Technique: Tambour Embroidery
Place of Origin: France
Earliest known date: 18th century
History: The roots of Tambour embroidery can be traced to both China and India, specifically to Chinese chain stitch and Indian ari embroidery. However, Tambour embroidery as we know it today took hold in France and Europe in the 18th century.
The word “tambour” means “drum” in French, reflecting the cloth that embroiderers would stretch taut between tambour hoops to create a strong, uniform stitching surface.
The French aristocracy enjoyed the art of Tambour embroidery, utilizing its elegant and intricate nature to enhance the beauty of their wardrobes. With its delicate, fine structure, Tambour embroidery bestowed clothing and accessories with an air of luxury and sophistication. Labor-intensive and time-consuming, Tambour embroidery was mostly practiced by elite artisans, and thus became a mainstay of French couture and the wardrobes of the upper classes of France and Europe.
Materials, Techniques, and Stitches: Tambour embroidery consists of a single stitch: chain stitch. Unlike most other embroidery techniques, Tambour embroidery does not use a needle. Instead, Tambour uses a Tambour hook, a specialized instrument with a hook and a corresponding knob on the side. The knob enables the embroiderer to always know the position of the hook, even when the hook is at the back of the fabric. To work delicate and fine stitches, Tambour hooks can be quite small, approximately .3mm to .6mm.
Because it relies on a taut fabric to prevent the Tambour hook from snagging threads and fabric, Tambour embroidery must be worked with a frame that holds the fabric stretched tightly. The fabric used must be woven and not stretchy to maintain the tautness required. In the 18th century, the instruments for Tambour consisted of two interlocking Tambour hoops and a frame, as illustrated in this engraved panel from Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers:
Tambour embroidery is worked by piercing the fabric from top to bottom with a Tambour hook, which catches the thread at the back. The thread is wrapped around the hook, the hook turns to catch the thread, the thread is drawn to the front of the fabric as a single loop, then the hook moves forward and pierces the fabric again to draw up the next loop. In this way, chain stitches are worked and connected across the fabric (note the illustration at the bottom of the engraved panel above). Once an embroiderer grows accustomed to how the Tambour hook, thread, and fabric interact, it becomes easy to work designs very quickly using the Tambour embroidery technique.
Tambour embroidery lends itself to lace (Tambour lace) and beading (Tambour beading). Tambour lace is usually worked on an open mesh fabric, with the lace designs constructed from layering chain stitches over the mesh. Tambour beading lays a foundation of chain stitches on one side of the fabric, looping beads to the other side of the fabric:
Motifs: The fluidity and seamless, continuous stitches of the technique lend it to designs with looping flourishes; hence, many of the motifs used in Tambour embroidery during the 18th century were often geometric or floral in nature.
Interested in learning how to stitch Tambour embroidery? Read our Introduction to Tambour Embroidery by Casey Renee, artist and sewing educator. She provides step-by-step instructions for setting up your tambour embroidery project and working chain stitches using the Tambour hook.
Sources
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(n.d.). Brodeur. Textile Research Centre. https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/visual-archive/18th-century/brodeur-tambour-embroidery
(n.d.). A Brief History of Tambour. London Embroidery School. https://londonembroideryschool.com/2015/12/17/a-brief-history-of-tambour/
(n.d.). Revisiting Tambour Embroidery. Needle ‘n Thread. https://www.needlenthread.com/2024/05/revisiting-tambour-embroidery.html
(n.d.). Tambour Embroidery How To Video: The Basic Stitch. Needle ‘n Thread. https://www.needlenthread.com/2013/11/tambour-embroidery-how-to-video-the-basic-stitch.html
(n.d.). A Sunday Read: Tabour History. London Embroidery School. https://londonembroideryschool.com/2024/06/02/a-sunday-read-tambour-history/
(n.d.). Introduction to Tambour Embroidery for Cosplay. The Embroiderers’ Guild of America. https://egausa.org/introduction-to-tambour-embroidery-for-cosplay/
(n.d.). The Beginner’s Guide to Tambour Embroidery – Materials List. Emma Rubinson. https://www.emmarubinson.com/resources-for-designers-1/tambour-embroidery-getting-started
(n.d.). 18th Century Tambour Embroidery. 18th Century Notebook. http://www.larsdatter.com/18c/tambour-embroidery.html
(n.d.). Tambour Hook. Textile Research Centre. https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/tools/embroidery/tambour-hook
(n.d.). How to Master Tambour Embroidery for Stunning Beaded Designs in Weeks. Latest Embroidery. https://latestembroidery.com/how-to-master-tambour-embroidery-for-stunning-beaded-designs-in-weeks/
