Description
Textile is a term originally used when referring to
woven fabrics. More recently the term textiles has
included tie-dye, patchwork, embroidery, appliqué,
batik and textile design related to fashion.
Fabrics and textiles are all around us, in our homes
and the clothes that we wear. Textiles often have
patterns and textures of a decorative nature added
to make them more attractive, either to wear or
to have in the home. This is achieved through the
different crafts of printing, embroidery, quilting
and dyeing. For wealthy people, even today, some
fabrics are embellished with precious and semi-precious stones and threads.
Children should be encouraged to feel the
textures of different materials and fibres, and
to appreciate fabrics rich in colour, texture and
pattern. They should look at textiles from a range
of different cultures – Asian, African, Far Eastern
and the Americas. This will provide opportunities
for the children to question, observe and discuss
the qualities of the fabrics.
Early experiences should involve handling and
sorting threads, cottons, wools, raffia, yarns and
fabrics. This will introduce the children to the
qualities of the materials and include practical
work on colour, texture and pattern.
Manipulative skills will be evident in attempting
large-scale weavings. These activities are best
attempted using a large freestanding frame, where
children can work individually and as part of a
group.
Opportunities to investigate open-weave fabric
by pulling cloth apart and pulling out threads will
help to introduce the children to the way fabrics
are made.
There is a close link between textiles, appliqué and
collage activities where children will be involved
with sorting and selecting materials and yarns and
fixing them to a surface. Supervise the children as
they cut fabric pieces, as they will find this a
challenge. Avoid frustration by having appropriate
scissors available.
Early attempts in stitching need a great deal
of adult support, supervision, guidance and
determination on the part of the child.
The information is presented in a way that offers a
range of experiences and a progression of skills to
build and extend the knowledge and confidence
of each child.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.