TLE Reviewer more by using a needle.

Sometimes other
materials are combined, such as beads and
LESSON 1: UNDERSTANDING CONCEPTS RELATED sequins.
TO NEEDLECRAFT CROSS STITCH
HANDICRAFT This is a type of sewing or embroidery
It is a skilled activity in which something is technique that involves forming stitches by
made in a traditional way with the hands crossing two stitches with each other. The
rather than being produced by machines in a crossing of the stitches forms an “X” shape
factory, or an object made by such an activity. that, when multiplied, can create an image or
design of choice.
INTRODUCTION
FABRIC
The handicraft industry plays an important role in the
economic growth of our country, especially now that There are two main groups of fabric for counted
many handicraft owners are exporting their products embroidery: aida (woven in blocks) and evenweave
to other countries. There are various forms of (woven with single threads forming the warp and
handicrafts, and one of them is needlecraft. weft).
Needlecraft or needlework uses a needle for the All fabrics for counted embroidery are woven so that
construction of products or articles. You may choose they have the same number of threads or blocks per
from the various kinds of needlecraft, such as 2.5 cm (1 in) in both directions, so the stitches will
crocheting, embroidering, quilting, and knitting. appear as squares or parts of squares.
MAJOR NEEDLECRAFT TECHNIQUES PATTERNS
• Crochet A decent pattern will include a color pattern
• Embroidery and chart so that you know which color thread
to stitch with and where. Caterpillar Cross
• Cross Stitch Stitch patterns are professionally printed in
• Knitting color.
• Quilting The center of the pattern is almost always
marked with two red lines that cross in the
• Patchwork center.
CROCHET CROSS STITCH | NEEDLE & NEEDLE MINDER
The word “crochet” is a French word which The best needle for a beginner is a tapestry needle,
means “small hook.” Crochet is a patterned which has a slightly blunter end than a normal sewing
fabric created by looping material with a needle. Gold-plated needles are fantastic as they
hooked needle. The most popular material don’t rust, leaving marks on your fabric, and the
used to crochet is yarn. This needlework threads glide nicely through the eye.
consists of interlocking looped stitches formed A needle minder (sometimes called a needle nanny) is
with a single thread and a hooked needle. a small decorative piece with a magnet on the back.
• Ex: scarves, blankets/shawls, coaster, cardigan, THREAD
swimwear, headwear, bags, basket
EMBROIDERY The most common type of thread used for
cross stitch is 6-strand embroidery floss. All of
This is the process of creating designs upon a the Stranded Stitch patterns include DMC
material like woven fabric, paper, leather, and brand color charts; the number on the pattern
 corresponds to a specific DMC color. You can There are five basic types of knitting needles:
find DMC brand floss at most large craft stores ➢ Straight Needles
and some independent needlework shops.
EMBROIDERY HOOP ➢ Circular Needles

Embroidery hoops might be plastic or wood, ➢ Interchangeable Needles

and which you choose depends on the feel ➢ Double-Pointed Needles
you
➢ Cable Needles
prefer. A decent quality wooden hoop is a
great choice to get started and is available in Straight Needles
sizes from a small 4” up to a large 18” or 19”
hoop. Starting with an average hoop, around These work best for smaller projects that you
7” in diameter, will be versatile for most work flat. This includes washcloths, scarves,
projects, as you don’t need to get all of a afghan squares, or even sweaters that you knit
design into the hoop at the same time. A tiny in pieces.
screwdriver is handy to tighten the brass They range from 9 to 14 inches long for most
screw and achieve the best tension. sizes, but you may find shorter or longer
SCISSORS needles too. Steel, aluminum, plastic, bamboo,
and wood are the most common materials for
The most important thing about embroidery straight needles.
scissors is that they have a very small, sharp
point that makes them ideal to undo stitches Circular Needles
and snip threads cleanly. These are for projects worked in the round,
KNITTING such as sweaters, hats, cowls, or even socks
when using the magic loop method.
It’s the process of using two or more needles
to loop yarn into a series of interconnected Most circular needles range from 16 to 48
loops in order to create a finished garment or inches long, but they also come in shorter or
to create a cloth. longer lengths. The cord can also vary in
thickness. As with other needles, steel,
It is the art of creating two-dimensional fabric aluminum, plastic, bamboo, and wood are the
by interlocking loops of yarn. The two most most common materials for the needle part of
popular varieties of knitting are warp knitting circular needles.
and weft knitting.
Interchangeable Needles
NEEDLES
Interchangeable needles come in sets or as
Knitting needles come in many styles, sizes, individual pieces. Most connect with a tiny
and materials. The diameter or size of knitting screw-on joining piece, but some use other
needles determines the gauge of your knitting. mechanisms, and each brand only works with
its parts.
But beyond this, they also come in different Like circular needles, they have a firm tip and a
lengths, which affects how big of a project you flexible cord, but the pieces separate so you
can work on the needles. can change out the needle sizes and cord
lengths. You can also connect needles to
cords and attach caps at the ends so you can
use them like straight needles.
