Needlecraft SuperiorCrafts, sewing, knitting, crochet, clothdolls, embroidery, dressmaking

Planning To Crochet - Here’s some easy Patchwork Motifs

Something you can do for christmas gifts, to keep expenses down,
made with your own hands - a hand-made gift with love.

Crocheting is an art,caught up by people,who have a flair for creativity which is beautiful.

As a needle craft, crocheting has stood the test of time and, in fact, it has never been more popular
than it is today thanks to the resurgence of vintage-style fashions and decorating.

Crochet is used to make a variety of things, that range from doilies, table cloths,
mats, runners, baby dresses, bonnets and bootees, to name a few.

Scarves, bags, purses and belts also add to the choice of gifts you can make.

You can crochet necklaces, earrings and bracelets,some very nice thread available for this.
It is not a complicated thing and can be done with the simplest of steps.
You can also learn how to incorporate crochet with beads, embroidery and knitting.

You’ll be amazed at how easily it is to pick up the art.
Once you have picked up the simple steps, you can progress to the more complicated steps in crochet.

If not sure how to do the basic stitches in crocheting, check out.

CROCHET MESH STITCHES- How to Techniques!
One of my earlier blog in Needlecraft Superior - (dated 20 Jan 2009)

So now for those Patchwork Motifs:

Eyelet Square Patchwork Motif:

A simple centre motif surrounded by rows of double crochet, more interesting when worked
in two or more colours.
Round one is crocheted over a double yarn strand instead of the usual ring of chains.
Wind yarn twice around tip of index finger to form a ring.
Round 1: 16 double crochet in ring
Round 2: (1 double crochet, 10 chain, skip 3 double crochet) 4 times, slip stitch
in 1 st double crochet, fasten off.
Round 3: using new colour, (11 double crochet in the 10 chain space, 1 double crochet in next double crochet) 4 times, slip stitch in 1st double crochet, fasten off.
Round 4: Using new colour *1 double crochet into each of 6 stitches, 2 double crochet in next stitch to form the corner. 1 double crochet in each of the 5 stitches*, rep from * 3 times, slip stitch in 1st double crochet, fasten off.
Round 5: 1 double crochet in each stitch and 2 double crochet at each corner, slip stitch in 1st double crochet, Repeat round 5 as many times as desired for size, changing colours as it suits you. fasten off.

Flower in a Square Patchwork Motif:

Long chains are the flower petals.
Chain 5 join in a ring with a slip stitch.
Round 1: 12 double crochets in ring, slip stitch in 1st double crochet to close.
Round 2: (chain 11 stitches, slip stitch in next double crochet) 12 times.
Round 3: Slip stitch in each of 1st 6 chain of 1st chain loop.* chain 4, 1 double crochet in central stitch
of next chain loop, chain 4, 1 cluster in next chain loop [(yarn round hook, insert hook, draw up a loop, yarn round hook draw through 2 loops,) 3 times in same chain loop, yarn round hook, draw through all 4 loops], chain 4, 1 cluster in same chain loop to form corner, chain 4, 1 double crochet in next loop*, repeat from* 3 times
Round 4: 2 slip stitches in 1st 4-chain space, chain 3,(yarn round hook, insert hook in the same space, draw up a loop,  yarn round hook, draw through 2 loops) twice, yarn round hook, draw through all 3 loops,* chain 4, 1 double crochet  in next 4-chain space, chain 4, (1 cluster, chain 4, 1 cluster) in corner space, chain 4, 1 double crochet in next 4-chain space, chain 4, 1 cluster in next 4-chain space*, repeat from * 3 times, chain 4, slip stitch in top of 1 stitch cluster to close, fasten off.

If not sure what a slip stitch is : it’s a very short stitch used principally for joining, as in a closing of a ring or motif ring, or the seaming of two finished pieces. Though not used to produce fabric, it is sometimes worked along an edge to strengthen it and to minimize stretching.
Slip Stitch: Insert hook in chain (or stitch), catch the yarn, draw a loop through both the chain and the loop on the hook.

Eyelet Square Patchwork Motif - Flower in a Square Patchwork Motif

Gerber Technology Versatile Cutter - Special on Needlecraft Superior!

This Blog is going to be a little different to the other one’s I have submitted to
Needlecraft Superior as I will take you down a path of how the garments you buy
in a fashion parlour start from the beginning.
In the old days they were laid up by hand on long tables,by hand following a order
by material type and colour, hopefully the person laying it up used the right tension
and did not stretch it,the garment would end up the right size, then cut by a knife
going up and down,through the layers of fabric by hand, everything was okay, as long as the
person that graded the pattern and draw it up on paper did not make a mistake.
Also that the person cutting the lay’s cut on the right lines correctly.
Hopefully when the machinest sewed it up, all piece of the garment fitted together.

I worked for 30 years in the Rag Trade starting as a machines and working my way
through pattern grading by hand not a plotter, to a cutter.
Since the factories closing down one by one as it became uneconomical to
operate like this, they all closed down or went offshore.

Early in the 1990 things really started to change, all the imports of cheap clothes,
factories look for new way’s to make a profit and cope with all the rising wages.

Plotting Computer machines that draw the patterns on paper, and had a better
accuracy and less mistakes, but still there was need for more if the rag trade was
going to survive. Factories where closing down everywhere.
So Classic Fashions invested in this great gerber cutter imported from the USA.

Classic Fashions in New Plymouth New Zealand was a ladies outer garment clothing firm
purchased a GERBER CUTTER - Versatile Cutter Designed for Made-to-Order Manufacturing
Some of the features were that it cut up to 8 mm (0.3 in.) of compressed material.
it stored cutting setup files for quick retrieval to accelerate future cut jobs on a computer.
it had graphical operator interface and easy-to-use on-machine control panel on a computer
simplifies operator training and use, which I learned it was the start of me being a computer
addict.
Here is a photo of it and I was also operating it, it travels across the floor on tracks
like a train and moves from one table to the next.
Cuts by a laser beam, all kinds of fabric from the most delicates to the hardest of vinyl.

We had long tables which were set up with vacuum under them so when the layers of fabric were finished
laying up by hand, they were moved down the table to the Gerber cutter to be cut.
The Gerber cutter was operated by vacuum, that plastic was laid on top and the vacuum sucked
the material down under the plastic and held it very firm.
There would be a person at the head of the gerber cutter as the laid was being cut and take of
the peices of the garments as they where cut, bundle them up and of to the markers to sort out
and hang the piece on hangers, which would be ready for the machinest to sew up.

So this Gerber solutions for apparel and retail dramatically improve turn around times and
significantly reduce material waste and labour costs but the factories still when on closing
down until 16 march 2002 Classic Manufacturing, one of the last clothing factories to close down
in Taranaki NZ closed down..
If you would like to see more on this wonderful machine that cut down staff members,operating
hand cutters, and training of humans for hands cutters take a look at this website.

Compiled By Elsie Hagley, Urenui, New Zealand

http://www.gerbertechnology.com/default.asp?contentID=12

Gerber Cutter