What is Fabric Manipulation?

Techniques that reshapes the surface of the material. There are

many ways to play with fabric and manipulate or control it so that
it becomes more dimensional. Throughout history, people have
developed different ways of altering fabric to provide contrasts, to
create a sense of fullness, and create surface effects (giving
textures). Some of these methods are very old, but contemporary
fabric artists continue to use them and adapt them in new
ways.There are many ways to manipulate fabric such as, stitching,
smocking, pleating and shirring etc.

The Research Plan.

The problem of research and limits:The conceptual frameworks with the

combination of two different technical styles might produce modern
andcontemporary artworks.For organisingthe experience of the research, the
analytical approach should be used in monitoring and
studying the concept of the rules of different types of lines on fashion design.

Research Importance

1)The research emphasizes the relationship between fabric manipulation and the
construction of a dress fashion trend.

2)Fashion designers have to understand the mechanisms of different fabric

manipulation for creating aesthetic values.

3)The types of fabric manipulation should meet the needs of the body
Figuregroup/ occasion and be able to express the individuality as well as the
creativity of the designer

What is Fabric Manipulation?

Fabricmanipulation is a three dimensional approximation of clothing from flat

patterns. There are numerous ways to manipulate and redesign fabric or control it
so as to become 3- dimensional forms. During history, people have
inventeddifferent textured effects . Some of these method are very,old ,
butartistes of contemporary fabric continue to udse and integrate them in tive
ways.
Types of fabric manulpation
1) BURENT FABRIC
2) REVERSE APPLIQUE
3) RUFFLES
4) SMOKING
5) EMBROIDERY
6) RHINESTONES
7) PRINTING ON FABRIC
8) FABRIC BOWS
9) FRAYING FABRIC
10) DYEING
11) PLEATING
12) WEAVING
13) KNITTING

BURENT FABRIC

Materials 1) Cotton Fabric

2) Scissors

3) Needle

4) Therade

5) Candle

STEP1 :You will need a light cotton fabric . Begin by cutting the fabric into
around seven pieces. You can use more or less fabric if you wish and create
your picces to the size of your choosing .

STEP2 : Secondly i have chose to cut the edges of the fabric. In some areas i cut
y small holes around the edage of the fabic .I did thise to creat a more
weathered effect to the pices . Cutting smaller holes also creates others edges of
the fabric to burn.

STEP3 : Once you are happy with the cut of the fabric it is time to burn the
edages. For thise you will need a candle or open flame . Please be aware fabric
burns quickly it will not need to be lit for long so blow the flame out once
ignited
STEP4 : When you are happy with the burent effect blow out the candle and
remove.Now it is time to attaché the pieces of fabric together.To attach the
fabric i have sewn the pieces together with needle and therade

STEP5 : Begin by arranging your fabric. I have layered the fabric in different
areas. You can also experiment with a range of stitch techniques. I have used a
small stitch as i did not want the sewing to be a main feature of thise sample.

STEP6 : After sewing the pieces of fabric together it is time add some clour. I
have usead the mixture colour paints ,brusho inks and acrylic paints. When
addings colour also try dip dying using natural dyes such as a tea or coffee stain.

STEP7 : To colour the fabric i have first used water co;our paits in grey. Yellow
and brown tones. I have use brighter colours in the center of the fabric and
darker towards the edage. I have then used brusho inks in a dark brown to add
more depth.

STEP8 : Finally i have usead a mixture of gouache and acrylic paints. I have
used a black acrylic paint at the edges of the fabric to add to burn effect . The
yellow ocher gouache in the center of the fabric creats a more tarnished tone.

STEP9 : Now allow the fabric to dry.

IDEAS : THISE technique can be altered in so many ways to make it your own!
Try layering all pieces on top of each other or experiment with stitch types.
There are other ways you could dye the fabric such as dip dye

APPLIQUE WORK :

Appliqué is ornamental needlework in which pieces or

patch of fabric in different shapes and patterns are
sewn or stuck onto a larger piece to form a picture or
pattern. It is commonly used as decoration, especially on
garments. The technique is accomplished either by hand
stitching or machine. Appliqué is commonly practised
with textiles, but the term may be applied to similar
techniques used on different materials. In the context
of ceramics, for example, an appliqué is a separate piece of clay added to the primary work,
generally for the purpose of decoration.

