Fiber arts is a group of art forms that utilize natural and synthetic fibers in construction, often requiring manual labor from artists as well as aesthetic consideration.
Sewing may be one of the earliest fiber arts. Evidence of sewing can be found as far back as Paleolithic times; early needles were made out of bones!
Knitting
Fiber arts have been around for millennia. Traditionally they were created using natural materials such as cotton from seed pods, linen from flax stems, wool from sheep hair or silk cocoons from silkworms; more recently synthetic materials have also been utilized.
Textiles have long been used as a symbol of wealth and power, from clothing and interior decoration to signal a person’s status in society. Textile works often contained motifs depicting religious, social, or political events and communicated ideas about family relationships or hierarchies within societies.
Modern fabric became an increasingly popular medium for artists due to its rich history and ephemeral quality. They believed fabric made an excellent installation art medium because its wear and tear left lasting historical impressions during installation and therefore left lasting historical marks.
Knitting has long been an enjoyable pastime for many people, rising to prominence during World War II when fashion designers like Coco Chanel promoted knitted sweaters and pullovers as part of their haute couture collections. Additionally, during the Great Depression it again gained popularity as an activity popular with country folk who had access to materials without incurring heavy costs for work.
Historian Richard Rutt believes that the first genuine knitted piece of fabric was created in Egypt during the 1st century AD, likely as Coptic socks – rough-shaped garments worn with thongs or sandals – or perhaps knotless techniques like nalbinding (which predates knitting).
This book guides readers through all aspects of sewing and knitting, detailing how these arts evolved over time. With detailed instruction for techniques as well as helpful hints that make the experience simpler and more pleasurable, it makes this an indispensable resource for those interested in fiber arts or looking to start knitting themselves.
Weaving
Weaving is a textile art form in which two threads known as the warp and weft intertwine at right angles to form fabric for various uses. Warp threads are held under tension by a device known as a loom, allowing weft passes through them at right angles to produce cloth in various designs and colors. Fabric may either be plain (in one color or with simple patterns) or intricately designed according to artistic principles.
Early weaving processes were performed manually using simple wooden looms, using yarn spun from plants such as flax, cotton or wool for weaving warp threads and weft threads threaded with colored dyes for weft weaving to produce patterns used for clothing or utilitarian applications. Furthermore, it was possible to combine different fiber types together – for instance a linen warp with wool weft for example – making weaving both time-efficient and economical.
During the Industrial Revolution, invention of cotton gin and Jacquard Machine made weaving much faster. Additionally, flying shuttle was invented, which allowed weft passage without use of shedder tool (sheader). As a result of these advancements in weaving technology, production increased substantially for commercial, industrial, and domestic needs alike.
Recently, weavers have expanded their use of materials and created freestanding works that can stand alone or be mounted to walls. Their popularity was propelled during the 1970s and 80s due to women’s movement activism, third wave feminism, craft art theory.
The show featured an impressive range of weaving techniques, such as Ikat, which involves resist-dyeing warp or weft threads prior to weaving to produce distinctive, blurred patterns valued as art work. Many examples of Ikat artworks were on display. Furthermore, there are photographs as well as detailed illustrations showing tools and looms used for these works as well as scholarly essays discussing its development alongside other forms of fiber art such as tapestries.
Embroidery
Embroidery, the art of stitching designs onto fabric with thread and needles, is one of the oldest fiber arts. While its purpose can range from decorative to functional embellishment of clothing and textiles to objects around us – embroidery has long been practiced all around the world with various styles and techniques being employed by stitchers all around.
For centuries, embroidery has been used as a sign of wealth and status. Archaeological digs in Siberia and China have unearthed intricately embroidered clothing dating back as far as 30,000 years; while examples of embroidery as art date to China’s Warring States period between 5th and 3rd centuries BCE; early pieces were usually composed of both freehand thread stitching as well as printed motif design elements.
The sewing needle revolutionized embroidery, making it more efficient and accessible than ever. Before its invention, intricate embroidered patterns had to be painstakingly hand stitched onto fabric or leather; with its introduction, more rapid stitching could take place with greater detail, giving artists the freedom to experiment with more motifs, styles, colors and reproduce on larger scale – increasing its value as fine art.
In the 18th century, embroidery was still considered an honorable skill and a sign of wealth. It quickly became a favorite pastime among middle and upper class women who used it to embellish both clothing and household items such as pillowcases and tablecloths with intricate stitches. Furthermore, embroideries could also serve to pay tribute to loved ones–pillowcases commemorating monarchs or dignitaries were often heavily embellished.
Today, embroidery has experienced a dramatic revival. Thanks to mail order catalogs and pattern papers, it has never been easier for novice embroiderers to learn this art form. Although embroidery remains predominantly decorative art form, more people are using their stitchery skills for political statements such as gender equality. For instance, between 1908-1913 the Artists’ Suffrage League created over 150 protest banners for women’s suffrage movement with this technique alone!
Sewing
Sewing is a versatile fiber art technique used for garment and textile production. Sewing can be completed either manually or using machinery, and it utilizes various stitches. Sewing as art can be an excellent way to express creativity while using this art form in new ways.
Sewing has been around for millennia, dating back to ancient people stitching animal hides together for clothing and shelter. Today’s sewers use various fabrics including cotton, wool, linen silk and synthetics in order to sew.
Pre-industrialized societies emphasized clothing and interior decoration to demonstrate wealth and status; more elaborate pieces indicated an individual’s higher social standing.
The Industrial Revolution altered our relationship to textiles by making them more affordable to more people and shifting work associated with textiles from domestic tasks to paid employment. Sewing machines greatly simplified production time while increasing production by increasing numbers of workers performing this task.
While the Industrial Revolution had an effect on how textile arts were practiced, its basic techniques did not change significantly over time. Weaving and embroidery continued as traditional arts forms but their forms changed as artists experimented with them.
With the advent of women’s liberation movements in the 60s and 70s came an explosion of fiber art around the world. Pieces were created that could either be hung or free standing; two or three dimensional, flat or volumetric; non-objective or figurative and representational or fantasy.
Other fiber structures were produced through knotting, twining, plaiting, coiling, pleating, lashing and interlacing as well as weaving and embroidery. Artworks created using natural or synthetic fibers were delicate; conserving and preserving such works may prove challenging.
After time has passed, artwork may gradually degrade over time, with its colors fading or becoming embrittled. Sometimes this degradation can be directly attributable to being handled or touched by people; other times it could be environmental factors like sunlight and air pollution that play a part.