Hand Embroidery Gaining Interest Among Youngsters, Says Kemas

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 (Bernama) -- The art of hand embroidery, once considered distant from youngsters, seems to be gaining the interest of this group due to the high market value of the products, which can reach thousands of ringgit.

Kuala Lumpur Community Development Department (Kemas) trainer Sharifah Raudhah Sy Dahalan said this can be seen through the increase in the number of young people participating in handicraft classes organised by the department every year.

“In the past, hand embroidery was dominated by the older generation, but now many young people are showing an interest in this and producing more innovative crafts.

“It is no longer limited to making designs for pillowcases, bedsheets and tablecloths, but extends to products such as handbags, handkerchiefs and wedding dowry boxes,” she told Bernama at the Rural and Regional Development Ministry’s booth at the MADANI Government One Year Anniversary Programme at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium here today.

Sharifah Raudhah said the high level of precision needed in producing hand embroidery products allows anyone who masters this skill to become a successful entrepreneur due to the products’ high value in the market.

For this reason, she said KEMAS did not hesitate to organise a demonstration of thread and ribbon hand embroidery at the programme to expose the public to the skill.

Meanwhile, KEMAS instructor Rafizah Mat Saad, who was involved in the demonstration, said learning the art of hand embroidery is not as difficult as it seems if one understands the basics, including using appropriate threads and needles and the pattern they want to produce.

She said that in Malaysia, there are more than 20 types of hand embroidery, including solid embroidery, chain stitch, and French knot, but the selection of needle, thread, and fabric plays an important role.

“Usually, we use the one millimetre DMC Embroidery thread because it is of high quality and the colour does not fade easily. The needles must have large and fine holes to easily form small holes in the fabric,” she said, hoping that more young people would master the art in future.

The three-day MADANI Government One Year Anniversary Programme, which started yesterday, runs from 9 am to 10 pm.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to officiate the closing ceremony tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA