Madeira embroidery: the story and how to buy the real thing

Bordado da Madeira, Madeira embroidery, is one of the island’s most famous crafts: fine hand stitching on linen, cotton, silk and organza, used for tablecloths, napkins, handkerchiefs, blouses and christening gowns.

How it began

Women on the island had embroidered for their families for centuries, but in the mid-1800s Madeira embroidery became an industry. An Englishwoman, Elizabeth Phelps, the daughter of a wine merchant, saw the quality of local work and began sending pieces to Britain, where they sold well. Merchants followed, and by the early 1900s embroidery was one of Madeira’s main exports, done by thousands of women working at home in the villages.

How it’s made

Designs are drawn on paper, then pricked and transferred onto the fabric. The embroidery itself is done entirely by hand, often by women in rural parishes, using a range of traditional stitches. A large tablecloth can take months of work. The pieces are then washed, ironed and finished in workshops in Funchal.

How to recognise the real thing

Genuine pieces carry a certification seal from the regional institute that protects Madeira embroidery and wine, IVBAM, guaranteeing that the piece was hand-embroidered on the island. Be wary of cheap, machine-made imitations sold as “Madeira style”.

Where to see and buy it

The embroidery museum run by IVBAM in Funchal, which shows historic pieces and explains the craft.
Embroidery houses in central Funchal, some of which let you see work being finished.
Craft shops in the old town and the upper floor of the market.

Real hand embroidery is expensive because it takes so long to make. A small certified handkerchief or set of napkins is an affordable, lasting souvenir.