Origins of cross stitching...
Cross stitching is actually a form of embroidery, the most ancient one too.
At the 6th - 7th century AD,the inital purpose of cross stitching was for clothes and to decorate household items using floral and geometric patterns .
The very first masterpiece of cross stitching will be an embroidered cloth in a Coptic tomb in Upper Egypt, where it was preserved by the dry desert climate. Egyptians are known to be the pioneers of cross stitching.
Under the Tang dynasty of China(618-906 AD), the art of cross stitching flourished. It was later spread to the west side. By the 11th century, the Bayeux tapestry, was being worked.
Spain was the next one.
Under the influence of the Islamic civilisation of the Moors (756-1492), cross stitching was further developed. Also known as black work. Catherine of Aragon, the Spanish first wife of Henry VIII introduced it to England in the sixteenth century .
Followed up was Eastern Europe with the working of samplers and German's printed pattern books.
By the 17th century, samplers became a popular way to instil moral virtues, so we frequently find verses of a highly pious tone. One poor little soul was made to stitch:
Lord, look upon a little child
By nature sinful, rude and wild.
O lay thy Gracious Hand on me
And make me all I ought to be.
High infant mortality being a fact of life at the time, there is a preoccupation with death. Mourning samplers were stitched, and many verses of a lugubrious nature were incorporated into samplers.
One wonders what satisfaction, let alone pleasure, could have been derived from stitching the following:
When I am dead and in my grave
And all my bones are rotten,
By this may I remembered be
When I should be forgotten.
What a sad story behind cross stitching..
-Acknowledgements
~ google(Pictures)
~ Cross stitch guild
-Post being transferred-
Why did i choose cross stitching?
1. It moulds our characteristics:
- Level Of Patience
- Determination/Will Power
- Opinions Of Viewing Things/Life
- Level of concentration
2. It's portable. In addition,the materials are inexpensive and always available.
Dull and boring it may seem,colours and interest
it'll bring.
3. It's killing two birds with one stone.
1stly, it combats stress. 2ndly, we get to make gifts for others with the
skill in hand.
4. It can be a very good skill for surviving too.
5. It ignites the spark of your creativity.
6. It rewards us with the sense of competence and accomplishment.
Cross stitching is actually
a kind of embroidery.
The dawn of cross stitching sparked off way back from the early 6th to 7th century.
Starting off,
i get to do stitching with a small diy toy where i learnt to sew a little bear stuff. it's not an easy task to actually poke the thin thread into the small needle hole. Next on will be sewing the opened ends up with the needle, weaving in and out doing the joint parts. It wasnt as easy as i expected.
1 template
2 pieces of pink fabric(body parts)
1 piece of black fabric(facial features)
1 pair of scissors
6 (6cm) thread
1 needle
1 bunch of cotton wool
1 small bottle of latex
Step 1 : Following the given template, cut out the shapes of the bear from the fabric.
Step 2 : Starting off with the head, sew the 2 identical pieces of the head which i cut out from the
template. Sewing from the bottom to the side with the needle, leaving a finger space at
the top to stuff in the cotton. Afterwhich, sewing up the top part.
Step 3 : Repeat step 2 for the body, hands and ear parts.
Step 4 : Sew up the ears to the side of the head with thread.
Step 5 : Sew up the hands to the side of the body with thread.
Step 6 : Cut out a small piece of fabric(pink, approx.2cm) for the loop
Step 7 : Sew the loop to the top of the head.
Step 8 : Paste the eyes, nose and mouth to the face using latex.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
she wrote @ 12:02 AM
Step 1 : Following the given template, cut out the shapes of the bear from the fabric.
Step 2 : Starting off with the head, sew the 2 identical pieces of the head which i cut out from the