Craft to Career: Designing with Textiles: DIY Fabric & Fiber Projects
In HISTORY OF FIBER ARTS Fiber arts are among the most ancient artworks humans have produced Scientists have discovered textile fibers that are more than 30,000 years old And researchers have found evidence that humans have been making clothing for protection for at least 100,000 years could not afford to purchase these items so they made their own clothing In many cultures around the world this was considered women's work Girls were taught to sew and weave by their mothers and grandmothers so they could make clothing for their families the late 1800s mechanical sewing machines became widespread This revolutionized the textile industry It allowed fabric and clothing to be mass produced inexpensively By the mid 1900s most Americans were buying clothing instead of making it at home For most of human history clothing and textiles were carefully crafted by hand This was often a time consuming process requiring training and expertise Because of the time and knowledge required to make them clothing and fabric were expensive Many families 8
TEXTILES TIMELINE 100,000 YEARS AGO Neanderthals wear animal skins and hides 10,000 YEARS AGO Ancient peoples dye fabric using natural pigments from plants and animals 1790 CE English inventor Thomas Saint invents the first sewing machine 1851 Isaac Merritt Singer develops the model for a home sewing machine It becomes the basis for the modern sewing machine 1950s The term fiber arts is used to describe textile and fiber crafts as an art form 9 40,000 YEARS AGO Humans start using tools such as needles and awls to sew fitted clothing 5,000 YEARS AGO Humans in the Middle East begin spinning cotton fibers into thread 1846 Elias Howe patents the first industrial sewing machine This leads to the mass production of textiles and clothing 1935 Nylon the first synthetic fabric is developed DU PONT nylon yarn produced at Seaford December 1939 1970s Electronic sewing machines become widely available
In Scotland different clans are represented by plaid textile designs called tartans Colorful Kente cloth is a traditional fabric made by the Ashanti people of Ghana Each block pattern and color has a specific name and meaning 10
FIBER ARTS & CULTURE The creation of fiber and textiles was not just for practical purposes It became an art form that people around the world used to express what was important to them Their creations reflected the natural fibers and dyes common to their regions When the COVID 19 pandemic struck in 2020 people around the world stayed at home to contain the disease's spread Many filled their newfound free time with hobbies including embroidery weaving and other fiber arts Sewing became especially popular as people rushed to make homemade masks Sewing machine manufacturers reported struggling to keep up with the sudden demand for their product As the pandemic declined many people continued creating fiber arts Even with the rise of industrialization it seemed that one of the world's oldest art forms wasn't going anywhere The desire to use fibers and textiles in fine art has been gaining popularity in recent years Websites such as Etsy and social media sites such as Pinterest allow people to get inspired showcase their creations and sell their fiber crafts more easily than ever before In an era where most products are mass produced many fiber artists take pride in their unique creations Sashiko is an embroidery technique developed in Japan in the 1600s to mend worn clothing Fiber artists soon began using the method to create complex and beautiful patterns 11
