Telling Your Story with Embroidery


Embroidery is a big part of our work here at Blue Fuel, and what better excuse than National Embroidery Month to explore the history of this commonly used art form and branding?  Embroidery has the capabilities to help your brand reach new audiences, and that’s why we love it so much.

Embroidery is an art form that has been around for as long as man has been able to produce fabric. In its earliest form, embroidery consisted of primitive man using tools made from ivory or bone to sew clothing with fibers made from plants or animal tissues.  This evolved into attaching stones, beads, bones and other natural materials into the clothing.  Over time, intricate embroidery became a sign of wealth and status, as well as a skill marking a girl’s path into womanhood.

American Joshua Heilmann revolutionized the industry during the Industrial Revolution when he designed a hand embroidery machine. His invention was then followed by new and more modern embroidery methods which lead to increased mass production.  Machines are now connected to computers that download digitized files that the machine then translates onto fabric, like we have at Blue Fuel. Digitized files are not only decorative images but also corporate logos and text.

People often wonder why the left chest area is the most common place to find an embroidered design.  It has been said that since we read from left to right, this placement of embroidered words or a logo is the most effective place to catch a viewer’s eye.  It has also been said since a common handshake is done with right hands, this leaves the left chest area as the best view to see a logo during an introduction.

Embroidery has held many cultural significance’s, but the use of modern-day embroidery boils down to this: telling a story. Building a strong brand image is not an easy task. The little details often have a great say in how the public perceives a company, and the story that your embroidered apparel tells about your brand can travel great distances.

An easy and indisputable way to communicate your brand and tell your story to the public is with embroidered apparel or promotional products.