Evaluation of decorative textile craft produced with hand embroidery technique for households in Etche, rivers state, Nigeria

This study evaluated decorative textile crafts produced with hand embroidery technique for households in Etche, Rivers State. Two objectives, two research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. The study adopted the survey research design. The population was 125, 269 individuals (71 registered artisans and 125, 198 heads of households. A total of 431 respondents were selected for the study. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select house heads while census was used for the artisans. Two sets of instruments were used for data collection. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the research questions while t-test was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The major findings are that the needs for hand embroidery decorative crafts for households add a unique touch to home decoration, and often carry cultural significance and heritage. The findings also indicated that consumers are willing to patronize the hand embroidered decorative textile crafts (Wall Hangings and Table mats) based on aesthetic attributes. The hypothesis was retained at 0.05 level of significance. In conclusion, the study underscores the importance of preserving and promoting hand embroidery technique as a culturally rich and creative practice. It was recommended among others that the teaching and learning of textile craft at formal and informal sector should be encouraged as the need exist for the production of decorative textile craft for households.