What is broderie anglaise? Eyelet embroidery explained

How it is made, and how it differs from lace and cutwork

Each eyelet is pierced or cut in the cloth and its raw edge bound with overcast or buttonhole stitch, so it cannot fray. Solid stitched petals and stems are added between the holes. It was once worked by hand and became very popular in Victorian England; almost all of it is now made by machine.

• Broderie anglaise vs lace: lace is built from thread alone, or stitched onto net, and is open all over. Broderie anglaise keeps a woven cloth between its holes, so it is sturdier, less sheer and washes like ordinary cotton.
• Broderie anglaise vs cutwork: both cut the fabric away inside a stitched outline. Cutwork removes larger, freer shapes, sometimes bridged with bars. Broderie anglaise repeats small, regular eyelets. Our cutwork guide covers the larger kind.
• All-over or border: it is sold with eyelets across the whole width, or with a plain ground and a worked, scalloped border along one or both edges.

Lining: what shows through the holes

Every eyelet is a small window. Over bare skin it reads as casual and summery; over a lining it reads as pattern. The body of a kameez or dress is usually lined and the sleeves often left single, where the holes let air through. Our guide to whether a kameez needs lining explains the options. The colour of the lining is part of the design:

• White or cream lining: the classic choice, crisp and opaque.
• Skin-tone lining: makes the holes look open without showing anything.
• Coloured lining: turns the eyelets into dots of colour, which suits a kurta or a dress worn for gatherings.

Planning length around a scalloped edge

On border fabric, the scallop is the finished hem. It runs along the edge of the cloth, so the pattern pieces are laid with the hem on that edge and the length is set by measuring up from it. Four things follow:

• Decide the length first. A scalloped hem cannot be shortened from the bottom without losing the border, so the finished length has to be right before cutting.
• Expect a straight hem. The border follows a straight line, which suits a straight hem and not a curved one.
• Check the quantity. Cutting every piece along one edge uses the fabric differently, so a border design can need more cloth than a plain one.
• Match the scallops. They should meet tidily at the side seams and line up at the sleeve hems.

Having broderie anglaise made up

A broderie anglaise dress, a kurta or a kameez with eyelet sleeves are all simple shapes to stitch, because the cloth does the decorating. If you have bought the fabric, Stitching Only is the route: send photos of the whole length, including the border, and we confirm it is suitable and enough before you post it. If you would like us to supply the fabric, ask in your quote whether an eyelet cotton is available for your design; we confirm what is possible in writing. For embroidery worked on a plain outfit instead, see custom embroidery. Start a Stitching Only quote with your photos.