HE 12 – Crafts

HANDICRAFT

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

1. Discuss the importance of handicraft in the economic growth of the

country.
2. Explain the characteristic of indigenous materials used in handicraft
project.
3. Discuss the content of the project plan.
4. Observe the safety precautions when working.

CONTENT UPDATE

 Handicraft is a course w hich deals with needlework as in embroidery,

crocheting, quilting, smocking and cross stitching, handmade products
which includes: basketry, rattan crafts, bamboo crafts, leather crafts
and fiber crafts. This course also deals with recycling local and
discarded materials.
 Importance of handicrafts in the economic growth, use of indigenous
materials, employment and environment protections.

HANDICRAFT - is an occupation requiring manual skill.

- Is a particular skill of making decorative objects by hand.

NEEDLEWORKS – is a broad term for the handicrafts of decorative sewing

and textile arts.
- Anything that uses a needle for construction.

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CROCHETING – is a centuries old craft that takes its name from the French
word croq, which means hook.

 The only tool required is a

crochet hook and the only basic
material is some thread.
 Crochet hook are made of steel,
plastic, and alloy metal.
 Each hook is specially adapted

for used with a certain size of thread. The size of the hook is used
depend on the weight and type
of thread used. The lower the
number the bigger the hook.
 The base of every crochet
pattern is the chain stitch.
 Basic crochet stitches:

- Slip Stitch – This stitch can

be used to give a firm edge
or fot joining, fastening or
repositioning the thread.

- Double Crochet – Two thread

over the hook and draw
through two loops.

- Half Treble – Three thread over

the hook and pull loop through
three threads on hook.

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 - Treble – Three thread over the hook
and pull through first two loops on
hook. Two loops remain on hook. Draw
through the remaining two loops.

- Double Treble – Four thread over

the hook. Draw thread two loops at
a time.

- Other crochet stitches are:

Single stitch, scallop, shell, popcorn, picot.

 Terms used in crocheting

- Increasing – Specific instruction for increasing are usually

given in individual patterns, but it is quite a simple matter,
and consists of working two stitches into one stitch, instead
of just one. It can be done in nearly any part of the work,
but preferable at the beginning or end of a row. To increase
several stitches make a chain equivalent to the number of
extra stitches required plus turning chain.

- Decreasing – One way to decrease is to miss a stitch of the

previous row in the center or at the beginning of the row
which shorten the length of the work but be sure the space
is not too obvious. Another way to decrease is to work two
stitches together.

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 - Turning – A certain amount of chains are added at the end
of each row to bring the work into position for the next row.
The work is turned so that the reverse side is facing the
worker. The number of turning chain differs according to
the stitch with which to begin the next row.

- Joining the thread – Avoid making a join in the middle of

the pattern and never make short knots in the work. As the
thread is coming to an end, lace the new thread along the
top of the work and crochet a few stitches over this.

- Finishing – Do not make any turning at the finish of the last

row. Cut the thread leaving an end approximately 3 inches
from the work, and draw the end through the last loop on
the hook and pull it tight. To hide the loose end, use a
tapestry needle to darn into the work.

- Tension – Wrong tension can destroy the beauty of a

pattern or create an ill- fitting garment. Tension in crochet,
as in knitting, refers to the number of stitches and rows
worked to each square in of fabric. This measurement is
achieved by the combination of a certain weight and type of
thread with a suitable hook size, and it can be work in a
variety of threads and hook sizes and an entirely different
result is obtained.

 Crochet Threads

- Crochet threads are made in a variety of sizes, twists, and

color to provide a suitable one for all types of crochet, from
fine to delicate laces to coarse heavy rugs.

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 - It is important to use the type design for the article planned
to use. Usefulness depends greatly on the thread with
which it is made.
- The finer mercerized threads are more effective for the
delicate designs used for table cloth, doilies, runners,
edgings and accessories.
- If the exact thread given is not available, be careful with the
substitute thread as an equivalent may not work up exactly
the same measurements; therefore be sure to make
tension check before starting to work.
- It is also important to purchase at one time entire amount
needed to make the articles as dye lots vary in color
strength.