Preparing the Fabric and Template

Pre-wash and iron all of your fabric. This includes the fabric that you will be using for
your appliqué as well as the item you will be attaching the appliqué to. The only instances
where you should not wash the fabric is if you are using a non-washable material, such as felt
or silk.

Choose and create your design on a sheet of paper. You can draw the design by hand, or
use a stencil. You can even print the design off of the computer. Simple designs work the best
for appliqués, especially if this is your first time making one.

 Try to use a thick paper, such as cardstock. It will make tracing easier.
 If you are doing letters, words, or numbers, reverse your design; it will come out the
right direction in the end.

Cut the design out. You are now ready to start tracing it onto your interfacing. If your design
has multiple layers of colors, such as a target sign, you will need to trace each color
separately.

Creating the Appliqué

Trace your design onto the paper side of the interfacing. If you can't tell which side is the
paper side, look for the smooth side. The rough side is the glue side.[1]

 Use a fabric pen or pencil for this step to reduce the risk of ink bleeding/transferring
onto the fabric.
 You will eventually peel the paper side away, then iron the appliqué to your project.

Cut the design out outside the lines you drew. Do not cut along the lines just yet. Instead,
cut at least ¼ inch (0.64 centimeter) outside the lines. You will be trimming the interfacing
down further once you iron it to the fabric.[2]

Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of fabric. Turn the fabric so that the wrong side is
facing up. Place the interfacing down on top, glue-side-down. Press the interfacing with a hot,
dry iron for 5 to 8 seconds.[3]

 Double-check the instructions on your interfacing to find out what heat setting you
should use.
 Some types of interfacing require that you cover it with an ironing cloth (ie: tea towel)
first. Double-check the label!

Cut the appliqué out. Allow the appliqué to cool first. Once it is cool to the touch, cut it out
along the lines that you drew.[4] X R
Peel away the paper backing. Don't worry if the paper backing tears. The adhesive part of
the interfacing should already be stuck to the fabric. Once you have the backing removed,
your appliqué is ready to use![5]

 If you are making a multicolored appliqué, now is the time to make the other shapes
and colors.

Ironing and Sewing the Applique

Place the appliqué onto the desired item. You can apply appliqués to anything that can be ironed,
from t-shirts to backpacks to tablecloths. Try different arrangements to figure out what placement
you like best.

Iron the appliqué according to the instructions on the package. Each brand will be a little different,
but in mot cases, you will have to cover the appliqué with an ironing cloth (ie: tea towel), then press
it with a dry iron for 10 to 15 seconds. [6] X Res

Pin a sheet of stabilizer to the back of the fabric, if needed. If you will be doing a dense embroidery
stitch, such as scalloped or satin, you should pin a sheet of stabilizer to the back of the project. If you
will be doing a simple stitch, such as a straight, zigzag, or blanket, you do not need to add any
stabilizer.[8]

Sew around the appliqué using your sewing machine. A simple straight stitch will work
for most designs, but you can also use a blanket stitch, a zigzag stitch, a decorative stitch, or
even a satin stitch if you want to be fancier. Backstitch at the start and end of your sewing so
that the stitches don't come undone.

 You can match the thread color to the appliqué, or you can use a contrasting color.
 If you are doing a zigzag stitch, match sure that you sew right up to the edge of the
appliqué; don't sew over the edge.
 If you will be satin stitching, consider doing a zigzag stitch for the first round.[9]

Add more layers, if needed you are sewing a multicolored appliqué. If you cut your design apart
into individual shapes/colors, you will need to repeat the entire process for each color/layer. Iron
and sew each color/layer separately. Remember to match the thread to the different colors. [

Remove the stabilizer, if you added it. How you remove it depends on the type you used. Some are
water-soluble and dissolve when you wash the garment. Other have to be torn away. [11] X R
step 1: Prepare the Ruffle Fabric Strip.
he initial ruffle fabric piece should be about 2-3 times longer than the edge it is sewn to, depending
on how much fullness is desired. In this tutorial, the ruffle strip is 2.5 times longer before it is
gathered.

