Worth noting that embroidery doesn't lose much value over time, and can be seen on the same level as watchmaking: a trade where the (often immense) added value comes not from the function—which is often not that great compared to the more practical articles—but from the effort and know-how involved. Not to mention the matter of prestige: for people in this culture, especially for women, there aren't many avenues to distinguish themselves; one's skill with embroidery is among the things one could really be proud of, and the patterns themselves allowed for self-expression similar to song, dance, and poetry, while also producing a physical item as the result.