Of all the handmade hobbies, the patchwork is perhaps the most difficult and time-consuming. Without a doubt, to create such creations you need to have a special creative flair and perception, and, of course, great patience and accuracy. In this article, you will learn what a patchwork is and what materials are needed to make products using this technique. Some possible options for turning ordinary interior elements into exclusive ones and the stages of making useful things from fabric and knitted shreds will also be considered.
What is a patchwork?
Recently it has become fashionable to engage in various types of applied art. But wondering what a patchwork is, people who are not particularly versed in needlework will be somewhat puzzled by the answer. But it turns out that this term in the literal translation is very close in designation to everyone who has village roots. Surely many people remember the old grandmother’s multi-colored blankets, large quilted by hand. It is this rural style of decoration of various fabric products that is the patchwork. Patchwork - so literally translated is an unfamiliar word. The original kind of handicraft incorporated both complexity and simplicity, tenderness and extravagance. Some of the skilled craftsmen especially enlightened in this field of activity are also familiar with the other name of this technique - quilting. But this needlework is both a kind of sewing from pieces of fabric and a separate way of decorating. Their common features and differences are discussed below.
The history of the emergence and development of patchwork technology
The patchwork technique is inherently more an international type of needlework than the applied art of any particular nation or country. But it is still believed that the first patchwork products with characteristic features and manufacturing rules appeared in England. And the main reason was not craving for beauty at all, but banal saving. The thing is that back in the 16th century in England unusually colorful and bright fabrics from India were very popular. But due to the high cost of this material was available only to the privileged and wealthy sections of society. Soon, a ban on the import of elite fabric was announced, and it became a big deficit. Therefore, the most economical housewives, in order to keep up with fashion, tried to use the beautiful fabric most economically. So there were products combining at the same time many pieces that differ in color. Later, original fabric items became popular among all walks of life - both poor and rich.
Quilting and patchwork - various patchwork techniques
Having migrated to the American continent, the art of creating amazing creations from shreds has somewhat changed, turning into a quilting. The patchwork provides for easy stitching of several pieces of fabric of different sizes and colors into one layer. The emerging new art involves the creation of products from several different in structure tiers (at least three). If you use modern concepts, then quilting is a kind of patchwork in 3D format. Volumetricity, splendor and layering - these are the main characteristics of the American technique of fabric mosaic. As a rule, it is customary to manufacture products in several stages - the lining layer, lush interlayer material and colorful ornaments assembled from multicolor combinations. In the literal translation quilting is quilting, stitching of fabrics. This type of needlework includes patchwork, patchwork, applique, collage and embroidery at the same time.
What products can be made using the patchwork technique?
Initially, only sleeping textile items were made in this way - bedspreads, bedding, blankets and other accessories. But subsequently, given that the patchwork is patchwork of various types of fabrics, the craftswomen began to experiment with other interior items from linen materials. So there were unique motley curtains, eye-catching kitchen accessories, fashionable extravagant upholstery for furniture, etc. Still, amazing art is a patchwork! The photos presented in this article clearly show how wide the range of possible ideas is. One of the latest applications of mosaic sewing is the manufacture of knitwear. Along with prefabricated wicker pieces, items in the form of pillows and bedspreads are very popular knitwear. When creating such creations, special skill will be required, which is available only to experienced needlewomen, who necessarily have special creative thinking and imagination.
Materials used
At first glance, the manufacture of patchwork products seems very simple. You only need to sew different pieces, right? Special rules relate more to the selection of material and the corresponding design. But first of all, you need to create a sketch. Imagining how the adjacent fabrics will look, you can certainly sew a beautiful and stylish product. By folding the mosaic ornament, you can easily create a specific pattern. The second thing that draws particular attention is the selection of the same material in texture. It is not recommended to simultaneously use, for example, dense draped fabrics and light silk in the patchwork. But often for decoration, linen products, including pillows and blankets, are decorated with fringe, braid, rhinestones, beads, ribbons, laces, etc. The patchwork technique involves the use of cotton fabrics, natural wool and linen. Any material (both old and new) must be washed, starched and ironed before cutting.
Basic patchwork techniques
Oddly enough, but the simplest products and complex combinations of several ornaments are technically performed in exactly the same way. The classic patchwork involves the use of ordinary geometric shapes - a square, rhombus, rectangle. They are placed on the canvas strictly in accordance with the sketch drawing and, as a rule, symmetrically. A slightly different patchwork technique with a chaotic mosaic. With such work, there are no rules. Neither geometric sequence nor a certain sequence is observed. Asymmetric crazy patchwork turns out to be somewhat extravagant and is often used in the manufacture of new-fangled garments and abstract panels. In this case, preliminary sketches are not made, and work is carried out spontaneously. Having learned what a patchwork is, and understanding the features of manufacturing products using this needlework technique, you can easily do something to decorate the interior, for example, a bedspread. Below are recommendations for the proper organization of the creative process.
Stages of manufacturing bedspreads
How to organize work in order to productively and tastefully make a stylish bedspread? Let's list the main secrets:
- Choice of drawing. For beginner needlewomen it is better to choose simple geometric ornaments. Use the same shapes.
- Selection of material. Observe the above rule on the use of materials of the same type.
- Material decorating. Pre-washing, drying and ironing of workpieces is considered a prerequisite.
- Features of the cut. When collecting a patchwork cloth, the accuracy of measurements and drawing lines for connecting parts is important. Also follow the direction of the shared thread, otherwise the product may skew.
- Assembly order. The first stage is the connection of shreds into strips or small pieces in size. The second stage is the general assembly of the canvas.
- Lined connection. To form a smooth and beautiful canvas, quilted (starting from the middle) the upper part of the bedspread with insulation and lining.
- Edge treatment. Cut off the excess and sweep the braid, hiding inside all the irregularities and inaccuracies.
Knitting Patchwork
One of the options for the manufacture of patchwork is the use of various applied hobbies. Knitting patchwork is especially popular among them. Using this technique, you can find the use of leftover yarn that has been idle for a long time in your closet. But you need to be prepared in advance that the time for the manufacture of an exclusive sweater or skirt will take, perhaps several times more. Just as in the manufacture of fabric, it is necessary to create a sketch in advance, on which it is necessary to provide for the exact location of knitted shreds of different colors. Thoughtfulness guarantees the creation of a harmonious appearance of the future product. Consider the various methods of manufacturing shreds of thread. These rules can be used both for crocheting and knitting. Choose the most convenient option for you and proceed to create the original little thing that will be guaranteed to be made in a single copy.
Four ways to create a knitted fabric using patchwork technique
There are several options for performing original knitwear. Consider the features of each of them:
- The first way. This knitting patchwork fully copies the basic techniques of traditional patchwork. The main difference is that knitted pieces are used instead of fabric. When working with knitting needles, the main pattern is shawl knitting or the simplest patterns.
- The second way. Knitting with needles using multiple threads at once is the most difficult option. The work is similar to jacquard knitting, only in a slightly lightened form.
- The third way. The easiest option to perform patchwork with needles involves a simple alternation, for example, of large colored squares.
- The fourth way. Large embroidered ornaments are not considered a specific technique, but still often practiced when decorating shelves of knitted products. Outwardly, it looks like a separately sewn cloth.
Surely the information received will become the basis for the emergence of new ideas. Paint your interior and wardrobe with new colorful paints using the patchwork technique!