Step 2: Finish the Ruffle's Hem First

There are a few different ways you can clean finish a ruffle's edge but the most commonly
used is a double folded machine stitched hem. The seam allowance of the ruffle's lengthwise
edge is 1/2". This means you should turn the raw edge in (towards the wrong side of the
fabric) once at half the seam allowance (1/4"), then turn the folded edge one more time at
1/4" to enclose the raw edge of the fabric. Iron as you fold and place a few horizontal pins
to keep this fold in place.

Always finish the ruffle's hem first as this is very difficult to do once the ruffle is gathered.

Step 3: Machine Stitch to Finish Hem

Apply a straight stitch along the fold, using the fold line as a guide. Stitch as close as possible to the
fold line.

Step 4: Apply the Gathering Stitches

Apply two basting stitches on your sewing machine. The first basting stitch should be right along the
seam line at the edge's seam allowance (1/2" in this case) and the second, halfway along the seam
allowance (1/4"). Make sure you leave longer loose threads at both ends so you can easily pull the
gathering stitch.

Step 5: Pin the Ruffle to the Seam Before Gathering

Align the ruffle's basted edge to the corresponding raw edge of the seam. Place a pin perpendicular
to the edge as shown. Wrap the loose threads in a cross motion around the pin. This will keep the
basting stitches from coming undone when you pull them to gather the ruffle on the opposite end.

Step 6: Pull Basting Stitch Threads to Gather

On the opposite end of the pinned ruffle, pull the two top basting threads carefully to create
gathering. Pull gently all the way across to the pinned edge and slowly build up on the gathering.
Even out the gathering stitches as you pull. Do this until the gathered edge is exactly the same length
as the edge it is getting stitched to.

Step 7: Pin the Ruffle's Seam

After making sure the gathering is evenly distributed along the edge, pin the ruffle's gathered seam
perpendicularly to the edge. Block the gathering from coming undone on the second edge by
crossing the loose threads around the pin as you did previously.

Step 8: Machine Stitch the Ruffle Seam

Making sure your sewing machine is set at a regular stitch (not a basting stitch), apply a straight
stitch right bellow the bottom gathering stitch as shown in the image. You should sew as close as
possible to the gathering stitch while also making sure it is placed right bellow it consistently
throughout.

Step 9: Clean Finish the Ruffle Seam's Raw Edge

The ruffle is clean finished with a serging stitch. If you don't own a serger, as many sewing beginners
don't, you may use a zig zag stitch on a home sewing machine. Make sure the tension balance on
your sewing machine is adjusted correctly and try to sew at a denser setting for a better quality
finish.

Step 10: Iron the Ruffle Seam Properly

The ruffle seam should be ironed with the seam allowance pointing away from the gathering. When
ironing, only iron on top of the flat surface of the seam opposite to the gathered edge, avoiding
direct contact with the gathers as shown.
Smocking is an embroidery technique used to gather fabric so that it can stretch. Before elastic,
smocking was commonly used in cuffs, bodices, and necklines in garments where buttons were
undesirable. Smocking developed in England and has been practised since the Middle Ages and
is unusual among embroidery methods in that it was often worn by laborers. Other major
embroidery styles are purely decorative and represented status symbols. Smocking was practical
for garments to be both form fitting and flexible, hence its name derives from smock — a farmer's
work shirt.[1] Smocking was used most extensively in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. [2]

Smocking, like so many textile techniques, has a rather secretive history. From what I can
find out, the technique of smocking is often confused with the garment called a smock. For
centuries, women’s main undergarment was a nightdress-like linen smock, which could be
decorated (were the lady wealthy enough) but often was not, and there’s not much evidence
of this garment being decorated with actual smocking. There are a number of Tudor portraits
which appear to show smocking on smocks’ necks and cuffs but it is impossible to say for
sure if they really are made by smocking – which is a decorative stitching on top of
previously pleated or gathered fabric.
Honeycomb Smocking Tutorial

I made this tutorial, because there really weren’t too many others out there, and I really like my
method. The thought of pleating an entire piece of cloth back-and-forth and back-and-forth makes my
hands feel all full and frustrated. My way is not that way. I would like to introduce you to the recycled
Cheerios box method, in which a cardboard strip does most of the thinking work and the whole thing
is laid flat rather than folded up in your hands.

MATRIAL
 fabric: your desired height x 3 times your desired width. I’m making a fourteen inch pillow, and
I decided to play it safe by cutting a 18 x 54 in. piece of fabric. Your fabric should be cotton or
something else that can stand up to a good bit on ironing. No melty fabrics.
 embroidery floss
 quilting ruler or yardstick
 disappearing ink marking pen or light pencil
 thin cardboard, like from a cereal box
 iron and ironing board
 spray starch
 straight pins

Step 1: cut your cardboard strip

Cut your cardboard into a long, thin strip. I made mine 3/4 inches wide by 20 inches long. Ideally you
want your strip to be longer than your fabric, but this is not a necessity. If you want wider pleats, make
your strip wider than 3/4 inches.
Step 2: the first press

Use light starch for all pressing.

Lay your fabric on your ironing board so that the short edge is parallel with the sides of the board the
long edge falls down in front of you. Place the cardboard strip across your fabric, about 3 inches from
the short edge. Fold the 3 inches over the cardboard strip. Press, using the strip as a straight edge for
a nice, crisp pleat

Step 3: the second press

Remove cardboard and flip your work over. Now the extra fabric falls over the far side of the ironing
board. Slide the edge of the cardboard onto the fold line made by the first press. Fold the long side of
your fabric halfway onto the cardboard strip and then back on itself. Press.

Step 4: the pleat press

Remove the cardboard and flip your work over (again!). Tuck the cardboard into the little fold you just
made. Your cardboard should be halfway covered by the fabric. Fold fabric up around the other side
and back on itself. Press. Turn your fabric over to see that you have made a full pleat! Cool.

Keep making pleats until you are 3 inches from the far edge or pleating reaches your desired width.
Remember to use starch—it’s your friend. Once you have a few pleats, you’ll probably want to put
some straight pins in your work to keep it from unfolding as you flip it over and over.

Step 5: mark it
Lay your ruler across your work, about 2 inches from the top, perpendicular to the pleats. Using the
disappearing ink marking pen or the pencil, make a little mark on each place where two pleats meet.
Then mark the next row. The length between rows should be double the width of your pleat. My pleats
were 3/4 in. so I made 1.5 inches between rows. If you’re using a pencil, make really light, tiny marks
so they don’t show later. If you’re using a disappearing ink pen, just make a couple rows at a time so
they don’t disappear before you can sew them!

Step 6: sew flat pleats

Thread a needle with two strands of embroidery floss. On the top row, on the first mark of the row,
sew up through all layers on one pleat and down through all layers of the touching side of the adjacent
pleat. Repeat stitch in the same place in order to tack the pleat in place. Continue across the row,
then for all rows until the smocked portion of the work is the desired size (in my case, about 13
inches).

Step 7: sew pinch pleats

Start at one corner of your smocking. From the back, wiggle your threaded needle up through one of
the flat folds of your pleat, centering your needle between two stitched rows. Pinch the pleat so that
the sides come up and make an X. Make a tiny, stitch right in the center of the X. Stitch through it
again to tack it down. Wiggle your needle down into the flat fold opposite where it came up. Repeat,
pinching all pleats in your work.

Taa-daa! You’ve done honeycomb smocking.

FABRIC BOW
STEP 1: Measure and cut the fabric
You will need two pieces of fabric, one very small for the center piece and
the other fairly large for the bow. You can make the bow any size you
want – from small baby bow to a huge bow to put on your bag. For the
regular bow, we will be using the following:

The larger one should be a rectangle in dimensions of 7 x 11 inches.

