|
| |
Punch Needle Embroidery Resource Guide
Written by Rissa Peace, July 2002, all rights reserved.
Background Information
Punch Needle Embroidery is often referred to as thread painting, since it can
be used to depict very complex scenes, not unlike an oil painting. This
technique and its variants are know as Punch, Punch Embroidery, Punch Needle
Embroidery, Russian Embroidery and Bunka. These terms are not universally
interchangeable, but they use the same tool, a punch needle. The basic concept
is pretty simple, yarn is punched through a fabric with a hollow pencil shaped
needle and leaves tufted loops yarn on top of the fabric. You can create
intricate, durable images out of the pile. The actual technique is more closely
related to rug-hooking than embroidery, but the application and end product are
better described as embroideries than rugs.
Bunka seems to to be the more universally recognized form, although it is
actually the most specialized. Bunka is considered a form of Japanese
embroidery, but it most likely has its origins in Russian embroidery. Bunka
uses unraveled rayon yarn and is worked on the top side of the design. Bunka
kits often resemble paint by the numbers kits. You work the design in sections
using the punch needle and the appropriate color yarn. Many of these designs
are landscapes and utilize subtle shading that closely resembles painting.
Punch or Russian Embroidery, is the broader category encompassing the use of
all of different types of materials and variable loop lengths. Most punch
embroidery, excepting Bunka, is worked on the back side of the fabric, so that
you see the running stitches while you work, not the pile being created.
Anything that will fit easily in the punch needle will work and since they make
several size needles, that mean you can use all sort of different threads, yarns
and even ribbon. The needle can be adjusted to make the loops short or long,
creating even more dimensionality. The loops are secure, without any knotting,
and there is great potential for creativity of design. The loops can also be
cut and sculpted for added three dimensionality. One of the more interesting
design sources for this technique is the rubber stamp, which seems to be
responsible for a recent resurgence in its popularity. This embellishment
technique works very well with Crazy Quilting and blends nicely with other forms
of embroidery, especially silk ribbon.
When I started this resource guide, I had the added advantage of knowing an
expert I could contact for help. She also happened to be the person from whom I
purchased my very first punch needle. Victoria Adams Brown is an accomplished
teacher, author of two ribbon embroidery books and several craft leaflets, and
owner of RibbonSmyth. As always, she
was very generous with her knowledge. She briefly covers punch needle in her
book The New Ribbon Embroidery, starting on page 58.
Tried and true punch needle tips from Vickie Brown:
 | With punch needle, what has worked so well for the classes I teach, is
this:
 | The students rubber stamp their design onto 14, or 18 count Aida cloth, |
| Then they flip the design over and draw whatever shape on the back of
the fabric, by holding the fabric up to the light. |
| Next they outline the shapes of the rubber stamp image to be punched,
with a fade-away pen. |
|
| For punch needle, the fabric must be in a hoop. I only use Susan Bates 4"
with the lip edge. Place the fabric over the lip. If it is a large piece, I
just move the hoop around. Sometimes I use a large hoop, but for novice punch
needle artists, always start out with a 4" hoop. |
| Always hold the needle perpendicular to the fabric and barely lift the
needle off the fabric as you create the loops. This is VERY important! |
| The tail of the thread is always behind your hand. |
| Punch back and forth, side to side, up and down, whatever translates best,
and leave some white space between the rows. If the stitches are punched too
close together, the fabric will "bump" up and be bulky. |
| Which fibers you use depends on the type of punch needle you use. I have
a new needle with 3 needle sizes now and I'm crazy about it. It took me years
of trial and error to get it.
| So with the small needle, I use 2 or 3 strands of floss, variegated are
great. |
| For the middle needle, I use 6 strands of floss or YLI Jean stitch |
| For the large needle, I combine an assortment of fibers or use ribbon
floss (my favorite) or 2mm silk ribbon. |
| I really like the YLI Jean Stitch and rayon fibers for the sheen, but I
will use any fiber that will hold a loop in the fabric. |
|
| I will use any type of fabric that will hold the loop, loose weaves linen,
damask. I do not enjoy punching into a knit or a tightly woven fabric, like
denim. |
| For my students we use a topiary rubber stamp and they punch the balls of
the topiary and then add pearls and 7mm silk French knots. They love this
project since they finish the entire project in the 3 hour class. All my
students have multitudes of rubber stamps and combining their stamps with my
water-erasable fabric stamp pad ink, just opens up all kinds of doors for them
in terms of design and projects. |
| I also will print designs in color on Aida cloth by running the fabric
through the printer and then punch areas of the design. It takes patience and
lots of time to run the fabric through the printer, especially if I am making
50 kits, but the results are smashing! |
Punch Needle Photos from Vickie Brown.
|
Click to enlarge. |
Punch needle showing various sizes of needles and fibers
that can be used. |
|
Click to enlarge. |
As seen in "The New Ribbon Embroidery" punch needle chick
adapted from a Tiffany's gold chick brooch. Punched with YLI crown rayon
thread. |
|
Click to enlarge. |
Punch needle free form flower as seen in "The New Ribbon
Embroidery". Used 4mm silk ribbon and wool threads. |
|
Click to enlarge. |
As seen in "The New Ribbon Embroidery" punched with floss
and 4mm ribbon with Mokuba leaves and Snapdragon hand-dyed bullion lazy
daisy leaves |
|
Click to enlarge. |
This is a current class project which the student completes
in 3 hours. Features purple Ribbon Floss in the topiary and 6 strands of
green floss at
the base of the topiary. Punched on Aida Cloth. Design is a rubber stamp.
This beginner punch needle class is currently being taught at the Ft.
Washington, PA Quilt Show September 12-15, EuroExpo LaBourboule, France,
Sept. 21-27 and at the Williamsburg, VA. Quilt Show Feb. 26-March 1, 2003
and other locations. |
On-line Resources:
Punch Needle/Bunka articles, information, retailers and suppliers:
Print Resources:
Punch Needle/Bunka information in books and leaflets:
| Bird, Gail. Russian Punch Needle Embroidery with Instruction and 32
Transfer Patterns. Paperback. 56 pages. Dover Publications. ISBN:
0486402622. (March 1998) |
| Brown, Victoria Adams. The New Ribbon Embroidery. Paperback. 144
pages. Watson-Guptill Publications. ISBN:
0-82303-1713.
(July 1997) |
| Gurney, Pamela. Punch Crazy. |
| Gurney, Pamela. Punch Needle Embroidery. |
|
