Needlework is a broad term for the handicrafts of decorative sewing and textile arts. Anything that uses a needle for construction can be called needlework. The definition may expand to include related textile crafts such as crochet, worked with a hook, or tatting, worked with a shuttle.
Similar abilities often transfer well between different varieties of needlework, such as fine motor skill and a knowledge of textile fibres. Some of the same tools may be used in several different varieties of needlework.