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Book of Needlework reveals how to sew hand sewing arts.

Book Of Needlework

Creative Needle Arts teaches how to sew by hand. 

Creative Needle Arts

Little Fingers reveal how to sew by hand.

Activities For Little Fingers

Encyclopedia of Needlework teaches how to sew by hand.

Encyclopedia Of
Needlework

LACIS reveals how to make lace and how to sew by hand.

LACIS
History Of Needlework

Irish Crochet reveals how to crochet or sew by hand.

Irish Crochet

 

 School Needlework reveals how to sew by hand.

School Needlework

Secrets Of Sewing teaches how to sew so people can learn how to sew.

Secrets Of Sewing

 

 How To Sew
HAND SEWING ARTS


Today, Sewing is the world’s greatest hobby. While it use to be a crucial skill for survival, sewing today offers new horizons of self expression and creative joy. Today sewing is fun, relaxing, and deeply satisfying.

When people think of sewing, many think of different things. In the broadest sense, the term “Sewing” denotes the use of thread and needle in a much wider range of activities and needle arts. “Sewing” may be divided into two categories:
1. Hand Sewing Arts
2.Machine Sewing Arts.

Hand Sewing Arts

Hand sewing arts are also described as needlework. They include Crochet, Hand Embroidery, Knitting, Macrame’, Rug Making, Tatting, Cross Stitch, and Hand Sewing. These arts have dominated sewing for thousands of years, and are considered to be traditional arts of excellence and beauty using threads and needles.  When you learn how to sew hand sewing arts or needlework, you will enjoy creating treasured momentos beloved by all.

Crochet

Crochet is a needlework system of interlocking looped stitches formed by a single hook and a single yarn for creating delicate open designs. Crochet became popular almost four hundred years ago as a means to creating “American Lace”. Today, crochet is a treasured heritage skill used for making items for home and family such as pot holders.  You can learn how to sew crochet by mastering a few basic terms and stitch combinations and following the detailed crochet patterns

When you look at a Crochet pattern, it may look a bit intimidating. It is full of strange letter combinations that require you master the Crochet code or language. For example, you will see abbreviations for beginning as beg; block as bl; and cluster as cl. Not only do you need to master the code, you have a whole set of terms, definitions, intricate designs, and skill sets to learn. It is indeed a highly skilled art form.  You will quickly be able to demonstrate how to sew your crochet and needlework for everyone to enjoy.


Actually doing crochet is a matter of using the hook or large needle to twist, wrap, insert, arrange, and otherwise hand loop a single yarn to form a multitude of stitch patterns.

The combinations form stitches described as half crochet, single crochet, double crochet, and treble crochet. The stitches are chained together in rows, joined, and expanded to form the interlocking patterns. Different sized crochet hooks made of various materials are also used for a variety of purposes.

The end result is an intricate design such as one of the afghan stitch patterns (Basic, Cluster, Crossed Tunisian, Framed Squares, Mesh, Purl, etc.) There are hundreds of different patterns and variations producing truly amazing crochet art.  You may even enjoy teaching others how to sew crochet.

Hand Embroidery

Embroidery is a technique to embellish fabric using decorative threads. Color, texture, and design become the artistic tools of expression with thread and needle. These techniques are commonly applied to borders, motifs, and elaborate designs on the face of the fabric. There are hundreds of different stitches used to create beautiful effects. There are border stitches, design stitches, edge stitches, fill stitches, outline stitches, and more.

This is a classic artform passed from generation to generation as each individual discovers how to sew beautiful hand embroidery.

There are special tools and materials used in this art form. They include a collection of needles including the crewel needle (short needle with long skinny eye in sizes from 1 to 12. Lower number is largest needle.), chenille needle (sizes 13 to 26), and tapestry needles (sizes 13 to 26). Embroidery frames are used to stabilize the fabric while it is being worked on. These come in many sizes from small lap circles to large free standing square frames. Fabrics may range from simple open mesh canvas to elaborate tapestry.

Embroidery scissors both large and small are essential for cutting yarns and threads. A stiletto may be used to make eyelet holes. A thimble is essential for protecting the finger from the sharp end of the needle when pushing through the fabric. Yarns and threads of all kinds are used to create amazing color, texture, and design.  Keep in mind that you can learn how to sew fabulous items quicker than you imagined.

Embroidery stitches may be classified by how they lay on a fabric. Flat stitches lay flat. Knotted stitches are more raised. Liked stitches offer an interlocking appearance. Looped stitches include the blanket and feather stitches which offer a combination of flat and raised appearance. Hand embroidery stitches rival the most advanced sewing machines in complexity and number of different stitches.

As sheer artwork, hand embroidery is often considered superior to the more modern machine embroidery. There are designs and features of hand embroidery that can and will probably never be reproduced through machine embroidery. Although, machine embroidery is much faster, hand embroidery is like painting by hand with thread and yarn.  You challenge is two fold.  Learn how to sew hand embroidery and pass on this treasured skill by teaching others how to sew embroidery.


Hand Knitting

Hand knitting is very similar to crochet in that it is a needlework system of interlocking looped stitches formed by using two (instead of one hook as in crochet) large knitting needles and a single yarn for creating delicate open designs. It has been traced back to about 200AD from the region of modern day Arabia. Theory has it that Arabian travelers such as sailors, traders, and adventurers took this special skill with them and taught it to people wherever they traveled.

