Stitching up ‘crazy patchwork’
Hazel Blomkamp’s latest book, Hand Stitched Crazy Patchwork: More than 160 Techniques and Stitches to Create Original Designs (Metz Press), combines know-how with innovation. Kamcilla Pillay looks at some of her ideas.
BLOMKAMP, in her new book’s introduction, writes that “crazy patchwork” had its roots in an environment far removed from the way we live our lives today.
“It arose out of necessity and thrift in a harsh world devoid of abundance and internet shopping, when every scrap of fabric was so precious that it was used and re-used, until it was too threadbare to use again.”
From these rudimentary beginnings, she says, a practical task performed by hard-working, ingenious colonial women developed, with increased wealth, into an art form.
Blomkamp had for some years been harbouring a desire to embellish “crazy patch from scratch”.
“In other words, make everything that goes on to it myself with a needle, thread and beads. Anyone who is passionate about one form of needle art will probably have learnt other forms too, and I am no different. So, I reasoned, why not combine all the needle art skills acquired in my life so far – and the logical medium for that is crazy patchwork.”
The book first focuses on different techniques – including embellishment, bead embroidery and needle weaving – and then offers five projects for the intrepid needlework enthusiast.
She also offers many general tips:
You must be able to see properly
There is a lot of fine work in this book. Make sure your spectacles have sufficient magnification to cope with that. Blomkamp wears two pairs: multifocals with a pair of plus 1.5 readers in front of them. This creates a telescope and is more comfortable than grappling with a magnifying glass.
Good light
You don’t want to restrict yourself to only being able to work during daylight hours, so you will need a good light or lights. She uses two angle-poise lamps fitted with 15-watt cool-white energy-saver bulbs. She sets them up on either side of her as she stitches.
Hoops and frames
These improve the tension of your work and stop the fabric from puckering. You cannot produce good work without them. The projects in the book use:
• A 24-inch (60cm) light duty scroll frame.
• A 30-inch (76cm) heavy duty scroll frame.
Fabric guards
No matter how often you wash your hands, or how clean you keep your working environment, a grubby ring is likely to form at the place where the fabric meets the outer ring of the hoop. Make a fabric guard, instructions for which are included in the book.
Use a thread conditioner
It strengthens your thread, makes silk and rayon threads less lively and delays the stripping of metallic thread. Beeswax is good, but best is a silicone thread conditioner.
Use superglue
Blomkamp doesn’t like using a thimble but found a hole developed in the tip of the finger that she uses to push the needle through fabric. She places a blob of superglue on that spot, holds her finger in the air for a few minutes and lets it dry. Once dry it is rock hard and a needle will not penetrate it. It peels off after a few hours.
Start your stitches with a knot
Yes, she writes, a knot. While the back of your work should not look like a bird’s nest, it does not have to look the same as the front.
Washing your embroidery
Provided you have checked all the dyes are colour-fast, you MUST wash it. It brings the colours to life and the sheen of the thread reappears. Follow these steps: • Rinse it well in cold water to get rid of any lines that you have drawn with a washout pen.
• Soak it for a few hours in tepid water mixed with a tablespoon or two of good detergent.
• Swish it around a bit before rinsing in cold water.
• If you find there are any marks, scrub them gently with pure soap with a toothbrush.
• Rinse again to make sure no soap or detergent remains.
• Squeeze out the excess water, place it flat on a towel and roll up the towel.
• Squeeze the towel with the embroidery inside it to get rid of any remaining excess water.
• Stretch the damp embroidery in a hoop or frame that is larger than the embroidered area and place it in front of an open window, out of direct sunlight.
• If you have stretched it well you will probably not need to iron it when it is dry. If you do need to iron it, turn it wrong side up on a folded towel and press back with an iron set on medium heat.