Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you today? I hope you're feeling really good.

My name is Ms. Afzal, and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

I'm feeling really pleased about that because I love teaching art and because today our lesson is about stitching.

Our lesson is called hand stitching.

Have you ever had a go at that, I wonder? Well, you'll certainly be trying out some hand stitching today.

Our lesson comes from the unit of work "Foundation workshops and introduction to the areas of study." So if you're feeling ready with some focus, energy, and enthusiasm, we'll begin our lesson.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can design a repeated motif and use hand stitching to create a decorative piece on fabric.

We have some keywords in our lesson: motif, thread, and stitch.

Let's go through these words and find out what they mean.

Motif, a decorative design or pattern.

Thread, a thin strand used for sewing or embroidery, made from cotton, polyester, silk, or nylon.

Stitch, a single loop or movement of thread made with a needle when sewing or decorating fabric.

These are our keywords: motif, thread, and stitch.

Let's look out for them.

Let's listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called hand stitching and it has two learning cycles: designing a motif and planning a repeat pattern, and stitching the motif.

Let's begin by designing a motif and planning a repeat pattern.

And let's jump ahead to the end of our lesson and let's take a look at what an outcome might look like.

Wow, take a look at these wonderful motifs and a repeat pattern.

Pause the video and share with someone.

What are your impressions of these outcomes? Thanks for sharing your impressions.

Hand stitch is a technique where you use a needle and thread to join fabrics, decorate surfaces, or repair garments.

It's an essential skill for any designer.

Pause here and share with someone your impression of this portrait, including the crown and colourful stars or flowers.

Thanks for sharing.

A stitch is the smallest unit of sewing.

It's the loop of thread made by passing a needle through fabric to join it, decorate it, or strengthen it.

Textile artists might use stitch to add texture, tell stories and make expressive designs.

They draw with thread, create patterns and explore ideas through textiles.

Do you know any artists that use stitch? Pause the video and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

The Bayeux Tapestry, made around 1070, tells the story of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Despite its name, it's not a tapestry, but a 70 metre long piece of embroidered linen.

It was stitched using wool threads with stem stitch for outlines and laid work to fill shapes.

The bold images flow like a giant comic strip, showing battles, ships, and scenes of everyday life.

Pause the video and share with someone some of the details you can see on this section of the Bayeux Tapestry.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? Hand stitching is only for old-fashioned or traditional designs.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

Hand stitching is a versatile skill that allows designers to add personal, creative, and intricate details that machines often can't replicate.

It's valued in modern fashion and art for its unique, handmade quality.

Many artists use stitch to create their artwork, adding texture, pattern, and meaning.

Pascal Monteil combines hand stitching with painting and dyeing to produce rich, narrative textiles inspired by cultural heritage.

Stewart Kelly uses hand embroidery to explore identity and emotion in delicate, layered textiles.

Karen Nicol creates contemporary motifs of animals and nature with intricate embroidery techniques.

Liaquat Rasul combines fabrics, collage, and fashion to explore British Pakistani identity and queerness.

And Jordan Nassar creates hand-stitched pieces using geometric patterns based on the Palestinian landscape.

So we can see there are many artists using stitch to create their artwork and adding texture, pattern, and meaning.

Take a look at these artworks.

Pause the video and share with someone how have they each been created.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

Drawing with stitch can be just as effective as drawing with graphite.

The effect you achieve is slightly different and the textures are unique.

How does using stitch change the texture and effect compared to pencil? The top artwork was created with pencil and the one below was stitched.

So share with someone how to using stitch change the texture and effect compared to pencil.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's hear some responses.

Izzy says that, "Stitch adds a raised, tactile texture that you can feel, while pencil is flat and smooth on the page." Jun says that, "Thread makes designs stand out more than pencil." I wonder if you had answers like these as well.

Artists often start by gathering visual references, textures, and patterns from the world around them, including nature, culture, or personal experiences.

Mood boards or sketchbooks can help research into colours, motifs, and themes.

We can see a page of a sketchbook there.

Some really interesting looking ideas about eyes.

Contemporary artists and designers might gather research and material using the internet.

They can use the internet to find images and ideas for their work.

It might help them build mood boards and spot trends.

Artists and designers might start drawings from their collected images to help get ideas for the type of shapes they want to use in their designs.

I love how this image of the eye is then turning into something else through this drawing.

Artists and designers might use paint from research to help them come up with ideas for the colour schemes they want to use in their designs.

Pause the video and share with someone your impression of the colours being used in this painting on the right-hand side.

Inspired by the eye on the left.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Why do artists research, sketch, and draw before starting an embroidery design? Is it A, to help develop creative and original ideas? B, to plan colours, textures, and stitches carefully? C, to make the final design more detailed and interesting? Or D, all of the above? Pause here while you decide why artists research, sketch, and draw before starting an embroidery design.

Well done If you selected answer D, all of the above.

Images are often simplified because embroidery works best with clear shapes and lines.

This painting has been turned into a motif.

Check for understanding.

True or false? Designers simplify a drawing into a motif to make it easier to repeat and use in patterns.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected true.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

Simplifying a drawing makes the motif clearer and easier to repeat in patterns.

It helps the design stay bold and effective, even at different sizes or on different surfaces.

The motif can then be developed into an interesting repeat pattern to create a decorative design, which can later be embroidered and transformed into a unique piece of art.

And now it's time for your first task.

Make a research page to create a theme for your motif.

Gather imagery and surfaces.

