Everyone is working as hard and as quickly as they can to get all the parts of their needle and scissor case finished.

First we stitch the outside piece of felt; this is the part of the case that will show before the case is opened.

Before we got to stitch, we had to draw our design on a piece of paper so we could see how it would fit on the felt.

Then the design had to be drawn onto the felt.

Mrs. Andrews and Eric helped with that. It was hard to get it to show on the dark blue felt.

Then we had to think of which stitches to use for each part of the design.

When the design is in the middle of the felt we can use the hoop but when it’s on the edge of the felt we can’t. It’s harder to stitch then.

I liked seeing how the different colors looked together on the felt. It’s pretty!

We don’t have very many lessons left to finish our cases. I hope we make it!

Fashioning fashion – Europäische Moden 1700 – 1915 An exhibition of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the German Historical Museum 27 April 27 – 29 July, 2012

Eine Ausstellung des Los Angeles County Museum of Art im Deutschen Historischen Museum

Cape with gold embroidery

Mit Fashioning fashion – Europäische Moden 1700 – 1915 zeigt das Deutsche Historische Museum exklusiv in Deutschland eine einzigartige Sammlung historischer Kleider des Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In der eigens für Berlin entworfenen Ausstellungsarchitektur des renommierten belgischen Szenografen Bob Verhelst sind mehr als 200 Jahre europäischer Modegeschichte ausgebreitet.

 Es werden faszinierende Gewebe, raffinierte Schnitte und kostbarer Dekor präsentiert. Glamouröse Damenkostüme und elegante Herrenanzüge treffen auf aufwändig gearbeitete Accessoires. Zu sehen sind prachtvolle Kleider des wohlhabenden Bürgertums und des Adels, darunter Highlights, wie das goldbestickte Kleid einer portugiesischen Königin oder der Turban des Designers Paul Poiret.

 Die spektakuläre Ausstellung stellt in vier Kapiteln ästhetische und technische Entwicklungen bei der Herstellung modischer Kleidung voor…

 Mode zeigt in chronologischer Abfolge den Wandel der Kleidersilhouette bei Frauen und Männern und gibt einen Überblick über die Konturen von Ärmeln, Saumlängen und Proportionen. Um die Aufmerksamkeit des Betrachters auf die Silhouette zu lenken, wird vorwiegend weiße Damenkleidung gezeigt. Weiß war in jeder Epoche in Mode. In den vergangenen Jahrhunderten war weiße Kleidung auch ein Statussymbol, da das Waschen dieser Kleidung damals noch sehr aufwändig war. Herrenkleidung war dagegen nicht so häufig Änderungen unterworfen. Männer von Stand kleideten sich im 18. Jahrhundert ebenso farbenfroh und prächtig wie Frauen. Nach der Französischen Revolution bevorzugten dann die Bürger für ihre schlichten Anzüge Tuchstoffe und seit Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts bestimmen dunkle Farben die Herrenkleidung.

 Textur führt die Vielfalt der textilen Oberflächen, die durch komplizierte Web-, Färbe- oder Drucktechniken entstehen. Bis zum Ende des 18. Jahrhunderts wurden Kleider nur auf Bestellung hergestellt: Der Kunde kaufte den Stoff bei einem Textilhändler, dann nahm der Schneider Maß und anschließend stellte er das gewünschte Kleidungsstück her. Zu Beginn der Industrialisierung spielte der Textilsektor eine Pionierrolle: Spinn- und Dampfmaschinen, mechanische Webstühle und Musterwebstühle, Nähmaschinen und Konfektionierung verbilligten Stoffe und Kleider. Dadurch wurde Mode ab dem 19. Jahrhundert für viele Menschen erschwinglicher.

 Form befasst sich mit der Verarbeitung flächiger Textilien zu Kleidung und berücksichtigt besonders die formenden, stützenden und einengenden Techniken. Traditionell wurde komplizierte und teure Kleidung wie Herrenanzüge, Korsetts und Hofkostüme von Schneidern hergestellt. Näherinnen waren eher für Frauenkleider und Kinderkleidung zuständig.

 Dekoration präsentiert Besatz und Aufputz modischer Kleidung: prächtige Metallstickereien, kunstvolle Posamenten aus Seide, feine Spitzen oder Accessoires mit farbigen Mustern und Pailletten. Der Aufputz war vielfältig und häufig der kostspieligste Posten eines Ensembles. Kolonialpolitik und internationaler Handel machten im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert den Import reich verzierter Waren aus Ländern wie China, Japan und Indien in großer Menge möglich. In Europa wurden Materialien und Techniken der eingeführten Waren zunehmend imitiert und fremde Moden mit den eigenen vermischt. Im Verlauf des 19. Jahrhunderts vergrößerte sich das Angebot an maschinell hergestellten Produkten. Bedruckte Textilien, die wie bestickt aussahen, oder Maschinenspitzen konnten zu einem Bruchteil des Preises von handgefertigter Ware erworben werden.

