• Apologetics
  
• Arts Ministry
  
• Children's Ministry
  
• Evangelism
  
• Pastors
  
• Worship
  

Send this page to a friend

This would be a great mini unit to go along with a study of the Industrial Revolution and/or Victorian Era. It is also a fun unit just for just for the crafting explored.

1. Gather samples or pictures of five types of weaving, embroidery, crewelwork, needlepoint, hemstitching, or printed or batik dyed fabric. Make a display of your collection and label each example.

2. Learn about five distinctive types of textiles, weaving, and needlework from other countries. Gather examples or pictures of what you’ve learned.

3. Visit a museum, an historical restoration, or an exhibit and identify at least five types of needlework or textiles in clothes or household articles of previous years. Are they different from what we use today? How?

4. Attend a needlework or textile show and/or demonstration. Talk to the people who do the weaving or needlework. Think about what you would like to make and what you need to learn before you make it.

5. Visit a textile mill and see how fabrics are processed. Discuss the differences between handmade and machine-made fabrics. Learn five different fibers from which textiles are made and be able to explain something about each.

6. In the area of weaving – do two or more of the following projects:

§ Weave something on a cardboard loom
§ Do a tapestry weaving on a cardboard or other type of loom
§ Make and thread a simple loom. Demonstrate how to use it and weave something on it.
§ On a simple loom, experiment with different textures, using various materials for warp and weft.
§ Make a belt with finger weaving, tub weaving, or some other type of narrow weaving.
§ Create a basket in a woven, coil, braided, or twining technique.

7. In the area of knitting, crochet, or macramé – do two or more of the following projects:

§ Demonstrate several different knots: overhand, square, half hitch, clove hitch, lark’s head, sheepshank, bowline, taut line hitch, sheet bend, granny knot.
§ Make a macramé sampler experimenting with colors, beads, textures, and several different knots.
§ Macramé a flat item, such as a place mat, doormat, wall hanging, etc.
§ Do a simple macramé project, such as a belt or bookmark, using only a square knot.
§ Create your own macramé, knit, or crochet design for a gift, a decorative item for your home, or as a useful item for your home or hobby.
§ In knitting, learn to cast on, bind off, knit, purl, and yarn over. Select a suitable yarn and pattern and knit a small garment or accessory.
§ In crochet, learn to start, finish, do chain, single crochet, double crochet, and afghan stitches. Select a suitable thread or yarn and pattern and crochet one small article.

8. In the area of printed textiles – do at least two of the following:

§ Create two simple border designs for a piece of fabric.
§ Adapt one for a stencil, cut the stencil and, using one color, decorate some useful item.
§ Cut a linoleum block (stamper) and print a one-color design on some household item or garment.
§ Design a paper cutting or paper folding and use it to create a repeat or allover pattern on fabric, a garment, or a household item or gift.
§ Learn about commercial dyes. Use one to dye or tint an article. Learn about textile paints.
§ Make a tie-dyed article, using at least two kinds of tying but only one dye bath.
§ Learn about natural dyes and use them to create one of the articles listed in this section.

9. In the area of hooking, braiding, or quilting – do at least two of the following:

§ Learn something about hooked rugs and their history.
§ Hook a small article, such as a chair seat or a pillow top.
§ Learn something about making braided rugs from a variety of materials. Make a small braided piece for a chair, a bench, or a footstool.
§ Gather several pictures or samples of quilts, including pieced, embroidered, appliquéd, and ornamental quilting.
§ Make a quilt square of any type.
§ Find out about different types of quilts. Compare old and new quilts. Make a small quilted article.

10. In the area of embroidery and needlepoint – do at least two of the following:

§ Learn to do eight of the following stitches and do a sampler to display your accomplishments: outline stitch, chain stitch, cross stitch, back stitch, blanket stitch, satin stitch, darning stitch, French knot, lazy daisy, couching.
§ Using five stitches you know, create your own picture or wall hanging, or decorate a garment or a household article.
§ Work out a design or graph paper for counted thread work. Use the design to make a small piece of needlepoint or cross-stitch.
§ Convert a design of your initials to graph paper and show four ways that graph designs can be used (such as cross-stitch, needlepoint, beading, or knitting). Choose one way to make a small sample of your design.

11. For each of the techniques you choose to do, learn about the kinds of tools, fibers, and equipment needed to accomplish the art.

12. Visit a fabric store and see all the different fabrics, laces, edgings, etc. that are available today. Where are they made? Are they made by hand or by machine? What kind of fabrics would you use when and why?

Copyright 2001 Kathryn Martinez. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

About Kathryn Martinez: I'm a SAHM, home schooling mother of 4 children, 1 husband, and a neurotic cat. This is our sixth year of home schooling. I worked for over 10 years at USF in an education and training department. I hope that by sharing my experience with other home schoolers, both the new and the not-so-new and those just considering home schooling, I will pass along all the help that was given to me when I first started out.

Send this page to a friend: