1exti/e ort

1exLlle arLs are Lhose arLs and crafLs LhaL use planL anlmal or synLheLlc flbers Lo
consLrucL pracLlcal or decoraLlve ob[ecLs
1exLlles have been a fundamenLal parL of human llfe slnce Lhe beglnnlng of
clvlllzaLlon and Lhe meLhods and maLerlals used Lo make Lhem have expanded
enormously whlle Lhe funcLlons of LexLlles have remalned Lhe same 1he hlsLory
of LexLlle arLs ls also Lhe hlsLory of lnLernaLlonal Lrade 1yrlan purple dye was an
lmporLanL Lrade good ln Lhe anclenL MedlLerranean 1he Sllk 8oad broughL
Chlnese sllk Lo lndla Afrlca and Lurope 1asLes for lmporLed luxury fabrlcs led Lo
sumpLuary laws durlng Lhe Mlddle Ages and 8enalssance 1he lndusLrlal
revoluLlon was a revoluLlon of LexLlles Lechnology Lhe coLLon gln Lhe splnnlng
[enny and Lhe power loom mechanlzed producLlon and led Lo Lhe LuddlLe
rebelllon
nepts
1he word LexLlle ls from LaLln Lexere whlch means Lo weave Lo brald or Lo
consLrucL1he slmplesL LexLlle arL ls felLlng ln whlch anlmal flbers are maLLed
LogeLher uslng heaL and molsLure MosL LexLlle arLs begln wlLh LwlsLlng or
splnnlng and plylng flbers Lo make yarn (called Lhread when lL ls very flne and
rope when lL ls very heavy) 1he yarn ls Lhen knoLLed looped bralded or woven
Lo make flexlble fabrlc or cloLh and cloLh can be used Lo make cloLhlng and sofL
furnlshlngs All of Lhese lLems felL yarn fabrlc and flnlshed ob[ecLs are
collecLlvely referred Lo as LexLlles
1he LexLlle arLs also lnclude Lhose Lechnlques whlch are used Lo embelllsh or
decoraLe LexLlles dyelng and prlnLlng Lo add color and paLLern embroldery and
oLher Lypes of needlework LableL weavlng and lacemaklng ConsLrucLlon
meLhods such as sewlng knlLLlng crocheL and Lallorlng as well as Lhe Lools
employed (looms and sewlng needles) Lechnlques employed (qullLlng and
pleaLlng) and Lhe ob[ecLs made (carpeLs hooked rugs and coverleLs) all fall under
Lhe caLegory of LexLlle arLs
ntis
lrom early Llmes LexLlles have been used Lo cover Lhe human body and proLecL lL
from Lhe elemenLs Lo send soclal cues Lo oLher people Lo sLore secure and
proLecL possesslons and Lo sofLen lnsulaLe and decoraLe llvlng spaces and
surfaces
1he perslsLence of anclenL LexLlle arLs and funcLlons and Lhelr elaboraLlon for
decoraLlve effecL can be seen ln a !acobean era porLralL of Penry lrederlck
rlnce of Wales by 8oberL eake Lhe Llder (above) 1he prlnces capoLaln haL ls
made of felL uslng Lhe mosL baslc of LexLlle Lechnlques Pls cloLhlng ls made of
woven cloLh rlchly embroldered ln sllk and hls sLocklngs are knlLLed Pe sLands
on an orlenLal rug of wool whlch sofLens and warms Lhe floor and heavy curLalns
boLh decoraLe Lhe room and block cold drafLs from Lhe wlndow Coldwork
embroldery on Lhe LablecloLh and curLalns proclalm Lhe sLaLus of Lhe homes
owner ln Lhe same way LhaL Lhe felLed fur haL sheer llnen shlrL Lrlmmed wlLh
reLlcella lace and opulenL embroldery on Lhe prlnces cloLhes proclalm hls soclal
poslLlon
1exti/es os ort
1radlLlonally Lhe Lerm arL was used Lo refer Lo any sklll or masLery a concepL
whlch alLered durlng Lhe 8omanLlc perlod of Lhe nlneLeenLh cenLury when arL
came Lo be seen as a speclal faculLy of Lhe human mlnd Lo be classlfled wlLh
rellglon and sclence 1hls dlsLlncLlon beLween crafL and flne arL ls applled Lo Lhe
LexLlle arLs as well where Lhe Lerm flber arL or LexLlle arL ls now used Lo descrlbe
LexLllebased decoraLlve ob[ecLs whlch are noL lnLended for pracLlcal use
1exti/e orts in/e
Crochet CrocheL seems Lo have orlglnaLed ln lrance 1he modern name derlves
dlrecLly from Lhe old lrench word croches" whlch meanL hook lL descrlbes Lhe
process of creaLlng fabrlc from a lengLh of cord yarn or Lhread wlLh a hooked
Lool Some Lheorlze LhaL crocheL evolved from LradlLlonal pracLlces ln Arabla
SouLh Amerlca or Chlna buL Lhere ls no declslve evldence of Lhe crafL belng
performed before lLs popularlLy ln Lurope durlng Lhe 1800s knlL and knoLLed
LexLlles survlve from very early perlods buL LhaL Lhere are no survlvlng samples of
crocheLed fabrlc prlor Lo 1800

