Needle Arts with Vision Loss: How to Enjoy Needle Felting Without Sight
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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. 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.
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 Needle Felting Without Sight
Shireen Irvine Perry
Copyright 2013 Shireen Irvine Perry
Smashwords Edition
MP3 Version at www.needleartswithvisionloss.wordpress.com
Contents
Acknowledgements
Disclaimer
Introduction
Getting Started
Needle Felting
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
Acknowledgements
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 Patti Coppens, Marlene Dunaway, Linda Zagula, Mary Drain, Lois Melkonian, Ellen Graebe, my writers group, John Vonhof, friends 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 needle felt without sight! Some may ask why a blind person would want to needle felt, sew, braid rugs, knit, crochet or embroider, 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 needle felting, sewing, braided rugs 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 needle felting, braided rugs, knitting, crochet, ribbon work and beading. Needle Felting 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.
At the time Needle Felting started being popular, I thought my students might be interested. This led me to develop a few adaptive techniques and share the ideas with students. One student in particular liked the idea for making a felted grosgrain ribbon belt. She was thrilled with the results. She found a medium she enjoyed doing with her hands till she got a sewing machine for other needle arts projects.
With a good working knowledge of adaptive blind techniques, a visually impaired person can make needle felted pieces 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 book, 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 process information differently are important for understanding a different perspective to problem solving and organization non-visually. Learning new adaptive strategies to handle frustrations along with a new