Double-Pointed Needles CROCHET HOOKS
Most of the time, you'll see these kinds of A crochet hook is a tool consisting of a slender
needles in sock knitting, but you can also use handle with a hook at one (or both) ends,
them for knitting mittens, gloves, and hats (or which is used to pull thread or yarn through
just the top of a hat that was started on loops to create crochet stitches. You can also
circular needles). They're also perfect for use a crochet hook to create hairpin lace, to
knitting small toys or even sweater sleeves. pick up dropped knitting stitches, or to thread
Double-pointed needles range in size from 5 to beads onto string.
8 inches long. Some double-pointed needles QUILTING
have either a bend or a flexible portion in the It comes from the Latin word “culcita” meaning
middle. These come in sets of three because a large stuffed sack, mattress, or cushion. It is
the bend allows you to work with fewer the process of sewing two or more layers of
needles to move your knitting around. material together.
Cable Needles • It is the technique of using two layers of
These are only a few inches long and come in fabric, usually with a soft material placed in
fewer diameters because they only hold a few between the layers, and then stitched
stitches for a short time. When choosing the together.
needle diameter, use one that is the same size ➢ FRAME OR HOOP
or smaller than the regular needles for the
project. These can be made from metal, plastic, A frame supports the quilt's weight, ensures
bamboo, wood, and even glass. even tension, and frees both your hands for
Yarn stitching. Once set up, however, it cannot be
disassembled until quilting is complete.
Yarn is a textile commonly made of either Hoops are more portable and less expensive.
animal based fibers (sheep's wool, mohair, Quilting hoops are deeper than embroidery
angora), plant-based fibers (cotton, hemp, hoops to accommodate the thickness of quilt
silk), or synthetic fibers (polyester, nylon, layers.
rayon).
Common fibers include alpaca, silk, rayon, ➢ NEEDLES - A "between" or quilting needle is short
nylon, polyester, wool, mohair, cotton, with a small eye. Common sizes are 8, 9, and 10; size 8
cashmere, and angora. is best for beginners.
Scissors ➢ THIMBLE - This finger cover relieves the pressure
required to push a needle through several layers of
In order to cut the excess yarn from your fabric and batting.
project, you need a pair of scissors. There's no ➢ THREAD - Quilting thread, including the preferred
fancy cutting required in knitting, so if it can 100% cotton variety, is stronger than sewing thread.
snip a piece of yarn, it will work.
TAPESTRY NEEDLES PATCHWORK
Tapestry needles are helpful for weaving in the It is the process of sewing small pieces of
ends of your knitting project and for sewing fabric together to form a design or pattern.
together pieces of a garment, such as putting The pieces are often different in color and
the arms on a sweater. You will typically find shape. The patches of fabric can be arranged
these right next to the knitting needles. to form a picture but are sometimes randomly
placed.
 This needlecraft is almost the same as quilting. the number of pins at the end of the work; they must
When we compare the two weaves, the be the same.
differences in their stitching technique are • Keep knitting needles and the hook in a case. At
evident. While patchwork is a separate sewing the end of the work, remove them out of reach of
technique, quilting is a mixture of various small children.
techniques.
GENERAL HYGIENE REQUIREMENTS FOR SEWING • When working with knitting needles, keep them no
TOYS: closer than 35 centimeters from your eyes.
Before you begin, hide your hair for SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN WORKING WITH
convenience. SCISSORS would
The light should fall on the working surface • Keep the scissors in the case and out of reach of
from the feft side or the front. children.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN WORKING WITH • When working, do not leave the scissors’ blade
FABRIC, THREAD, AND ACCESSORIES open.
• Keep all needlework during work breaks in the • Do not hold scissors with sharp sides up, and do
product package. not use them when the central fastener is
• Keep all small parts from the set in special bags weakened.
with a zip lock. • When working closely, observe the direction of
• When working, do not bite through the thread with cutting. Do not cut while in motion.
your teeth or tear it with your hands. • When working, hold the material with your left
• The length of a thread when sewing must not hand so that the fingers are away from the blade.
exceed the length of the distance to the elbow. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN WORKING WITH
• When working with seed beads, use shallow ELECTRIC APPLIANCES
containers. Before operating the appliance, check if the
• When working with bulk materials, put on a face cord is in proper condition, and if there are any
mask. faults, correct them.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN WORKING WITH Turn on and turn off the appliance, holding the
NEEDLES, PINS, AND KNITTING NEEDLES plug with dry hands.
• Keep needles and pins in a designated place; do Do not leave the active appliance unattended.
not leave them at the workplace. Never take needles Place the iron only on a special heat-resistant
or pins in your mouth and do not stick them in clothes. stand.
Do not leave needles or pins in the product.
• Use a thimble when sewing. When working, make sure that the cord does
not touch the iron soleplate.
• Do not use rusty needles and pins in your work. • Keep the appliance in an upright position.
