PRODUCE EMBROIDERED

ARTICLES
LESSON 8
History of Embroidery
◦ Embroidery is one of the needle crafts which uses a needle
and a thread or yarn to create design into a fabric. It is a
process of embellishing clothing and other articles in a
prehistoric craft back 8000 BCE.
◦ The oldest surviving embroidered pieces come from
Egyptian tombs of King Tutankhamon hem panels on the
tunic.
Words for Study
◦ Crewel needle – a fine needle with a large, long eye, perfect for piercing the fabric without
leaving behind an unsightly hole
◦ Embroidery – one of the needlecrafts which is uses a needle and thread or yarn to create
embroidery design into a fabric
◦ Hang tool – a handheld device used to perform a specific job that does not require a motor
◦ Materials – Thrads and fabric used in embroidery
◦ Skein – Roll of six strand embroidery floss that is held together in a certain length
◦ Straw needle – This needle is perfect for making bullion knot because the eye is no wider
than shaft of the needle
Materials in Embroidery
◦ Cotton Thread – Various types are the six strands that are loosely twisted together; lustrous
two-ply thread which cannot be separated; thick and matte finished used in heavy fabrics; and
tightly twisted thread, soft, fine and with less lustrous finish.
◦ Silk Thread – has a soft quality; stranded silk threads can be divided to produce a very fine
thread.
◦ Fabric – There are plenty of fabrics, particularly even-weaves, especially for embroidery, but
almost any plain-weave fabric, from fine silk to cotton twill, can be used as a background.
Even-weaves are linen or cotton woven in a regular square grid. Plain weaves are ideal for
freestyle embroidery.
Tools in Embroidery
◦ Needles – There are several types of needles suitable for embroidery. Examples are crewel
needle, straaw needle, and tapestry needle. Each of these is used for specific purpose.
◦ Small Embroidery Scissors – These are essential for cutting threads. Ensure that they are
sharp in order to cut needs ends.
◦ Bent-handled Fabric Scissors – These are used for fabric to size to fit the embroidery frame.
◦ Embroidery Hoop and Frame – Are used to hold the ground fabric in place, which keep the
grain of the fabric straight and stiches regular.
◦ Thimble – This used to prevent accidents such as pricking the finger as you work and staining
your embroidery.
Tools in Embroidery
◦ Pincushion – A useful item you can have by your side while working on your embroidery
project. It is used to hold needles and pins.
◦ Stitch Ripper – This used for unpicking seems or correcting mistakes.
◦ Tape Measure and Ruler – These are used for checking the size of your work and thread
counts.
◦ Water Soluble Marker Pen – This used for drawing design directly into the fabric as it can
be removed or will fade once the design has been worked.
◦ Pencil – A pencil used to trace and transfer the design.
◦ Dressmaker’s Carbon Paper – This is ideal for transferring your embroidery design to the
fabric ground.
Embroidery Stitches
◦ Blanket stitch – This stitch is tradionally used as a decorative edging for blankets. It is also
use to conceal raw edges on applique or buttonholes, in which case the stitches are worked
closely together and are known as buttonhole stitch.
Embroidery Stitches
◦ Bullion knot – This stitch is worked by twisting a thread around a sewing needle several times
before inserting the needle on the surface of the fabric.
Embroidery Stitches
◦ Chain stich – This is a versatile rope-like looped stitch than can be worked either as an outline
or as filling stitch.
Embroidery Stitches
◦ Cross stitch – This is usually worked from a chart either through waste canvas or onto the
fabric.
Embroidery Stitches
◦ Fern stitch – Useful for making a continuous line or scattered isolate stitches for a fillini; Fern
stitch looks like a little “Y”.
Embroidery Stitches
◦ Lazy Daisy stitch – A few simple secured loop stitches create an instant flower.
Embroidery Stitches
◦ Padded satin stitch – A raised and padded effect is created in this variation of satin stitch.
Embroidery Stitches
◦ Running stitch – Short stitches run in and out on the surface of the fabric in a siny broken
line.
Embroidery Stitches
◦ Seed stitch – This filling is achieved with tiny random straight stitches.
Embroidery Stitches
◦ Satin stitch – This is used for filling small areas with solid color. The stitches are worked
closely and neatly together a across the shape on the design.
Embroidery Stitches
◦ Split stitch – This is a versatile stitch for outlining the fine featured elements of a design such
as faces, where delicacy is of the essence.
Embroidery Stitches
◦ Stem stitch – One of the most frequently used stitches, this is making flower stems, but also
for outlining curves.
Embroidery Stitches
◦ Straight stitch – These single flat stitches from the basis of many other stitches, but can also
be worked in their own right to give fine detail to a design.
Principles of Design Applied in
Embroidery
◦ Harmony – creates an impression of unity of oneness through proper selection and arrangements of the
objects that are consistent with one another.
◦ Balance – creates an impression of stability of equilibrium. This is achieved in craft when the design you
have on one side of the object is what is on the other side of that object.
◦ Rhythm – Tuo can establish rhythm by repeating lines or or shapes, by progression of size (from small
to large and vice versa), or by continues liene movement.
◦ Emphasis – This is considered as the most important part of the arrangements. You can emphasize by
highly decorating object, by using contrasting colors, by using unusual lines, sizes, or shapes, or just by
having sufficient background space.
◦ Proportion – It is concerned with good spacing. A framed handcraft, cross stitch scenery for instance,
should have adequate space as its background. Its center of attraction (emphasis) can be located at the
center of this space.
Good Working Habits
◦ Good habits of are important the work clean, faster, and accurate.
The following are desireble working habits that are worth inculcating:
1. Work in a lihgted and well-ventilated place. Light should come from your left shoulder.
2. Clean your hands before staroto work. This prevents cloth from being soiled.
3. Handle the cloth lightly. This is prevents the cloth from being stretched unnecessarily.
4. Always keep your sewing tools in appropriate sewing box. This prevents them from getting lost. Looking
for a tool wastes time and energy because it delays the work.
5. Clear and clean the worktable before and after working.
6. When pinning patterns on cloth, remember to place the pins perpendicular to the materials.
7. Gather tools after seeing. Arrange them in the sewing box. Do not leave pins, scissors, and needles
scattered; this may cause accident.