Knitting remains a popular fashion oriented needle art. Among the more common items made today include afghans, baby blankets, booties, and other novel heirloom items.  Many people tend to shy away from needleart, but when you learn how to sew hand knitting; you will love it.

Like crochet, knitting has a special code of its own. When you begin looking at a knitting pattern for the first time, it looks like long lists of gibberish. The code might look something like this: inc R for increase to the right; psso for pass or pull slipped stitch over; or wyib for yarn to back of work. It takes some time to figure out all the details of the code, and even longer to master the intricate skill sets to make the almost limitless stitches and patterns.

Basically, the vast array of knitting stitches are variations on either the basic knit stitch or the purl stitch. These variations are applied in many different designs as well.  Each stitch demonstrates how to sew the knitting for different appearance and variety of style.

Knitting needles are available in both an American and a British system of identification. In the British system, they run from eighteen down to eight (18, 17, 16,…13,… 8). From the British thirteen to the British eight you have equivalent American size zero to ten and a half 0,1,2,3,…). There are also circular needles, double pointed straight needles, jumper needles, and single point straight needles.

Knitting yarn comes in a wide range of fibers (wool, cotton, silk, linen, synthetics), colors, textures, sizes, and twists. Each yarn offers its own special uses and qualities. It is simplest, however, to simply follow the pattern for best results.  Get startedtoday.  Learn how to sew knitting.

 

Macrame’

Macrame' is basically knot tying to produce fringe or coarse lace designed in a geometrical patterns. It has an uncertain origin, but has been traced back to the Spain and France and even back to Middle Eastern roots.

A quick glance at macrame’ and you may be convinced that it is far too complicated to actually do or learn how to sew it, but once the two basic knots are mastered, it is sometimes described as the easiest of the needle arts. These two knots are the square knot and the Half Hitch. The combination of these simple knots quickly becomes an awe inspiring display with amazing results.

The materials used for macrame’ are quite simple: yarns, cord, rope, pins, measuring tape, pins, pinning board, rubber bands, glue, and crochet hook for occasional poking and twisting. This needle art certainly reminds one of the exceptional knot tying skills of sailors.

Rug Making

Rug making is an application needle art to a specific practical emphasis: making floor coverings. This art form taps many different skills and techniques including Braiding, Crochet, Embroidery, Hooking, Knitting, and Knotting. You are likely to have one of these art forms in your home right now. We have an embroidered rug in our family room. We also have a braided rug in our kitchen.

In a sense this may not be exactly how to sew rugs, but since it involves fabric and "needles" it fits into the broad catagory of needlework or needle art.  It is also easy to learn how to sew rugs using these techniques.


Fabric for rug making may be made by cutting long strips of fabric, tearing the strips, or purchasing the precut rolls of fabric. The width of the fabric will in large part determine the size of your hooking and knots. The narrower the fabric the smaller the hooking, and the wider the fabric gives you larger hooking.

 


Tatting

Tatting is needlework using shuttle and thread to make loops and knots to create gorgeous lace.

My grandmother was an expert at tatting. She would sit for hours creating the most delicate lace for table coverings, lace collars, and all manner of other lace items. I remember being awestruck at how complicated it all seemed. I thought it must take years to learn how to sew tatting.  Later, I was assured that if you learn the basic stitch, everything else comes automatically.  Indeed, it is fun when you can demonstrate how to sew tatting for others too.

Cross Stitch

Cross stitch is like embroidery in that it embellishes fabrics, but cross stitch uses special cloth called ida cloth with specific count weave. This fabric allows the cross stitch artist to create designs, drawings, and images with cross stitch.  You can learn how to sew cross stitch by following a few basic rules and using the great cross stitch patterns now available.

Cross Stitch has become highly popular for producing wall hangings with wise sayings and interesting eye catching designs. Cross stitch may be seen framed much like an ordinary photo or in a hoop which serves as a homey touch.

While many attempts have been made to imitate cross stitch using computer software, many people prefer the look and feel of traditional hand stitching. I frequently hear comments like, I love to cross stitch because I can relax in my rocker and stitch away, and when I am done everyone loves my product.

Why not get started now and learn how to sew cross stitch, or if you are already proficient; show others how to sew cross stitch.


Hand Sewing And Hand Quilting

Perhaps the most versatile needle art is hand sewing and hand quilting. Not only does it offer highly practical applications, it also offers great beauty and decorative applications.

It is easy to get started if you learn how to sew by hand one stitch at a time.

Clothing construction and embellishment have long been a primary focus of hand sewing. Home decorating, pillows, soft furniture covers, draperies, and other projects have also been popular applications. Quilting is also a part of sewing in which fabrics are joined, layered, and quilted (sewn together).

Hand sewing and hand quilting involve many special tools for cutting, layout, measuring, and stitching. Special hand sewing needles are used for hundreds of different stitches and their applications. Scissors, snips, and seam rippers are vital tools. Tape measures and rulers make measuring easy. Quilters find that quilt frames or wooden frames are useful for holding fabrics stable during the quilting process.

All of these activities and traditional needle arts may be described as handwork or Hand Sewing Arts.

AUTHOR:
Donna Trumble is a professional designer, seamstress, author, sewing educator, and sewing business owner.   She leads several Sewing Show And Tell groups in her stores guiding participants to shop sewing machines and learn about sewing and quilting.

David Trumble is a sewing professional, author, semi-retired minister, sewing machine technician, and CFO of Temple Sewing And Supply, Inc.

 

 

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