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    Needle Arts with Vision Loss: How To Enjoy Making Braided Rugs Without Sight
    Needle Arts with Vision Loss: How To Enjoy Making Braided Rugs Without Sight
    Needle Arts with Vision Loss: How To Enjoy Making Braided Rugs Without Sight
    Ebook79 pages1 hour

    Needle Arts with Vision Loss: How To Enjoy Making Braided Rugs Without Sight

    By Shireen Irvine Perry

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    About this ebook

    "Needle Arts with Vision Loss" is a book series on adaptive blind techniques in braided rugs, needle felting, machine sewing, ribbon work and beading. "How To Enjoy Making Braided Rugs Without Sight" is the first book in the series. The methods have proven successful for Shireen's students over many years. She encourages her students to ask themselves, “How can I make this work safely?” instead of, “I can’t do this because I can’t see.” The series may be used as a guide in teaching many of the adaptive needle arts techniques or as a resource for newly blind experienced needle artists.
    Vision loss does not keep a person from enjoying hands-on creativity. This book series will give both teachers and those with a visual impairment the means to tackle projects otherwise thought impossible.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherShireen Irvine Perry
    Release dateMar 14, 2014
    ISBN9781311129796
    Needle Arts with Vision Loss: How To Enjoy Making Braided Rugs Without Sight
    Author

    Shireen Irvine Perry

    Family & Consumer Sciences Teacher Of Needle Arts With Adaptive Blind TechniquesShireen has been teaching blind and visually impaired adults Needle Arts for more than 35 years in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Many of her students have asked her to write a book. This is it."Needle Arts with Vision Loss" is a series of books on adaptive blind techniques in braided rugs, needle felting, machine sewing, hand sewing and related needle arts. "How to Enjoy Making Braided Rugs Without Sight" is the first book in the series. "How to Enjoy Needle Felting Without Sight" is the second book of the series. The third book in the series is "How to Enjoy Machine Sewing Without Sight". The series may be used as a guide in teaching the visually impaired any of the adaptive needle arts techniques or as a resource for newly blind experienced needle artists. The methods have proven successful for her students over many years. She encourages her students to ask themselves, “How can I make this work safely?” instead of “I can’t do this because I can’t see.”Vision loss does not need to keep a person from enjoying hands-on creativity. Shireen hopes the Needle Arts with Vision Loss series may add perspective with other needle arts books, to give both teachers and those with a visual impairment the means to tackle a project otherwise thought impossible.

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      Book preview

      Needle Arts with Vision Loss - Shireen Irvine Perry

      Needle Arts with Vision Loss:

      How To Enjoy Making Braided Rugs Without Sight

      Shireen Irvine Perry

      Copyright 2013 Shireen Irvine Perry

      Smashwords Edition

      MP3 Version at www.needleartswithvisionloss.wordpress.com

      Contents

      Acknowledgments

      Disclaimer

      Introduction

      Getting Started

      Braided Rugs

      Conclusion

      Appendix

      Adapting a Fabric or Fiberglass Measuring Tape

      Color and Color Wheel

      Designing or Illustrating Designs

      Hand Stitches with Adaptive Blind Techniques

      Ironing and Pressing with Adaptive Blind Techniques

      Adaptive Labeling Options

      Machine Sewing with Safe Adaptive Techniques

      Notes to Teachers

      Orientation & Gravity Issues

      Patterns Adapted for Visually Impaired as Tactile Patterns

      Threading a Hand Sewing Needle Non-visually

      Resources

      About the Author

      Acknowledgments

      I am grateful to God and for each of my students who have encouraged me to write this book series so others could enjoy Needle Arts with their vision loss. Students over the years have been thrilled to see themselves accomplish items they would never have imagined doing with their loss of vision.

      This book is happening thanks to support and feed back from Mary Drain, Dee Harris, Linda Zagula, Lois Melkonian, Ellen Graebe, my writers group, John Vonhof, Shen Kuan, students and family.

      Disclaimer

      I have made every effort to provide current resource information and to ensure all instructions in the book are accurate and safe. I cannot accept liability for any resulting injury, damage or loss to persons or property, however it may arise.

      Introduction

      You can sew without sight! Some may ask why a blind person would want to sew, braid rugs, knit, crochet, embroider, or needle felt, much less learn how to do so after losing their sight.

      In my more than thirty years of teaching Needle Arts to visually impaired students, I discovered that students had a variety of reasons for wanting to take my class. Many wanted to continue doing their favorite needle art for relaxation and creativity. Some didn't want to pay someone else for simple clothing repairs they could do themselves. Others wanted to tackle a project for gift giving. And still others had always wanted to learn some form of needle art such as sewing, braided rugs, needle felting or knitting, yet never had the opportunity to learn.

      Whatever the reason, learning one or more of the needle arts has value for someone with or without sight. Needle Arts develops one's tactile discrimination, fine motor dexterity, organizational skills, and problem-solving skills. Other benefits include gaining self-confidence with added patience and gaining a safe comfort level using sharp objects and moving machinery.

      The term needle arts refers to fiber and needle handwork. This includes different types of sewing along with braided rugs, knitting, crochet, ribbon work, beading and needle felting. Braided Rugs is one book in a series of books on adaptive techniques in needle arts. This Needle Arts with Vision Loss series may be used as a teaching guide for those who are interested in teaching the visually impaired any of the adaptive needle arts techniques. Newly blind experienced needle artists may also use this resource.

      The methods I share have proven successful for my students over many years. I encourage my students to ask themselves, How can I make this work safely? rather than I can’t do this because I can’t see.

      As an example, one student enjoyed working with her hands. Yet, in addition to her vision loss she had severe neuropathy in her hands. The latter made it very difficult for her to feel thread and lightweight to medium-weight fabrics when sewing. I suggested she try braided rugs. She chose heavier cotton fabrics she could more easily feel. Then she measured the strip widths with a braille ruler, clipped and tore the strips. She marked the non-fashion side of her fabric strips with a large #3 safety pin. She chose the interlocking technique to make three long strands for braiding. Once braided, she coiled and stitched using 3-ply waxed linen thread on a bent-tip yarn needle. She also chose not to line the underside of the mat. She was thrilled with the results, finding a medium she enjoyed using with her hands despite her neuropathy and vision loss.

      With a good working knowledge of adaptive blind techniques, a visually impaired person can make braided rugs competently and safely, and produce beautiful projects. Experiencing vision loss does not need to keep a person from enjoying hands-on creativity with Needle Arts. My hope is this booklet, along with the rest of the Needle Arts with Vision Loss series, will give those with a visual impairment and their teachers the impetus to tackle a needle arts project they might otherwise have thought impossible.

      Getting Started

      When learning adaptive techniques I recommend using a blindfold if you have residual vision or if you are a sighted teacher. The blindfold helps you focus on and build trust in the adaptive blind techniques as you develop these new safer habits. See Notes to Teachers in Appendix. Using senses other than vision and allowing the brain to

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