EMBROIDERY – is defined as an art of decorative stitching and it is made by

hand or by machine.

 Different styles of embroidery

depending on the materials
available and on the local
culture have developed
throughout the world. Since
World War II there has been a
great revival of interest in
creative embroidery.
 The choice of materials
depends on the type of work being done. For an everyday dress or a
fun table cloth, a good quality casement cloth, unbleached calico or
sturdy cotton may be used. Linen, which is the most generally useful of
the embroidery fabrics, should always be good quality.
 Here is an endless range of silk, cotton, rayon, and wool working
threads in variety of colors with vaying weight and thicknesses. Knitting
and embroidery thread are called perle and have a luster.

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  Amount of thread used differs and
cannot be exactly determined. All
threads and wools are bought either
in skeins or ball.
 For decorative purposes there are
beads of all shapes and sizes,
many varieties of sew on crystal
(jewels) and even shells, pebbles
and feathers have been used as
part of the design.
 The background texture is very
important as well as color. Many
modern furnishings are lively and suitable as long as they harmonize
with the threads used. If the materials has an unstable weave it can be
backed with a strong cotton and Vilene.

Equipment Used in Embroidery

 The tools needed in

embroidery are few and
inexpensive. Have a s pecial
place to keep the equipment
together, preferably in a
workbox or a basket. Keep
an assortment of small boxes
for threads, beads, etc. Place
your tools together in one
place where they are easily accessible.

 Ordinary sewing scissors are usually not advisable. A good pair of

slender, sharp pointed embroidery scissors (like surgical scissors) is
essential.

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  A box of lace pins and pin cushion are necessary. Lace pins are very
fine and will not mark fine silks although they are inclined to bend if the
material is too tough.

 For design you will need tracing and plan white paper, colored tissue
papers and some watercolour paints, squared or graph paper for
working out canvas designs.

 A water color brush No. 0 or 1 for transferring the design by the

“picking” and “pouncing” method,

 Pencil, thimble, tape measure with metal ends, tailor’s chalk, a plastic
square ruler.

 Various needles - crewel needles are long sharp points and large eyes
to take the thicker thread easily, chenille needles also have sharp
points but they are shorter and thicker, tapestry needles have blunt
points, beads needles are long and thin with long, thin eye to carry the
thread.

 There are several ways of obtaining a design. Commercial transfer

designs and traced needlework designs already done on the fabric are
available.
 If transfer design technique is used, pick out a pattern which is suited to
the fabric and to the type of embroidery intended. Be sure that the transfer
is correctly ironed to the material to have a clear outline.
 Traced needlework design is also called stamped linen.
 Applying the design to the fabric:
 Trace design onto thick tracing paper.
 Put the tracing on a thick soft pad of material and pick the
design outline or other guidelines with a large darning needle.
 Placed the pricked design in position over the material and
secure with pins.

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  Take a pad made from porous materials filled with either talcum
powder for use.
 Puff the pad along the holes.
 Carefully remove the paper and the outlines will be clearly
shown in lines of tiny dots to fix this dots go over them with a
fine pointed watercolour brush dipped in contrasting
watercolour. Be careful not to use too much water or the powder
will run.

 Some of the Embroidery Stitches

 Chain Stitch – the
simplest way of
following a line. The
finish work is like a

chain.
 Stem Stitch – consist of a long step
forward on the front of the fabric and a
short one at the back.

 Herringbone Stitch – can be used a

filling stitch and hemming stitch.

 Lazy Daisy Stitch – is used for small

flower.

 Feather Stitch is ideal for finishing

hems or edges of embroidered work.
In children’s wear it is used for
smocking.

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 Wheat Ear Stitch – is used for veining on
large leaves or for working ears of com
and for borders on children clothes. It is a
combination of lazy daisy and fly stitch
worked together to make a wheat ear

formation.

 Buttonhole Stitch – is used for making

borders and ed ges and buttonholes
on garments.

