Introduction
Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread. Sewing is the fundamental process underlying a variety of textile arts and crafts, including embroidery, tapestry, quilting, appliqué and patchwork.
For thousands of years, all sewing was done by hand. The invention of the sewing machine in the 19th century and the rise of computerization in the later 20th century led to mass production of sewn objects, but hand sewing is still practiced around the world. Fine hand sewing is pursued by both textile artists and hobbyists as a means of creative expression.
(source: Wikipedia)
Hand stitching has become prevalent in the paper crafts industry seen often in scrapbooking and card making. It has been embraced in the paper craft community and is where we would like to direct our thoughts today.
There are several ways to create designs for your stitches:
•Pre-made templates that have designs you follow to pierce your holes
•Anything you can use as a template: a die-cut, brass or masking template, a plate or even a child’s hand.
•Tools that create pierced patterns
•Freehand --- no pattern, just go for it and stitch, OR--
--draw your pattern directly on your paper lightly in pencil, then pierce & erase the marks.
--print or draw on vellum and then use that as a guide and pierce through it onto your paper.
The most common kind of stitch is a backstitch:
but there are many other fun stitches you could try.
There are several “mediums” that you can use to create your stitches
Floss, thread, twine, ribbon, jute or even fun crazy stuff...like shoelaces!
So why would you use hand stitching on your scrapbook layout?
•As an accent
•To add texture
•To outline
•To adhere things (ribbon, clear items, title letters, etc.)
•As a border, (whole page or around smaller items such as a photo, journal block, etc.)
•To create words on your page ( title, subtitle)
•To convey feelings
In addition, speaking of feelings, just what kind of feelings could stitching convey?
•homespun, warmth, comfort, like your grandmother’s well-worn quilt
•whimsy and fun (pattern & color used)