Decorative sewing or embroidery done by hand with a needle and thread, creating patterns or designs on fabric.
Compound word: 'needle' (from Old English 'nædl,' related to 'neth,' meaning 'to sew') + 'work' (from Old English 'weorc'). The compound term became standard in English in the 16th century to describe the craft of decorative hand sewing.
For thousands of years, needlework was how ordinary people created beauty and documented history—ancient samplers tell stories, quilts preserve family memories, and before digital images, needlework was humanity's most intimate way of saying 'I made this and I mattered!'
Needlework was historically coded as 'women's work' and devalued as craft rather than art, though skilled embroiderers and textile designers were often professional and economically significant.
Use without apology; acknowledge the craft's complexity and historical economic value when discussing historical contexts.
["textile arts","fiber arts","embroidery"]
Women textile workers, particularly in lace and tapestry production, were skilled laborers whose economic contributions were systematically undervalued relative to male-dominated crafts.
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