embroidery was used chiefly to finish and adorn the edges of church vestments. The art is of great antiquity. A thread of silk, cotton, gold, or silver was used to ornament cloth and leather, especially the borders of hangings, royal garments, and articles used in religious ceremonies. Homer speaks of the embroiderer's art. The Hebrews learned to embroider in Egypt. The garments of Aaron, the high priest, were embroidered. The hem of his robe bore pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet. The Laplander still embroiders the reindeer skin used for leggings. The North American Indian embroidered his moccasins elaborately with threads of sinew and strips of gayly colored porcupine quills. The famous Bayeux tapestry was a sort of embroidery worked with the needle and worsted on a wide canvas. The border of the Cashmere shawl is practically the same thing. The art of embroidery attained high perfection among the ancient Greeks, whose work has affected all its subsequent developments. From the ninth to the fifteenth century needlework flourished throughout all Europe, but especially in France and England. Embroidery was a favorite occupation of women of all ranks. At first it was confined to the ornamentation of ecclesiastical garments, altar cloths, and coverings for sacred books, but it developed gradually into pictorial embroidery. Both men and women pursued this art and many marvelous examples of the skill attained are preserved. Embroidery became fashionable as a method of decorating wearing apparel. The work was handsome and expensive, only the wealthy being able to afford it. In the early part of the nineteenth century embroidery on muslin became popular in both Europe and America. This produced a washable and durable trimming. The materials were inexpensive and the result beautiful. Girls were taught to embroider. In some communities, if a woman's attire was without this adornment, she was considered shiftless or lazy. The needlewomen of Switzerland excelled in the skill and taste requisite for superiority in embroidering, and gradually their work came to be known throughout the world. About 1828 Joseph Heilman of Alsace invented an embroidering machine, an improved form of which is used to produce most of the white embroidery on the market at the present time. The first machine-made embroidery shipped to the United States was consigned to a New York house by S. Hamel of Hamburg, Germany. Although a Swiss product, Hamel called the embroidery Hamburg, presumably that his own city might have the credit of its manufacture. As a result Swiss embroideries were known for many years in the United States as Hamburgs. The embroidery machine is simple. A width of muslin or other material four and one-half yards long, is stretched in an upright position in the center of the machine, each end held firmly by hooks. The needles, from 150 to 300 in number, are arranged in a straight row in a sort of frame. The needles point toward the cloth and extend from end to end of it. The needle used has its eye in the middle instead of the end. Each needle carries a thread held in the eye by a peculiar knot. The frame moves forward causing the needles to pierce the cloth simultaneously. Thus corresponding stitches are set at the same time in all sections of the pattern through the four and one-half yard strip of cloth. When one row of embroidery is complete, the cloth is raised and a second row made. This machine is controlled by hand. A machine operated by power is used to some extent for certain kinds of embroidery. Its use is increasing. The Bonnaz embroidering machine is designed for another variety of work. This is quite similar to an ordinary sewing machine, but the needle, instead of being stationary, is movable, so that it is made to follow the outlines of the pattern, and the material does not have to be turned around. This is used for fancy stitches on lace curtains and other large articles. The machine is a "single thread" and produces a chain stitch. Industrially, there are two classes of embroidery. First, white embroidery on various grades of cotton and linen cloth. This is produced usually by machinery. In the production of this class of work Switzerland still stands first, then France, Germany, and Scotland. The second class includes embroideries done in silks, gold threads, and silver threads. This work is done by hand. The oriental nations excel in this class of embroidery, China taking the lead in elaborate specimens, with Japan standing second. The skilled workers of these countries embroider both sides of the material exactly alike. Elaborate pictures of great size and in brilliant colors are used by them as wall decorations. In these countries embroidery forms the principal decoration for dress of both men and women.