ro|dery Lmbroldery has LradlLlonally been used Lo decoraLe cloLhlng and
household furnlshlngs lncludlng Lable llnens Lray cloLhs Lowels and beddlng buL
you can llLerally embrolder anyLhlng as long as lL ls made ouL of an evenly woven
fabrlc and can be held flrmly ln Lhe hand or ln a speclal embroldery hoop or
LapesLry frame 1he arL of hand embroldery ls a palnsLaklng and laborlous
process buL Loday garmenLs are ofLen decoraLed wlLh machlne embroldery
lnsLeadLmbroldery has also been used as a form of arL and for decoraLlon
Lhrough Lhe creaLlon of embroldered or crosssLlLch samplers LapesLrles wall
hanglngs and oLher works of LexLlle arL

e|tf|ng lelL ls a nonwoven cloLh LhaL ls produced by maLLlng condenslng
and presslng woollen flbres Whlle some Lypes of felL are very sofL some are
Lough enough Lo form consLrucLlon maLerlals lelL can be of any colour and made
lnLo any shape or slzeMany culLures have legends as Lo Lhe orlglns of felLmaklng

kn|tt|ng knlLLlng ls one of several ways Lo Lurn Lhread or yarn lnLo cloLh unllke
woven fabrlc knlLLed fabrlc conslsLs enLlrely of horlzonLal parallel courses or rows
of yarn knlLLlng can be done elLher by hand or by machlne ln pracLlce hand
knlLLlng ls usually begun (or casL on) by formlng a base of LwlsLed loops of yarn
on a knlLLlng needle A second knlLLlng needle ls Lhen used Lo reach Lhrough each
loop (or sLlLch) ln successlon ln order Lo snag a loop of yarn and pull a lengLh back
Lhrough Lhe loop 1hls forms a new sLlLch aL Lhe Lop of Lhe currenL sLlLch (or loop)
Work can proceed ln Lhe round (clrcular knlLLlng) or by golng back and forLh ln
rows knlLLlng can also be done by machlnes whlch use a mechanlcal sysLem Lo
produce nearly ldenLlcal resulLs

fce Lace ls an openwork fabrlc paLLerned wlLh open holes ln Lhe work made
by machlne or by hand 1he holes can be formed vla removal of Lhreads or cloLh
from a prevlously woven fabrlc buL more ofLen open spaces are creaLed as parL
of Lhe lace fabrlc Lacemaklng ls an anclenL crafL 1rue lace was noL made unLll
Lhe laLe 13Lh and early 16Lh cenLurles A Lrue lace ls creaLed when a Lhread ls
looped LwlsLed or bralded Lo oLher Lhreads lndependenLly from a backlng fabrlc

-eed|ewor needlework ls anoLher Lerm for Lhe handlcrafL of decoraLlve
sewlng and LexLlle arLs AnyLhlng LhaL uses a needle for consLrucLlon can be called
needlework 1he deflnlLlon ls ofLen expanded Lo lnclude crafL uslng a long and
Lhln Lool such as crocheL hook and LaLLlng shuLLles

ftchwor aLchwork or pleced work ls a form of needlework LhaL lnvolves
sewlng LogeLher pleces of fabrlc lnLo a larger deslgn 1he larger deslgn ls usually
based on repeaL paLLerns bullL up wlLh dlfferenL colored shapes 1hese shapes are
carefully measured and cuL sLralghLslded baslc geomeLrlc shapes maklng Lhem
easy Lo plece LogeLher reclse [olnlng makes for paLchwork LhaL lles flaL wlLhouL
puckers


;||t|ng CullLlng ls a sewlng meLhod done Lo [oln Lwo or more layers of maLerlal
LogeLher Lo make a Lhlcker padded maLerlal A qullLer ls Lhe name glven Lo
someone who works aL qullLlng CullLlng can be done by hand by sewlng
machlne or by a speclallsL longarm qullLlng sysLem

Sew|ng Sewlng ls an anclenL crafL lnvolvlng Lhe sLlLchlng of cloLh anlmal sklns
furs or oLher maLerlals uslng a needle and Lhread lLs use ls nearly unlversal
among human populaLlons and daLes back Lo aleollLhlc Llmes (30000 8C)
Sewlng predaLes Lhe weavlng of cloLhLarly sewlng needles were made from
bone wood or naLural needles Laken from planLs as naLlve Amerlcans dld wlLh
Lhe agave planL

Wef|ng Weavlng ls Lhe LexLlle arL and crafL LhaL lnvolves placlng Lwo Lhreads
or yarn made of flber onLo Lhe warp (parallel Lhreads Lo Lhe selvedge) and wefL
(perpendlcular Lhreads Lo Lhe selvedge) of a loom and Lurnlng Lhem lnLo cloLh
1hls cloLh can be plaln (ln one color or a slmple paLLern) or lL can be woven ln
decoraLlve or arLlsLlc deslgns lncludlng LapesLrles

rnes o 1ypes
1exLlles can be made from a varleLy of maLerlals 1he followlng ls a parLlal llsL of
Lhe maLerlals LhaL can be used Lo make LexLlles ln Lhe pasL all cloLh was made
from naLural flbers lncludlng planL sources such as coLLon flax and hemp and
anlmal sources such as wool halr and sllk ln Lhe 20Lh cenLury Lhese were
supplemenLed by arLlflclal flbers such as polyesLer and rayon
uses
CloLh ls mosL ofLen used ln Lhe manufacLure of cloLhlng household furnlshlngs
and arL such as LapesLry 8efore Lhe advenL of woven cloLh Lhe funcLlons of
LexLlles were fulfllled by furs and sklns