
Decorative and applied art, the technique of patchwork sewing is simple and accessible to everyone
Decorative and applied arts, technologypatchwork is a very ancient art, with a centuries-old history. For some, it may seem very complicated, but in fact, everything is simple. In order to learn how to work in it and create beautiful canvases, clothes, household items and accessories, you just need to familiarize yourself with the basic rules for selecting scraps, connecting them into a single whole and various methods of this decorative and applied art. How and when patchwork appeared Considering the fragility that is inherent in almost all fabrics, it is unlikely that it will ever be possible to establish the exact time of the appearance of the patchwork sewing technique. The first mentions of products made in this way were in some historical sources of the 11th century. It is believed that the birthplace of patchwork is England, although no one can say that this is so. It is quite possible that it was used simultaneously in several corners of our planet. With its help, craftswomen from Europe and America, Rus' and Australia sewed items of clothing and household items. The main reason for their creativity was poverty. That is why they had to make something new and necessary from old unnecessary things, in particular things for themselves and children, bright blankets and beautiful bedspreads, pillows and children's toys. That is why the surges in the development and popularity of patchwork sewing are associated with crisis life situations. Among the people, this type of sewing has an original name "patchwork mosaic", since these two techniques, although different, are at the same time related. Perhaps the appearance of geometric (regularly shaped) patterns in canvases from pieces of fabric is a kind of imitation of ancient art (creation of mosaic compositions). In the modern world, the technique of patchwork sewing is nothing more than a type of decorative and applied art. Needlewomen from all over the world unite in circles and clubs, organize exhibition events, festivals and thematic seminars, exchange experiences and demonstrate their works of art. In many museums around the world you can find examples of such patchwork products, both from past years and more modern creations. Tools and materials needed for working in the technique of sewing from colored patches For production you will need materials:
- tissue pieces that can be of different texture and color and are selected so that they are harmoniously combined;
- thread;
- materials for decoration: lace, fringe remnants, braid, beads, ribbons, rivets, buttons and so on.
No less important are the tools used:
- Needles for handwork;
- sewing machine (preferably with a zigzag stitch function);
- Iron with a humidifier to smooth the seams on the created product;
- rulers of different lengths, triangle rectangular, compasses and patterns;
- sheets of paper in a cage to make sketches and schemes of future drawings;
- scissors very sharp or disk cutters with a special mat. It is on it that the blanks are cut from the fabric;
- steamer;
- Pins, ideally thin, in order to fix individual elements or layers of the future product.
How to choose the right color scheme for fabricspatchwork In order for the product to be truly exquisite, beautiful and fit well into the interior, if we are talking about items of this purpose, the color scheme should be well thought out. Provided that the detail will be in a new house or room, you can take any color scheme, combine and create a masterpiece from any pieces of matter.
If you are unsure whether this will worksolution of the product for you or your loved ones, you can use scraps that have classic colors or patterns. Types of sewing techniques from fabric scraps There are several types of this technique, which are used in the creation of panels, blankets, bedspreads, pillows, paintings, as well as clothing items.
- Sewing from fabric strips – patterns “pineapple”, “well”, “chevron”.
- Sewing of identical squares.
- Sewing from isosceles triangles ("mill", "Russian square", "card trick" and others).
- Free sewing technique from pieces of textiles ("crazy quilt", "rose").
Let's talk briefly about each of them. Sewing from strips is a technique that has been used for a long time and is the most common.First, strips of fabric are made, thenare sewn together. When cut, they form separate blocks. Subsequently, the blocks are sewn together into a single piece, forming a finished product. Even old, unnecessary things are suitable for this technique. It is best to start sewing the product from the central part, placing a square or a block of another geometric shape there, and then sewing on individual fragments. Half a centimeter of fabric is allocated for allowances. Let's consider sewing from strips using the example of the "Log Hut" pattern, which is also called "well", "log house" or "American square". Assembly consists of sewing strips of fabric to a square placed in the center. Traditionally, the square is red, and the stripes are used in light and dark shades. Light tones are illuminated corners, dark tones symbolize shadow corners. The process is simple. The diagram shows in more detail how to sew the stripes correctly.
Sewing from squares is a fairly old technique of this type of sewing.
It is very popular and simple.In the old days, it was widely used in rural areas, where fabric was worth its weight in gold and was a virtually waste-free raw material for work. Its essence consists of cutting out squares of the same size, which are calculated according to a pre-drawn sketch. Then the squares are first sewn into strips, and the finished strips are sewn together. If the product is rectangular, it will be more convenient to sew from its short side. The diagram below shows how to properly sew individual squares, and then strips from squares.
Sewing from triangles is a very old traditiontechnique. According to some sources, it is believed that its invention rightfully belongs to Russian needlewomen. A blanket made using this technique was sometimes the only decoration in the hut of villagers.
Identical multi-colored pieces are cut out of fabricisosceles triangles. This can be done using a pre-prepared template, which will greatly facilitate the cutting process. Then the triangles are connected into squares, and the squares into a piece of fabric of the required shape. The patterns obtained as a result of the work have a geometric shape. A striking example of this technique is the "Mill" pattern. It consists of two colors and to create it you will need eight triangles - four of them are of one color, four more - another. The triangles are sewn into a square as shown in the diagram, and then the product is sewn from the squares.
Free technique patchwork or"crazy quilt". Perhaps the most interesting technique of this type of needlework. There are no rules or order of sewing individual patches, no sketch is provided. You can use even very small pieces of material, buttons, lace, ribbons and braid, and so on. The picture that will be drawn in the end depends only on the imagination and creativity of the needlewoman herself. As a result, you can get an amazing colorful picture that will make any product exclusive.