You should: consider shapes and colours; think carefully about your theme; consider selecting imagery, colours, shapes, or surfaces, which link to your theme.

And next, designing your motif.

You should: sketch a few ideas out first from the research you have collected; decide which drawing you like the best and simplify it by just using line and no shading to turn it into a motif; you can use pencil to draw your motif and then go over it in fine liner.

So pause here while you have a go at these two stages of your task.

I'll see you when you're finished.

It's great to be back with you.

How did you get on with making a research page to create a theme for your motif? Here's Jun, "I studied iris shapes and colours, explored their textures in drawings and painted to experiment with colour and tone.

This will inform my embroidery design." And how did you get on with designing your motif? There are many possibilities.

You may have created something like this.

Here's Jun, "I followed these steps: looked at an image, sketched it in pencil, and refined it with fine liner to create my final motif." And here's the finished product.

And Jun says, "I'm pleased with how I've made my motif.

The lines will indicate where the stitching will go." That's looking really great, Jun.

I can see why you're pleased with that.

And I hope you're pleased with your designs as well.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle, stitching the motif.

Artists use embroidery threads to draw with stitch.

Stranded cotton makes fine or bold lines, perle adds shiny texture, silk gives a delicate sheen, and wool creates soft, textured effects.

Oh my, don't those threads look great together there, all those beautiful colours.

Thread choice changes the look and feel of the design.

Artists and designers who develop their work with hand stitch include: Bugambilo, Sol Kesseler, creates detailed stitched portraits.

She uses thread, texture, and a variety of stitch techniques to turn pencil drawings into expressive textile art.

Sue Stone uses hand and machine stitch, thread and fabric collage to create textural portraits.

Her work often tells stories inspired by personal and historical photos.

And Maryam Ashkanian uses hand stitch and thread to embroider sleeping figures onto handmade pillows, exploring dreams and human presence through textiles.

So these are just some artists and designers who develop their work with hand stitch.

Embroidery threads like stranded cotton have six strands twisted together.

Artists split the thread to use fewer strands for finer, more delicate lines, or keep it whole for bold, thick marks.

Embroidery needles have a sharp point and a long eye for floss.

Tapestry needles are blunt for loose fabrics.

Chenille needles have a large eye for thick threads or ribbons.

And sharps are slim for general sewing.

So we can see three kinds of needles there.

Embroidery kits include a colour palette of bright, soft, and neutral threads, helping artists blend colours, add depth, and create unique designs.

A sampler lets artists try stitches for outlines, texture, and edges.

It helps them choose the right stitch for their design.

Pause the video and share with someone.

Which of these stitches do you like the look of? Thanks for sharing.

I really like the ones that look like stars or flowers in the centre, peachy colour.

Check for understanding.

True or false? You can't make impressive textile art with just running stitch.

You need lots of complicated stitches.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

Running stitch may be simple, but it's incredibly versatile.

Artists use it to create outlines, add texture, and even build up patterns and shading.

Repeating and layering running stitches can produce powerful and expressive textile artworks without needing specialist techniques.

Starting your embroidery sample may look like this.

Select the imagery you will use.

Make sure you've gone over or remade it in fine liner.

Place the fine liner drawing under white cotton and trace in pencil.

If you have a sampler, use it to choose stitches, but running stitch works well.

Look at your research page to choose a colour scheme of embroidery threads.

Prepare your chenille needle and thread it.

Place your cotton on some paper and stain it with your chosen coloured dye or ink.

Blot the sample dry, then use running stitch to fill it in.

Use different coloured threads to add interest.

An artist develops their sample into a final piece by repeating the shape several times depending on the desired size.

Now it's time for your next task, starting your embroidery sample.

Select your pencil drawing as a starting point.

You should trace it with fine liner to make it bolder.

Trace it again onto fabric with pencil.

Stain your fabric with your chosen colour.

Choose your embroidery colour palette, and thread your chenille needle and start stitching, use running stitch as this is a versatile stitch to use.

Pause here while you have a go at your task.

So how did you get on with starting your embroidery sample? There are many possibilities, but you might have created something like this.

And here's Jun, "I'm pleased with my sample.

I used a blue colour scheme from my research and was surprised how effective running stitch is on its own." It really can achieve a lot.

I love this simple stitch and all it can express and show us.

And there are many possibilities of what you could create.

You might have created something like this.

Here's Jun, "Now I know how to make my motif, I can develop it into a final piece.

I could repeat it four times or make it even bigger if I have time." Love your ambition, Jun.

Go for it.

I hope you've enjoyed creating your embroidery samples.

Now I'd like you to pause here and share your embroidery sample with someone and let them know what you're pleased with or anything you might do differently next time.

Thanks for sharing.

And now I'd like you to offer each other some feedback.

What are some things that you can appreciate about each other's embroidery samples and any other wise kind feedback you can give? Pause here while you do this.

Thanks for offering that feedback.

In our lesson "Hand stitching," we've covered the following.

Hand stitch techniques are a creative way to decorate fabric by designing unique motifs.

Artists and designers use different types of stitch to build texture, patterns, and detail, while carefully choosing thread colours and thicknesses to enhance their designs.

These techniques allow for personal expression and can transform plain textiles into something vibrant and meaningful.

Well done everyone for joining in with this lesson.

I loved exploring hand stitch together with you.

It was great to see you designing your unique motifs and then developing them into an expressive final design.

I really enjoyed teaching you, and I hope you've enjoyed this lesson as well.

I look forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.