Page 89 - CITS - Fashion Design Technology - Trade Theory

FASHION DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY - CITS

4 Crazy quilting
Crazy quilting is one of the most fancy and interesting types of patchwork. For making this, tiny pieces of clothes
with different colours, patterns and designs are selected and joined together artistically. This is very easy to make
and can be found easily in the market.
Uses of patch work
Patchwork is often used to make quilts, but it can also be used to make rugs, bags, wall-hangings, warm jackets,
cushion covers, skirts, waistcoats and other items of clothing. Some textile artists work with patchwork, often
combining it with embroidery and other forms of stitchery.
When used to make a quilt, this larger patchwork or pieced design becomes the “top” of a three-layered quilt, the
middle layer being the batting and the bottom layer the backing. To keep the batting from shifting, a patchwork or
pieced quilt is often quilted by hand or machine using a running stitch in order to outline the individual shapes that
make up the pieced top, or the quilting stitches may be random or highly ordered overall patterns that contrast
with the patchwork composition.

Techniques of patch work
1 Chain piecing
Joining square or rectangular fabric pieces with a straight stitch – this is the usual way of sewing patchwork
pieces. You can hand sew or machine sew the straight edges. You can use a backstitch or a running stitch to sew
small pieces of fabric together in patchwork. Hand sewing gives you some extra control especially when you are
sewing with small pieces of fabric. Do not forget to secure the thread at the start and ending.
2 Strip piecing
This is a time-saving method of joining fabric pieces together. In this method strips of fabrics are joined together
and then they are cut apart. Afterward, they are joined in different sequences to form different patterns. This
involves joining strips of fabric which may be of uneven width together to form the patchwork piece.
3 Sewing 2-triangle units

Joining triangular pieces easily this is a method of making many numbers of 2-triangle square units easily. Take
the two square fabric pieces together which you want to join as 2-triangle squares and mark diagonally across.
Now sew on each side of this line, 1/4 inch apart from this line.
4 Stash and stitch method

This method can be used If you have a number of fabric pieces in different colours and you want a vivid quilt in
a crazy design. In this method you cut out big square pieces from your fabrics. Stack all of them on top of each
other – all right side up. Ensure that no similar pieces are stacked together.
5 English paper piecing
This is a method used to join together geometric shapes like diamonds, hexagons, honeycombs, using paper
templates. This is usually done by hand stitching. Paper templates are cut out and then fabric is cut with extra
seam allowance. The paper piece is enclosed inside the fabric with the seam allowance turned inside and pressed
– many units like this are formed and they are joined by carefully hand stitching the edges together. You can use
a ladder stitch for this.
6 Crazy patchwork
In this, the patchwork is made on top of another foundation fabric. Different sized fabric pieces (with straight
edges) are kept on top of the foundation fabric cut in the size of patchwork you want. A cotton lining material is
used as the foundation.
7 Somerset patchwork
In this method, small rectangular fabric pieces are folded into triangle shapes and then stitched on to a foundation
piece of fabric.
8 Reverse pieced foundation piecing for patchwork
This method is used to make pretty designs and motifs on a patchwork with good accuracy. The fabric pieces
are arranged in the design you want on the backside of the foundation fabric. The fabric pieces are then joined
together along the edges.

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CITS : Apparel - Fashion Design & Technology - Lesson 4