On Tuesday and Wednesday everyone worked very hard to learn all the stitches and get their samplers finished – or mostly finished! It required lots of intense stitching and very little conversation with friends to get it all done.

The students have all learned to do running stitch, whipped stitch, back stitch, chain stitch and stem stitch. Some also had time to learn how to make a Lazy Daisy and a very few learned to do fly stitch.

Wednesday we had two other adults helping us and that made things go much more quickly! Thank you!

We were so busy stitching, we asked one of our helpers to take photos and we didn’t have any time for the students to write about their experiences this week. Whew!

We now will be on holiday for Easter for a few weeks and, when we return, it’s time to design and begin our needle cases.It will be fun!

We started our lesson today by watching a few videos on one of the very best web sites about embroidery: Mary Corbet’s Needle ‘n Thread. The Needle ‘N Thread web site is a great place to review how to do the stitches we’ve learned in class and learn to do new ones.

And now, the voices of the students:

“I learned the back stitch and the whipped stitch. My favorite is the whipped stitch because it goes fast.”

“Today I learned how to do the chain stitch. It is easy and fun.”

“I learned the chain stitch and also the tricky knot. I happy that I now know the knot.”

“I learned the chain stitch. At the end it looked better than at the beginning. I improved as I practiced.”

“I ended the chain stitch – it was hard but I like how it looks. I found a needle threader but then it broke. Then I found the very last one at the bottom of the box and hopefully it will be OK next week!”

“I had to redo my chain stitch which was awful. I don’t like this stitch.”

“I didn’t get much of my own work done, but I helped loads of people for Mrs. Andrews.”  (Mrs. Andrews says “THANK YOU!”)

“I learned how to do a French knot and I put it in the middle of the lazy daisy. If I learn it will be easier for me.”

“I learned how to do the chain stitch- it’s hard but it looks pretty.”

“I learned that nobody is perfect and that you have to take things step by step, especially with the chain stitch.”

We had a very busy afternoon today in class 3/4 embroidery. All of the students did lots of stitching and got loads done on their sampler projects. Every student is getting more confident and all of us are having a great time!

“We first finished the running stitch and then we learned how to do whipped running stitch.”

“We first washed our hands and then Mrs. Andrews told us how to do the running stitch.”

“We learned how to do a waste knot and it is named a waste knot because when we are finished we cut the knot off and throw it away.”

“Today we learned how to do the whipped running stitch. Mrs. Andrews thinks my work is beautiful.”

“Today the most fun thing was to do the second running stitch. I like it because the two colors made a nice pattern.”

My students are just the best ever, aren’t they?!

Today in our grade 5/6 embroidery class we spent almost all the time stitching! This is what I was waiting for – watching students concentrate while stitching, then looking at what they have done and being amazed!

And now, in their own delightful words…

“I learned to make a loop knot. It was funny that the needle threader broke three times. It drove Mrs. Andrews crazy!”

“Today I learned that even when I make a mistake, Mrs. Andrews is nice.”

“We learned four news ways to stitch and have fun.”

“I learned how to do the whipped running stitch. I like it a lot!”

“It was fun to do two different colors of running stitch.”

“It was very fun to do the whipped stitch.”

“Mrs. Andrews really liked the colors I chose.”

“It was a little bit difficult and a little bit fun to choose the colors that match so it looks nice.”

“It looked very cool when we added all the colors together.”

“At first I didn’t know how to do the waste knot and then it got easier.”

“I like to choose the color for when we added the second color.”

“I learned that if you don’t do the holding stitching it all falls apart.”

“My job was to take pictures of the class. I was am amateur paparazzi!”

Today we drew our designs onto a piece of fabric for our test piece, or sampler. This is the piece we will stitch as we learn the stitches we’ll use for our needle book. Each design had to include a shape, a straight line, a curved line and their initials. The students could add more to their design if they wanted to and many did!

Today the 5th and 6th grade students learned how to put a piece of fabric on their hoops and make the “drum tight”.

They also learned how to make a waste knot and the two small stitches we use to anchor the thread at the beginning. This means that their work won’t make many knots on the back, which is how we are taught to do it at the Royal School of Needlework.

Then they learned how to do running stitch and many of them finished outlining their shape during class. Well done!

“Today we learned most important part. As we learn more we will get better and better – maybe even professional!”

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Our second class went very well indeed! Before we could begin stitching, we had to prepare our hoops. All the students wrapped the inside ring of their hoop in white fabric tape. This is done so that the fabric is held “drum tight” between the two rings of the hoop. It’s not as much fun as stitching but it’s another important thing we must do, as embroiderers, to prepare.

When our hoops were wrapped, we learned our first stitch – running stitch. We only got to stitch for a short time before it was time to put our things away.

Here are the voices of some of the students in the class…

“Today I brought some things. I brought the tape to wrap the inside of the hoop. I brought sharp scissors and needles. I can’t wait to stitch!”

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