Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF ED UC ATION

Learning Module
 HANDICRAFT PRODUCTION
EXPLORATORY COURSE
Grade 7 and Grade 8

LESSON 1

LEARNING OUTCOME 1

USE BASIC TOOLS IN EMBROIDERY

Development of Philippine Embroidery

Embroidery is the
ornamentation of textiles
and other materials with
needlework for

personal use and

decoration not only at home but for offices as well. The term
embroidery is an English word derived from the old French embroiders meaning edge and border.
Embroidery was introduced into the Orient by the Netherlanders in the 15th century. It was bought
by the Spaniards into the Philippines where it has made a wonderful growth, and work done it
rivals the best work done in Switzerland, a country noted for its exquisite embroidery .
Embroidery reached its highest development during the middle ages. The nuns in the
convents were the first to make articles with embroidery work during their leisure time. Since
then, it became so popular that women started to enjoy it, creating designs of their own. In the
beginning embroideries were done by hand. But since the advent of technology and the invention
of the sewing machine, people are now engaged in the machine embroidery.
Today, because of the fast growth of the industry, elegance of designs and fineness of
workmanship, Filipinos export articles with embroidery work. Embroidery work is best achieved if
correct tools and materials are used. Tools refer to small or handy devices/instruments used in
sewing while materials or supplies are those that are consumed in finishing a project.
Below are the tools and materials use in Embroidery its uses and maintenance.

Tools
Gauge- use to measure short distance

Tape measure- use for measuring more than one-foot distance or

materials
Thimbles- made from metal or plastic, protect the middle finger and push the needle while
doing your embroidery work. This comes in sizes 6 (small) to 12 (large)

Embroidery hoop/stiletto- made of wood, bone, metal or plastic use to

make eyelets in the fabric to be embroidered. It is also use to keep the
fabric stretched while embroidery stitches are applied on the design.

It is advisable to place tissue paper over the inner hoop or twist or wrap the
inner hoop with a thin material to prevent markings on the fabric.

Embroidery scissor- is small, sharp and pointed-good for fine work use for trimming
scallops, clipping threads, and cutting large eyelets. Protect the blade by
keeping them in a sheath or cover and get them sharpened occasionally

Needle threader- is use for easier threading especially by those sewers

with poor eyesight.

Pounce- is fine powder used in transferring design by pricking method.

Embroidery needle- a short pieces of steel with a fine point at one end and a little opening or
eye at the other. The kind of embroidery work to do and the kind of thread to use are two
things to be considered in choosing your needle.
Needles should always have a fine tip so that they can easily move in and out of the
fabric. Do not use a needle which is bent, without a point or rusty. This will affect the regularity
and neatness of work. Protect your needles by storing them in a needle case. to sharpen
needles or make pins last longer by rubbing them with an abrasive material such as sandpaper
or heavy wool.
Keep in mind that pins and needles are one of the most inexpensive notions used.
Simple care and knowing when to discard them are key. It is recommended to discard your
needle after eight hours of use; usually when threads or fibers start breaking and you feel it
pulling on your fabric instead of gliding through it.

Crewell- sizes 1-10 are sharp-pointed, medium length with large eyes for easy
threading they are used for most standard embroidery stitchery.

Chenille- sizes 13-26 are also sharp-pointed needles but they are thicker and longer
and have larger eyes. They are that types of needles appropriate for embroidery that is
worked with heavier yarns.
Tapestry needle- is from sizes 13 -26. They are similar in size to chenille but are blunt
rather than sharp. This makes them best for thread-counting embroidery and for the
needle point as well.

Water color brush- use for transferring the design using pricking and
pouncing methods.

Pin cushion- a place for pins and needles.

Tracing paper- used for tracing designs.

Sewing box- use to keep together the embroidery tools and

materials.

Bag- to keep work clean and fresh, have a bag made from
washable material to hold your work when not busy on it.

Fabric- sometimes referred to as cloth, are of great variety and they differ in material,
weight, weave, design, color, and finish.

Three types of Fabric

Common weave- includes most tightly woven fabrics with a relatively smooth surface like
linen, wool and cotton. They are best used for articles with decorative stitches.
Even-weave- are intended for hardanger embroidery since the number of threads per
square inch is same for both warp and woof.

Basket weave- is commonly used by beginners and ramie linen by those who have been
used to this embroidery. It supplies guidelines for cross stitch and smocking having an
evenly spaced pattern like gingham cloth and polka dots.

All fabrics should be prewashed before using them for quilting or embroidery. The filler
that is used in the fabric can cause havoc if it is not removed by washing prior to
working with the fabric.

