PROMOTING THE USE OF HAND EMBROIDERY FOR SURFACE DECORATION OF GARMENTS IN ASHANTI REGION

ABSTRACT

Textiles as a course and trade tend to be time and energy consuming as exhibited by both students and producers. The various existing textiles decorative techniques are  mostly applied by machine to decorate local fabric wares. Such wares though look good tend not to meet all the requirements of consumers in terms of finesse and also not promoting hand embroidery. It is in this regard that the researcher has taken inspiration to promote the use of hand embroidery techniques to decorate fabric wares. Some literature relevant to this research was reviewed in relation to how other scholars express their views and producers talk about their works. Relevant data on fabric embroidering were gathered by the employment of experimental and descriptive methods of qualitative research mainly through observation by the researcher herself on tools, materials and especially the techniques which was the bone of contention. Administration of questionnaires was also employed to collect data from respondents to ascertain their level of knowledge in hand embroidering. Major research findings were revealed during the course of the processes: The large needles tend to create big perforation to distort the beauty of the work and also designs that were too dense could literally carve out the design in the fabric. The chronological grading of applying several stitches posed problems when using the hand to embroider. On the other hand candlewick technique however needed a constant twisting motion of the thread and equal thickness to create a design. In each case diligence was the order. With regards to the benefits that this innovation would bring to the development of human power and the nation as a whole, it is recommended that fashion designers should employ hand embroidery design techniques into the design of fabric wares, moreover; the methodology of transfer adopted is useful for unique productivity.