Embroidered Versus Woven Patchwork

Embroidery can be described as the art of decorating textiles with needle and thread. Embroidered designs use separate threads to sew the design into the fabric, often in combination with other textured fabrics.

Products that are woven are characterized by the use of yarn or thread to produce textiles of various sorts by criss-crossing the yarns together in at least two directions. Warp threads run up and down the length of a piece of textile, weft threads run across the weave at right angles to the warp.

Essentially, woven fabrics are differently colored threads or yarns woven together to create a pattern. The colors and pattern become an integral part of the fabric itself. Woven fabrics are recognizable when the pattern appears on both sides of the fabric or when the colors of the individual threads make up the fabric itself. The oldest known woven cloth fabrics, composed primarily of flax, were found in Asia Minor and date back to 7000 BCE.

A quandary has ensued over the use of embroidered or woven products in the realm of custom patches featuring emblems and insignia. In one respect, many consumers prefer the definition, boldness and three-dimensional look that are associated with embroidered patchwork. Embroidered patches often use metallic threading to highlight particular features. However, in some cases the demand for sharpness in lettering and sleekness in design require the application of woven patchwork. And although embroidery is most often less expensive, images re-created with woven fabrics meet the demand of staying “true to the design” of some artwork. As weaving requires a comparable level of skill to embroidery, production time frames are nearly identical.

If we, at American Patch and Emblem Company, are able to help you or provide answers to specific questions, on the type of patch please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail at info@americanpatch.com or telephone at 800-752-1667.

Source: www.ezinearticles.com