 Cretan – is taken from Eastern

embroideries. Stitches close
together to form a solid border or
leaf filling, or openly as thin
braid-like border.

 Romanian Stitch – this is a qui ck

filling, that takes the place of satin
stitch, it is used for broad outlines
and fillings, particularly flower or
leaf shapes.

 Satin Stitch – is a most useful

embroidery filling stitch that gives an
all-over effect.

 Long and Short Shading Stitches – is

used to obtain shaded effects by the use
of graduated colors of thread.

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SMOCKING – is a kind of needlework
used for holding gathers in place and
serves as decoration. When it is
properly done, it is long lasting and
extremely decorative.

 Traditionally smocking was a

decorative needlework used on
the center front and sleeves of
the dress.
 Basic rules in smocking
- Every gather must be picked up in the needle if the work is
to look good.
- Smocking stitches are usually worked from left to right.
- When working down, the thread must be over the needle.
When working up, the thread is below the needle.
- Before starting to smock plan the design carefully a true
sense of balance between the different types of stitches
should be maintained.
- Avoid monotony, try to intersperse straight stitches with
those which form a diamond pattern and do not overcrowd
the work leave a blank line here and there.
- Plan for an attractive blending of colors which will tone or
contrast with the fabric such as red or white.
 Almost any type of fabric can be smocked, but the lighter weight fabrics
are the most successful like organdie, voile, fine cotton, poplin, silk
shantung and lingerie fabrics.
 Heavier weights fabrics can be smocked such as linen and velvet.
 Standard embroidery cotton is the usual thread used for smocking and
it is expected to make a thinner strand depending on the weight of the
fabric used.
 Basic Smocking Stitches
- Honeycomb smocking

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 - Cable Stitch

- Chevron Stitch

- Wave Stitch

QUILTING – is the process of stitching

together two layer of fabric usually with
soft/thick substance between them.

 The stitches are usually made in

a pattern to produce a textured
effect unique in quilting.
 Traditionally, quilting is associated with bedcovers and other bed linen
but more articles are being quilted today including garments vest and
bags.
 Kinds of Quilting
- Padded Quilting – is a type
of quilting in which only
specified section of the stitch
design are padded, to give
the design the physical
qualities of length, breadth or
thickness. It is best to use
plain color fabrics.

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- Corded Quilting – is a type of quilting
in which linear designs are raised
from the background with accord of
yarn filler. This kind of quilting is
often combined with padded quilting
to accentuate both the lines and
shapes of the design. There are two
ways of achieving the raised look.
a. Stitch the design in two lines through two layers of the
fabric. The passages are threaded with yarn or other rope
like fillers.
b. The second method involves only one layer of fabric.
The cord is laid under the fabric and stitched in place at the
same time.

- Trapunto or Stuffed
Quilting - is
distinguished by the top
layer of the quilt or wait
hanging is lined and
selected areas are
outlined with running stitch. Stuffing as pushed into the
areas from the back to emphasize them and make them
stand out more distinctly.

- Shadow Quilting – is
done by putting in a
transparent cloth on
the top layer and a
fabric with patched
design underneath.
Colored wool is used to

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 stuff between layers. The embossed effect can be
achieved by using shapes of different thickness and
combining them with applique and other types of stitches.

- Sashiko- is a form of quilting which

originated in Japan as a plain running
stitch made to strengthen or repair a
fabric padded or unpadded.

 Tools and Materials for Piercing and Quilting

- Needles – a “between” needles is considered best in
piercing.
- Thread polyester core-wrapped thread is used.
- Pins – ordinary pins or plastic headed pins can be used.
- Scissors – they come in variety of shapes and sizes.
- Other tools are ruler, pencils, thimble
 Fabrics Used in Quilting
- Batting or wadding – is the padding that gives the
embossed surface to the top layer.
- Filler – the bottom layer or lining placed after the filler. Best
for backing is heavy and compact material to prove the
support for the wadding like flannel, woollen and cotton
material.

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