Embroidery & Print (sage study)
Embroidery & Print is a sage study in the field of Textiles, encompassing the creation and enhancement of decorative and functional fabric works. Combining artistry, technical skill and cultural significance, it produces items that bring comfort, elegance and grandeur to living spaces. The study includes the making of tapestries, carpets, tablecloths, drapery, coverlets and other textiles, each serving both practical and aesthetic purposes. Embroidery involves intricate decoration using needle and thread, often enhanced with beads, sequins or metallic accents, while printing applies patterns and designs to fabric through dyes, stamps or stencils.
These transform simple rooms into places of warmth and dignity, where the artistry of the textiles conveys sophistication and care. These pieces often carry meanings beyond their appearance, marking significant events, illustrating tales of heroism or reflecting the identity of a family, guild or community. Their presence speaks to a deeper connection between the people who create and use them and the spaces they inhabit.
The study holds significant cultural and economic importance. These textiles are often symbols of status and prestige, given as gifts, traded across great distances or used in ceremonial contexts. Their production relies on access to rare dyes, fine threads and skilled labour, making them valuable commodities in regions known for textile craftsmanship. A character proficient in this field not only possesses the technical skill to create or restore such works but also understands their historical and cultural contexts, enabling the appraisal of rare items or the design of pieces that carry deep symbolic meaning.
Sage Abilities
The sage abilities below are those acquired by a character through the study, according to status.
Amateur Status
- Simple Patterning: can create basic decorative patterns or motifs, often using templates, rudimentary sketches or examples provided by others. These designs are limited in complexity, favouring geometric shapes, borders or repetitive floral elements. Their work is functional and can add modest embellishment to fabric surfaces, such as a small tablecloth or drapery edge.
- Stitch and Repair: the ability to perform simple stitching tasks, such as hemming fabric, reinforcing seams or patching small tears in textiles. Characters can replicate straightforward patterns or designs using common stitches, such as running or cross-stitch, though their work lacks the finesse and consistency of a professional. While struggling with more intricate or large-scale projects, characters are capable of repairing or maintaining everyday household items like tablecloths, curtains or basic clothing.
- Fabric Readiness: can prepare fabric for use by stretching, cleaning and priming it as needed for embroidery or printing. Characters can apply basic dyes or pigments to create simple, even-coloured fabrics or block-printed patterns, typically limited to one or two colours. While their results are serviceable, individuals struggle with complex techniques like layering, shading or achieving fine details, often requiring guidance to improve consistency and precision.
Authority Status
- Artisan Embroidery: excels in creating intricate and highly detailed designs with needle and thread, often pushing the boundaries of artistic expression in textiles, working with a wide variety of materials, including silk, wool and metallic threads, to produce stunning patterns and realistic imagery. Mastery of advanced techniques, such as goldwork, silk shading and raised embroidery, allows the adding of texture, brilliance and complexity to creations.
- Heraldic Textiles: specialising in designing and crafting banners, pennants and ceremonial cloth that display coats of arms, family crests or guild symbols, with bold, symmetrical designs that are both durable and visually striking, often using high-quality materials and vibrant dyes. This work is highly valued for its ability to represent identity and status, often commissioned for ceremonies, tournaments or official displays, where precision and craftsmanship are paramount.
- Tapestry Design and Weaving: possesses the ability to conceptualize and create intricate and large-scale works of art that combine functionality and storytelling, ensuring the design translates seamlessly onto the loom. Characters are able to weave complex patterns, vibrant colours and realistic imagery into the fabric, often incorporating elements of historical events, mythology or symbolic motifs, creating depth and dimension, producing tapestries that serve as both decoration and narrative.
