A new study has revealed Flowers to be the most searched for embroidery style in the United States.
Creative resource and embroidery style designer Design Bundles analysed the number of online searches in the US for different embroidery styles across a period of three months between November 2021 and January 2022. They then found the average number of searches for each embroidery style throughout that period to determine which style was the most searched and could therefore be recognised as the most popular.
Flower designs were found to be the most popular embroidery patterns by searches in the US, with an average of 12,100 searches per month within the three month period of the study. Flowers is perhaps an unsurprising winner as it has long been one of the most popular embroidery designs.
In second place on Design Bundle’s list of the most popular embroidery styles in the US were Sweet Peas. The Sweet Pea design had an average of 5,400 searches between November 2021 and January 2022. Sweet Peas are a visual treat and come in a spectrum of colours from white to purple to red. Their delicate and colourful appearance along with their simple shape makes them a popular design for embroiders.
In joint third place with an average of 2,900 searches each, were Roses and Logos. Logos is clearly a generic search term that embroiderers search for when they look to add a familiar emblem to their design. Roses are a classic pattern and are widely popular because of their large petals and deep red colour.
Shortly after, in fourth place was Sunflowers, yet another flower design. Sunflowers had 2,400 average monthly searches in the US between the months of the study. Sunflowers are a hugely popular design for embroiders. This is likely due to their bright yellow petals and perhaps in part to the way in which they were captured by Vincent Van Gogh in his Sunflower painting.
Butterflies and Leaves were in joint fifth place, with an average of 1,900 apiece. Both are popular designs that vary greatly due to the number of different butterflies and leaves.
In sixth place were four embroidery designs all with an average of 1,600 searches per month in the US between November 2021 and January 2022. They were Bees, Pandas, Nike, and Name. ‘Name’ refers to online searches made by embroiders looking for a specific name that can be embroidered. The Nike logo is an instantly recognisable brand that is known all over the world, thus making it a great design choice.
In seventh place on the list were Cactus designs. These had an average of 1,300 searches per month in the US. Cactus are another quickly recognisable plant symbol that often has a stylised cartoon design.
Of the total top 12, six of the most searched for embroidery designs were plant or flower related and three were of animals. This means that nine of the 12 were related to natural imagery, which shows a wider trend in popular embroidery styles.
Top 12 Embroidery Styles In The US
| Embroidery Style | Average Number Of Searches |
| Flowers | 12,100 |
| Sweet Pea | 5,400 |
| Logo | 2,900 |
| Rose | 2,900 |
| Sunflower | 2,400 |
| Butterfly | 1,900 |
| Leaf | 1,900 |
| Bee | 1,600 |
| Panda | 1,600 |
| Name | 1,600 |
| Nike | 1,600 |
| Cactus | 1,300 |
What Is Embroidery?
The art of embroidery refers to the decorating of materials with a needle that applies thread or twine in a pattern or colour. Embroidery can also use other materials such as sequins, feathers, buttons, or pearls to further embellish the decoration.
Embroidery is used in clothes, blankets, table cloths, tapestries, and many other materials. It is almost always decorative, rather than functional. Embroidery dates back thousands of years and is known for being a long-lasting and durable design technique.
What Do You Need To Embroider?
If you fancy a shot at embroidery yourself, you can easily find the resources needed to start yourself off.
To embroider, you will need:
- Fabric. You can generally embroider on most fabrics, as long as the owner of the fabric has given permission!
- Thread / Embroidery floss / Stranded cotton. This is the material you embroider with, it forms the patterns, shapes, and colours of the embroidered design.
- Needles. You will need needles with large eyes if you are just getting started as they are easier to use.
- Embroidery hoops. These keep your fabric taut while you embroider it. This is important to ensure that you get the cleanest finish you can.
- Scissors. Sewing scissors are best, but in general the smaller the better so you can be as precise as possible.
- Fabric pens. These allow you to mark your fabric safe in the knowledge that it will wash off when you want it to.
What Are The Techniques Of Embroidery?
Embroidery techniques largely come down to the stitching style you use. There are countless different stitching techniques, so here we will take a look at some of the more basic stitches, though there are more complex designs such as the chain stitch that more experienced embroiders may want to research.
The basic hand embroidery stitches are:
Straight-stitch
The straight or running stitch is the basic stitch on which all other stitching is based. The needle simply passes in and out of the fabric at a regular distance. All other stitching styles are created by varying the straight stitch in length, spacing, and direction.
Back-stitch
The Back-stitch uses a ‘two steps forward, one step back’ technique. You go over the previous stitch to secure the stitching. Back-stitching can be used to create both simple and intricate patterns and designs.
Cross-stitch
Cross-stitching uses X-shaped stitches in a tiled pattern to form a picture. It is great for forming intricately patterned designs and evidence of its use can be found all over the world dating back to the middle ages.
