A bee is a very popular motif to have embroidered onto a garment or piece of artistic embroidery.
Bees are heavily symbolic and there are many reasons why you might want to use an embroidered bee on an item, in order to associate with the bee’s symbolic values. Bees are traditionally symbolic of royalty and status: we often think of a “queen bee” within a hive, getting served by all the worker bees. Bees are also associated with the color purple, the color of royalty, and embroidered bee designs are often stitched onto fabric of this color.
Bees are well known for working in total cooperation with one another. They communicate with all the other bees in their hive so that they can remain prosperous and productive. A bee is therefore often a symbol of good communication, of friendship and of cooperation. Bees are also associated with the product that they make as a collective; that is, honey. Honey comes from the pollen that is collected by bees from flowers. An embroidered bee is often depicted in designs with brightly colored flowers. The most frequently used flowers are cheerful ones such as sunflowers and daisies. Bees are often used as part of designs associated with summer time, because this is the time of year when bees are most commonly seen.
Bees have been traditionally revered because of their ability to produce wax for candles and therefore provide light. These candles were most frequently used for religious purposes and as a result they were declared sacred by a number of Christian denominations. A religious themed gift might have an embroidered bee on it to symbolize purity. In the Bible bees are often used to illustrate moral lessons emphasising hard work, purity of spirit and cooperation.
The bee is frequently seen to represent work, intense labor and industry. It is for this reason that an embroidered bee are often used as a decoration on items or gifts to be given to students or those who work hard, as a recognition of their industry and encouragement for the future. For example, you might give a person who is finishing high school or taking a degree at university at item with a bee embroidered onto it to recognise their labors and show your admiration. Bees are also associated with organizations and order because the hives that they create are made of wax which is formed in highly regular patterns. Bees might be depicted with their honeycomb.
There are different kinds of bee that you might choose to have embroidered onto a garment. The most popular embroidered bee is the bumblebee, which is larger and rounder than ordinary bees and is often considered the cutest and most adorable of the varieties of bee. On the other hand, a worker bee might be used for a garment or item to emphasise the bee as a hard working creature or one that acts in cooperation with others. A design might depict a bee buzzing around – some designs even include the word “Buzz” to imitate the sound made by bees.