Thread- is available in various types. They differ in terms of texture, fiber content, number
of strands and colors. Threads are usually coded in numbers and color names. They can
be bought in skeins, balls or spools. The color of the thread should suit the color and
texture of the design and the fabric to be embroiders,

Proper Care of Embroidery Thread

 As one of the most essential elements to the stitching process, it's important to ensure
proper and careful care of embroidery thread. Store it properly under controlled conditions
to avoid the following issues:

Thread dents—when a cone falls onto the floor, the point of impact can “dent” the thread,
resulting in a weak spot (or spots) that can ultimately lead to problems as the thread travels
toward the needle. This is a common problem for those that store unused cones on top of
their machine. Those cones will “walk” across the machine table due to the vibration of
sewing and ultimately end up on the floor.

Discoloring and fading—Threads, especially rayon, will fade when exposed to sunlight for
extended periods of time. If your threads are stored on a window sill or anywhere that
sunlight can strike them full force, you risk fading and discoloring.

Lint buildup—Threads that sit out, exposed to the elements of your shop’s environment,
are prone to dust and lint building up. Over time, such buildup can sink down into the
threads. When the thread travels through the upper thread path, it takes the crud with it,
dispensing it along the way onto critical surfaces (such as tensioners) that need to remain
clean and smooth. The end result will be inconsistent upper thread tension and possible
thread breaks.

Brittleness—In addition to discoloring and fading, excessive exposure to sunlight can dry
out the thread and lead to brittleness in the fibers. Obviously, this will weaken the thread
and lead to excessive thread breaks.

Information Sheet 1.2

Embroidery Stitches

There are various embroidery stitches which you can choose from when you do embroidery
work. For you to gain more skill on this line, below are the illustration of some of the embroidery
stitches which will help and guide you as you enjoy working on this lovely craft.

1. Back stitch- the most often used to outline a design. This stitch also
forms the base line for other embroidery stitches

2. Bullion stitch- a single detached stitch that is used for filling in a

design area. Rows of bullion stitches may also be used to outline a
design. It is recommended that one uses a needle with a small eye for
ease in
pulling

3. Chain stitch- one of the more popular stitches used for outlining. When worked in close
rows, chain stitches make good stitches for filling the design area.
4. Cross-stitch- stitched formed by two crossing arms and may be
used for outlining, as borders or to fill in an entire area.
5. Feather stitch- a stitch with a loop and stitches evenly worked on both left and right sides
of a design area.

6. Fish Bone- a kind of filling stitch which is ideal for making leaves
or feathers. It requires us to divide the pattern into two and each
side is filled alternately giving it a plaited effect in the centre, thus
ideal to make leaves or feathers.

7. French knot- a single detached stitched used primarily to fill in a

design area. It is a popular stitch among
embroiderers in that it can be used to create the eyes on an
embroidered face or the center of a flower.

8. Herringbone stitch- a basic overlapping stitch popular for its use in

borders.

9. Lazy daisy chain stitch- also called detached chain stitch, this stitch
is work in a circle to resemble the petals of a flower.

10. Looped stitch- a very decorative stitch and can be

experimented with threads for various colors over borders. Close
layers of this stitch can create wonderful effects on a pattern.

11. Running stitch- considered being the easiest stitch for outlining.

12. Satin stitch- a solid filling stitch that is used to cover a design
area with long, straight stitches worked very close together

13. Split- done using quite thick threads, such as wool. It was used as
an outlining stitch or as a filling stitch.

14. Seed- also known as rice grain stitch. Stitch uses simple straight
stitches in a single direction to fill in patterns. It has shorter stitches
above the fabric and longer stitches on the reverse side. They
remind of strawberry seeds, probably, which inspired its name.
15. Stem Stitch- basically an outline stitch, this stitch is usually used for
flower stems, and outlines. It can only be used as filling, rows of
Stem stitch worked closely together within a shape until it is filled
completely.

Self - Check 1.1

Direction: Describe briefly the use/s of the following tools. Write your answer on your notebook.

1. Tape measure
2. Hoop
3. Needle threader
4. Pounce
5. Chenille
6. Tracing paper
7. Sewing box
8. Bag
9. Gauge
10. Embroidery scissor

Direction: Identify the kind of embroidery stitches that is being describe. Write your answer on
your notebook.

1. The simplest stitch and quickest to do. Used as outline or as a filling to make texture. The
stitches are of equal length with equal spaces between them.
2. Also known as detached chain stitch and it resemble the petals of a flower when work in
circle.
3. A kind of filling stitch which is ideal for making leaves or feathers.
4. A decorative stitch and can be experimented with threads for various colors over borders.
5. A popular stitch among embroiderers that can be used to create the eyes on an
embroidered face or the center of a flower.

Assignment