FIBERS


knitting/embroidery/quilt blocks/textiles


KNITTING

Has a calming effect -- It helps relieve stress
It feels good to work with beautiful yarn colors and textures
It’s a social activity to share with your friends and family
Carry on a family tradition
Provides a sense of accomplishment when you complete a project

Real Men Knit!  Watch Video

What is knitting?  Do you know anyone who knits?  What do you own that is knitted or crocheted?  Where does yarn come from?  Is knitting an art or craft?  What is knitting?  Do you know anyone who knits?  What do you own that is knitted or crocheted?  Where does yarn come from?  Is knitting an art or craft?  What is knitting?  Do you know anyone who knits?  What do you own that is knitted or crocheted?  Where does yarn come from?  Is knitting an art or craft?

Casting On, Knit Stitch, Pearl Stitch, Casting Off
watch video below


Step One:



How to make your own knitting

needles
:




Materials:  various sizes of pine wood dowels, hand saw, ruler, pencil sharpener, smooth sandpaper, foam brushes, shellac, small wooden beads or wood balls, and paint.

Day 1- Present above questions, students may take a few minutes to jot down responses to questions, or think of their own to discuss in class. (10-20 minutes for writing, reflection and discussion)

Slide Presentation of knitted objects both sculptural and functional.


www.extremecraft.com
website, show students page about Alliance students

www.youtube.com
– video examples of making knitting needles.(10-15 minutes)

Demonstrate to students a step by step how to select, measure, and cut large dowels down to appropriate knitting needle length. Students will need to cut two dowels to the same length to make a pair.

Demonstrate to students how to take pencil sharpener and sharpen both dowels and then take sandpaper and smooth knitting needles. 

Take a Tack cloth and remove any sandpaper dust from needles before applying finishing coat of shellac.


Take the wooden beads/balls that have holes already drilled through them and place at the top of knitting needles. 


Students may use "sculpy" clay to make their own knitting ends.

Students can choose to keep them natural or paint them, creating a unique design.


You will need some way of drying the knitting needles so they don’t stick to anything, like a table.  I solved this problem by taking four pushpins and pushing them into a wall cork-board, making sure they were placed at the equal distance so wet knitting needles could rest securely on pins. 


Students will need to put name on masking tape underneath pins to indicate whose is whose.
Students will need to apply 3-4 coats of varnish/shellac allowing knitting needles to dry between each coat.  Some sanding may be needed between coats of varnish.

Students who finish early may help other students or work in their sketchbooks while they are waiting for needles to dry. 




How to hand sew your own quilt


QUILTS

THE AIDS QUILT



SLAVE QUILTS




THE QUILTS OF GEES BEND






CRAZY QUILTS





The way to begin to Crazy Quilt is just to begin. So grab your fabric, a needle and thread, and start stitching right now. There are no rules in Crazy Quilting, but there are a lot of things that can make it a little easier, especially when you are just beginning. Try starting with something small, say a six inch block. This can later be made into an eyeglass case, a small pillow, become part of a bag, or even a start for a wall hanging. Cut an eight inch square of fabric, say, for example, from a piece of muslin. This will be your base, what you will stitch your other fabrics to. Then get out a variety of fabrics and pick out a couple of them. From one, cut a five sided piece. Hold it down in the center of your muslin block right side up and lay your second fabric against it, face down, with the two seams matching. Stitch along that seam. Open the second fabric up and trim the two edges even with the first fabric. Pick out a third fabric and line it up, face down, over one of the seamed sides. Match the seams and stitch along that seam. Again, open it up and trim the two edges. Continue covering your block in this fashion.
















Rosie Greer
 
NFL Football Player, Mentor, Singer, Embroiderer


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosey_Grier















TEXTILES FROM AROUND THE WORLD



Make Your Own Quilt


Block-



Materials:
Stabilizer
Fabric scraps
Stabilizer choices: You have two basic genres to choose from for a stabilizer. Either fabric-type stabilizer (muslin, other scrap fabric, or light interfacing)
Scrap choices: Don't try to match fabrics up, just use whatever scraps you have. The amazing thing about a crazy quilt is how once it's all sewn together, it looks like the pink and orange actually go with the turquoise and brown. If you don't have that many scraps, ask someone who sews if they have any leftovers (your grandma, mom), or just buy some remnants (leftover ends of fabric bolts at a fabric store -- usually marked down from 25-75%), or recycle some old clothing.

Each square will probably take you about 8-15 minutes, so it takes awhile to make a whole quilt.


Even though this quilt takes a while to complete, it's actually not that tedious. It's kind of fun to sew wacky fabric scraps together into something. And the fact that you are sewing without major planning does something for your creativity.


If you don't have time or patience for a quilt, four blocks would make a spiffy pillow or tote bag! Or, put three blocks together to make a purse with a flap. You're creative, you'll think of something.

Step 2: Put a piece of fabric face up on the corner, across the diagonal folded line. Make sure the fabric hangs over the edges of the corner.

Step 3: Put another strip of fabric face down on top of the first piece of fabric. If you are using paper as a stabilizer, set your sewing machine stitch to fairly small (this will perforate the paper to make it easier to remove later).

Step 4: Sew the two pieces together along the edge.

Step 5: Open the fabric so both pieces are facing up, and finger-press to flatten them.

Step 6: Repeat this process with other scraps of fabric, until you have covered the whole diagonal of the paper.
Step 7: Put a long strip of fabric face down on the edge of the diagonal section. Sew across.

Step 8:
Finger press and repeat this process for both sides, until the whole square is covered with fabric. Make sure there is no part of the paper showing!

Okay, now the square looks funky, right? Not really like a square exactly, anymore.  It doesn't matter! This is a crazy quilt block.

Step 9:
Iron, iron, iron.

Step 10: Turn over and trim excess fabric.

Step 11:
Admire your new cool square! And repeat!


extreme embroidery



check this out!

extremecraft.com


Embroidery Needles, Embroidery Floss, Embroidery Hoop, Fabric Pencil, Iron-On Transfers
, Fabric


ON YOUR OWN-FINAL PROJECT-ON

YOUR OWN



At the end of the quarter students will have one final art piece that demonstrates their understanding of embroidery, knitting or quilting. 

Students will have 3-4 weeks to design, make and complete their final art piece.

Students will learn the basics of knitting, crocheting and sewing.

Students will make their own knitting needles.
 

Students will keep a sketchbook that reflects their creative process.

Students will participate in a group critique the day of the final.

Students will research 2-3 fiber artists.
 

Students will share their knowledge about a different culture that utilizes
and richly incorporates the fiber arts into their society.  

Students will contribute at least ONE handmade piece to a non-profit organization.

Student will teach what they have learned to someone else.







Your Sketchbook


     *   Daily documentation of work habits.  What did you accomplish?    
     *   Writing Prompts
    
     *   Thumbnail Sketches
    
     *   Observational Drawings/Reflections
    
     *   Self-Evaluation-Did you use provided resources?  How did you use your time?





WISCONSIN STATE STANDARDS

9 - 12 grade