The small one should be about 1.5 x 3 inches big.

STEP 2: Sew the main body

.

Take the larger piece of fabric and fold it in half lengthwise, so that the
long edges meet. Make sure to fold it right sides in.
Using a quarter-inch seam allowance, stitch the two long edges together.
Reinforce the stitch with backstitching at the beginning and the end of the
seam.

You will get a hollow fabric tube at this point.

STEP 3: Turn it right side out

If you are making the bow with the suggested size, just turn it right side
out. You might use a pencil to push it more easily.
However, this part can be a bit troublesome if your bow is smaller, and
a tube turner would definitely come handy. However, if you don’t have this
tool, worry not. There’s a way to do this very easily with just a …safety
pin.
Take a safety pin and attach it to one end of the tube. The short edge,
where the opening is.

Now pull the pin through the tube until you’ve turned the whole thing
inside-out. Press it flat with an iron.

STEP 4: Fold the fabric

Fold the fabric, so that the short edges meet. Make sure the seams are on
the top and bottom, and not facing each other.

STEP 5: Sew
Sew the short edges using a quarter inch seam allowance.
STEP 6: Turn around
Turn the fabric tube around and make sure the seam you’ve just sewn is
right in the middle of the bow body.

STEP 7: Make the bow body

Fold the center of the bow two or three times accordion style. Adjust
it until you like it. Pinch it with your fingers.

STEP 8: Make the center piece

Fold both of the long ends towards the middle, right side out. You can
press it flat with an iron or just pin it until you need it.

Wrap the center piece around the bow so that the short ends meet.
STEP 9: Assemble the bow
Hold the ends of the center piece tight and sew them at the back of the
bow several times to secure them. Sew as tight to the bow piece as
possible. To do that move your needle to its leftmost position, and while
still holding the bow tight, position in under the needle. Sew.
That’s it – your cute new cloth bow is now ready!
Fabric Block printing

What is block printing on fabric ?

Wood block printing of textiles refers to the textile

printing technique of printing patterns on fabric with
carved wooden blocks. It is the oldest textile printing
technique and the easiest. As early as the 14th century,
Indians have been block printing and in China even
earlier. Block printing is supposed to have originated in
China. 

Most of the motifs used in Indian block printing for

centuries are still popular today, like the beetle leaf
prints. But what I absolutely adore are some really cool
prints which look traditional and at the same time
modern  – but looking at the prints it is not so
inconceivable. Cycles,  telephones, cars, elephants- you
name it they have made a print out of it. And all look
absolutely stunning. The process followed by
professional artisans who practice the block printing in
Indian villages is long and complex. It involves high skill
and hard labour and gives perfect intricate designs. The
skilled artisans who practice block printing are in a class
of their own. They use specially made intricately
designed Sheesham wood ( Indian Teak) blocks for
printing. Long tables are laid out and covered with cloth
and the fabric is stretched on it. Vegetable dyes and
chemical dyes were used to make the designs.

In this post I will be outlining a process which gives you

simple block printing using ingredients you have at
home.

 Materials needed for hand block

printing at homeWooden block or stamp or
diy home made block 
 Check out this post on DIY Fabric stamps for some
ideas to make one of your own other than the ideas
given in this post
 Fabric
 Acrylic paint or Fabric paint or dye ( fiber
reactive dyes)
 A fabric medium if you want to dilute acrylic
paint
 Small bowl for the paint
 Paper towels/ sponge
 A large pinnable surface/ a large piece of
cardboard



   Earlier Block printing used to be done only in
colours like indigo, green, mustard yellow but
nowadays it is done in all colours; You will need to
buy fabric paint in the desired colours and ensure it
is high quality and sets with heat and is washable
after IT IS SET
 
Earlier Block printing used to be done only in colours like
indigo, green, mustard yellow but nowadays it is done in
all colours; You will need to buy fabric paint in the
desired colours and ensure it is high quality and sets
with heat and is washable after simple designs.
How to make the block for printing on fabric

Traditionally the wooden block is made by drawing the

design on a paper. This design is placed on a hardwood
piece and using nails the design is marked on the
surface. After removing the paper the unwanted areas
are removed from the wooden surface leaving the
design projecting out. Handblock printing is done by
applying dye on the surface of the relief made so. You
will need to make multiple blocks for printing in different
colors.

