Fabric Decoration with Embroidery
Senior 2 · Fine Arts
Fabric Decoration with Embroidery
Lesson 5 of 5
22 min
Embroidery becomes most satisfying when it turns into a real object: a table mat, a cushion cover, a bag, a framed picture or a gift. A designer works through the same stages every time, from the first idea to the last press of the iron. In this lesson you will follow those stages to make a finished, decorated piece, and learn how to judge it fairly.
Mutesi's finished mat must be 30 cm × 40 cm with a double 1 cm hem. Each edge turns under 1 cm twice, which uses 2 cm, and there are two edges in each direction, so she adds 2 × 2 = 4 cm to each measurement. She cuts the fabric 34 cm × 44 cm.
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Stitch quality | Even length and spacing; stitches lie flat; no puckering; satin stitches parallel with smooth edges. |
| The back | Neat; threads ended off; no long jumps across the back. |
| Design | Original; suits the brief; sensible choice of outline and fill stitches and colours. |
| Finishing | No marks; pressed; hems straight and even. |
| Presentation | Displayed or made up neatly, with a label. |
A fair judgement names strengths and weaknesses with evidence, for example: “The imigongo border is bold and original and the chain stitch is even, but the satin-stitched diamond has gaps where the fabric shows; next time I will place the stitches closer together.”
This cushion cover was embroidered in Chefchaouen, a town in the mountains of northern Morocco, in the 1600s or 1700s. Red lines outline a repeating pattern of eight-sided shapes; inside them, areas are filled solid with yellow, green and blue; and a narrow border frames the whole piece. It is outline and fill, a planned repeat, a small palette and careful finishing: everything in this unit, in one object made to be used.
Tip
Behind, fill, outline, details; then press face down. That order keeps edges sharp. In an evaluation, always give a strength, a weakness and a specific improvement, with evidence from the work.
Put these in order: press the work; transfer the design; make a stitch plan; stitch the fills; write the brief.
Solution: write the brief, make a stitch plan, transfer the design, stitch the fills, press the work.
Why do you press embroidery face down on a folded towel?
Solution: the soft towel lets the stitches sink in, so the fabric is smoothed without flattening the raised stitches.
A finished cushion front must be 40 cm square, with a 1.5 cm seam allowance on every edge. What size do you cut?
Solution: 40 + 1.5 + 1.5 = 43 cm, so a 43 cm square.
Write a fair one-sentence evaluation of a piece whose design is original but whose outline stitches are uneven in length.
Solution: for example: “The design is original and well planned, but the backstitch outlines vary in length, so next time I will mark even dots before stitching.”
Remember
Sources and credits
