Embroidery is an ever changing and evolving discipline. The embroiderer through their practice is able to transform cloth through stitch and fabric manipulation. Embroidery draws upon a longstanding tradition beginning with hand stitchery which crosses many centuries and cultures. This has evolved through the development of the sewing machine to more industrialised practices and computer aided design and manufacture. The contemporary embroiderer is able to follow any of these routes within their practice and the discipline allows for a diversity of approaches.