You can make the blocks with anything. Just look

around and use things around you. A pair of dice,
cardboard pieces cut into shapes, felt stencil pieces all
lend itself to printing. Hot glue the objects to a piece of
cardboard so that you have a grasp to print. An acrylic
sheet also makes a good backing board for the stamps. 

BLOCK PRINTING AT HOME – Step

by step process
Step 1 Prepare the fabric

Dye the fabric if you are planning; Prewash the fabric to

remove all the finish in the fabric; If the finishes remain
the paint will not properly fix to the fabric. 

Iron out all the wrinkles.

Step 2 Stretch the fabric

Keep the fabric on a surface which you do not mind
staining; Your precious wooden table would not do. You
will need to keep the fabric stretched nicely. if you have
a foam board or cardboard big enough, staple the fabric
on to it nicely stretched; Ensure that there are no
ripples in the fabric. 

Step 3 Blocks

You can use wooden blocks available in really pretty

designs (they are costly but really intricate and well
made) or make your own blocks using things at home. I
have made the block by adhering felt pieces (2 layers)
to emulate the design I had in mind – a lime piece
thathad seen somewhere.

Step 4 Use paint / dye

Use any kind of dyes on natural fabric but for synthetic
fabrics, you had better use synthetic dyes; you can use
fabric paints as well.

Pour the paint on to a bowl.

Step 5 Saturate sponge in paint

Dip a  piece of sponge on to the dye/ paint ; dab the

block you are using with the sponge making sure that
the whole block is covered. Rock the block / stamp
many times so that every detail gets

Keep the block on the fabric precisely and press evenly

and uniformly. The way it is done in India is to slam it
onto the fabric hard with the palm behind the block.
Some people step on, some give whacks with hammers.
You do not have to go to those limits. One expert
recommends running rollers over the thin blocks/stamp
so that the image is evenly printed.
Keep it there for 2-3 seconds and abruptly remove the
block, making sure there is no drag or jerking motion.
Make repeating motifs; reapply paint if you need to for
other pressings.

You need to have symmetrical patterns all over, not

disjointed ones, so aligning the patterns is important.
The professionals use markers to align the designs. You
can identify specific details and use this as markers to
properly place your designs; for egs the left root of the
tree. 

If you are overlapping designs, do wait for the first layer

to dry completely before starting the next layer; Use
different blocks for different colours in the same design

In between printing blot excess paint from clumping on

the design with paper towels.

Step 7 Final result

The traditional way is to steam the fabric and then

wash; You can simply Wait for one whole day while the
fabric dries in the sun;

If it is fabric paint which is heat setting, iron on the

reverse side of the fabric; wash with hand and then use
If you are using a dye wash the fabric first in clear
water; then soak it in a solution of 2 cups of vinegar
diluted in some water for 20 minutes. This will set the
dye; wash again and hang to dry.The dye may still run
for some 2-3 washes so be careful not to mix it with
white clothes when washing.

Do not forget to clean the block after the use thoroughly

and store it after it is completely dry for reuse again

Many things you read out and understand can go wrong

in many ways when you ultimately do it ; Practice is the
best way to perfect an idea. So go about making small
blocks or use things lying around your home to make
prints on scraps on fabric before trying it on something
big and long which you intend to sew something with

Checkout this Pinterest board for inspirations for making

different designs for making your own blocks for block
printing

Block printing dye process

You get to buy the block printing dyes at craft stores but
if you would like to make them yourself cheaply and at a
large scale here is a simple recipe. Keep a palette knife
ready and your arm muscles flexed. A lot of mixing is
involved in making this dye. 

Mix some dishwashing liquid, Vinegar and turpentine in

1:1:2 proportions. Mix oil paint pigments with this
solution thoroughly with a palette knife. This may not be
suitable for fabrics you will wear.