Attach patterns to fabric with the sharp ends of pins
away from you. Choose an ironing mode suiting the fabric
• Collect and dispose of pieces of broken needles or composition.
pins and wrap them in paper. When ironing, do not touch hot surfaces of the
• Count the number of pins taken before work and iron with hands and do not dampen the fabric
being ironed with plenty of water.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN WORKING ON THE A. Monogramming – this technique uses different style
SEWING MACHINE of letters to create a design. It is used to gather fabric
Before starting to work, remove needles and so that it can stretch, stitches are sewn on a portion of
pins from the product. fabric on which small folds have been folded.
Check the holding strength of the needle and B. Applique– in which patterns or representational
the presser. scenes are created by attaching smaller pieces of
fabric to a larger piece of contrasting color or texture.
When working, the distance to the machine C. Calado – is a traditional style of whitework
has to be 10-15 cm. embroidery from the Philippines. Calado (piercing) is a
No foreign objects have to be located next to method of decorating a textile by pulling out threads
the machine during operation. from certain areas, reinforcing other areas, and
sewing them together to make intricate lacy designs.
When sewing, hands have to be at a safe A. Embroidery Tools - A tool is any instrument or
distance from the moving parts of the machine. simple piece of equipment that you hold in your hands
LESSON 2: UNDERSTANDING EMBROIDERY and use to do a particular kind of work.
NEEDLECRAFT TECHNIQUE 1. Embroidery needle – is a short piece of steel with a
Embroidery fine point at one end and a little opening or eye at the
other. Needles are of three basic types namely:
is one activity that is not only wholesome; it is
also profitable. a. Crewel; b. Chenille; c. Tapestry.
is the handicraft of decorating fabric or other a. Crewel - has sizes 1-10 and is sharp-pointed,
materials with needle and thread or yarn of medium length with large eyes for easy threading.
different colors. These are used for most standard embroidery
stitching.
GENERAL KINDS OF EMBROIDERY
b. Chenille – sizes 13 to 26 are also sharp-pointed
1. Freestyle embroidery – it is worked over a traced needle but they are thicker and longer and have
design or a design stamped on a material and a group larger eyes; appropriate for embroidery worked with
of stitches are used to create the design using needle heavier yarns.
and thread.
c. Tapestry – sizes from 13 to 26. They are similar to
2. Counted thread embroidery – is made by counting Chenille but are blunt rather than sharp. This is best
the threads or the fabric and working each stitch over for thread-counting embroidery and needlepoint.
the exact number of threads. The threads that will be
used are pre determined. It has a pattern. 2. Embroidery scissors – sharp, pointed, and curved
upward. These will help you in trimming scallops,
3. Cross-stitch embroidery – Cross-stitch is a form of clipping threads, or cutting large eyelets.
sewing and a popular form of counted thread
embroidery in which X-shaped stitches in a tiled, 3. Stiletto – tool used in making eyelets. It’s made of
raster-like pattern is used to form a picture. The type wood, bone, or metal. It may help you with applying
of needle used in cross-stitch is a tapestry needle. special kinds of embroidery techniques.
Fabrics used are aida cloth and even weave. The 4. Embroidery hoop or frame – a device to keep the
stitches count the threads on a piece of even weave fabric stretched while you apply embroidery stitches
fabric in each direction so that the stitches are of to the design.
uniform size and appearance.
4. Other embroidery style – it is considered a special - Hoops come in many sizes, marked by their diameter
or fancy kind of embroidery. in inches.
- To mount fabric into the hoop, loosen the screw join 2. Embroidery Threads – they are bought in skeins,
and separate the two rings; then, layer the fabric over balls, or spools. They are available in a variety of
the inner ring and press the outer ring down around colors which are usually coded with numbers and
the inner ring; tighten the screw again, and this should color names. Select threads thar are colorfast. Buy
secure your fabric in the embroidery. embroidery threads that will suit the texture of the
5. Gauge or Ruler – is used for measuring short fabric. Some embroidery threads are mercerized and
distances. shiny.
6. Tape measure – it is intended for measuring more 3. Carbon paper – it is a specially waxed carbon paper
that transfers the tracing wheel’s markings to the
than one-foot distance or materials. fabric. A color of tracing paper should be chosen that
7. Thimbles – made of metal or plastic. It aims to is close to the color of the fabric. Different brands
protect the mid-de finger and push the needle while have different instructions; therefore, the instructions
doing embroidery work. for the particular brand that is purchased should be
followed.
8. Needle threader – used for easier threading, 4. Chalk Pencils – allow for the placement of fine lines
especially by those sewers with poor eyesight. It aids on the fabric, and many of them have an eraser or
in putting the thread into the needle. Parts: handle brush so that the marks can be removed from the
and wire. fabric. (It is also known as Tailor’s chalk.
9. Pin cushions – may be made of cotton, wool, or hair.
This is where the pins and needles are pinned.

“ The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters.”