The Simple Life (1981) was Fiona MacCarthy's first book, written while she was the Guardian's design correspondent (and before her acclaimed lives of Eric Gill, William Morris, and Edward Burne-Jones.) It tells of a venturesome effort to enact an Edwardian Utopia in a small town in the Cotswolds. The leader of this endeavour was progressive-minded architect Charles Robert Ashbee, who in 1888 founded the Guild of Handicraft in Whitechapel, specialising in metalworking, jewellery and furniture and informed by the desire to improve society. In 1902 Ashbee and his East London comrades removed the Guild to Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire, hoping to construct a socialistic rural idyll. MacCarthy explores the impact of the experiment on the lives of the group and on the little town they occupied - tracing the Guild's fortunes and misfortunes, hilarious and grave, and the many fellow idealists and artists who were involved (among them William Morris, Roger Fry, and Sidney and Beatrice Webb.)

Garden Cities: the phrase is redolent of Arts and Crafts values and nineteenth-century utopianism. But despite being the culmination of a range of influential movements, and their own influence, in fact there were only ever two true garden cities in England - far more numerous were garden suburbs and villages. Crystallised in England by social visionary Ebenezer Howard and designed in many cases by Barry Parker and Raymond Unwin, the concept arose from industrial settlements like Port Sunlight, and also from the American City Beautiful movement. Designed to promote healthy and comfortable individual and community life, as well as commerce and industry, they remain instantly recognisable. This book is a beautifully illustrated guide to the movement and to the communities which are its legacy. Sarah Rutherford has an MA in the conservation of historic parks and gardens and a PhD. She was Head of the English Heritage Historic Parks and Gardens Register and is now a freelance consultant, creating conservation plans.

Create innovative and imaginative wooden cane handles in a wide variety of shapes. The 169 clear color photos detail the process and provide examples sure to inspire wood carvers, cane makers, and cane collectors alike. \nFeatured are examples in zebra, Colorplay, and holly woods in the female form, as birds, animals, lips, and low relief decoration. Wood carving canes can be fun with this book.

Ballo Rebora introduces carvers to a new subject, the Mexican bullfight. From a wood blank to the finished figures, Ballo guides readers step-by-step through all the carving and painting processes required to create a humorous, confident, or even smug caricature matador and his four-legged adversary. Using simple, easily followed instructions and 280 full color images, he provides inspiration for carvers. Patterns are given for two matadors and the bull.\nA color gallery is included for further inspiration, with detailed photos of the finished figures and a second matador. Carvers with basic skills will enjoy the challenges and advanced carvers will be delighted by the details in this competitive pair.

Revised edition of the bestselling backlist title. William Morris was an outstanding character of many talents, being an architect, writer, social campaigner, artist and, with his Kelmscott Press, an important figure of the Arts and Crafts movement. Many of us probably know him best, however, from his superb furnishings and textile designs, intricately weaving together natural motifs in a highly stylized two-dimensional fashion influenced by medieval conventions. Following on from the bestselling success of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Alphonse Mucha, of the same series, this delightful new book offers a survey of his life and work alongside some of his finest decorative work. It is a richly beautiful book.

William Morris - poet, designer, campaigner, hero of the Arts & Crafts movement - was a giant of the Victorian age, and his beautiful creations and provocative philosophies are still with us today: but his wife Jane is too often relegated to a footnote, an artist's model given no history or personality of her own. In truth, Jane and William's personal and creative partnership was the central collaboration of both their lives. The homes they made together - the Red House, Kelmscott Manor and their houses in London - were works of art in themselves, and the great labour of their lives was life itself: through their houses and the objects they filled them with, they explored how we all might live a life more focused on beauty and fulfilment. In How We Might Live, Suzanne Fagence Cooper explores the lives and legacies of Jane and William Morris, finally giving Jane's work the attention it deserves and taking us inside two lives of unparalleled creative artistry.

"Radical and inspiring ... Yanagi's vision puts the connection between heart and hand before the transient and commercial" - Edmund de Waal The daily lives of ordinary people are replete with objects, common things used in commonplace settings. These objects are our constant companions in life. As such, writes Soetsu Yanagi, they should be made with care and built to last, treated with respect and even affection. They should be natural and simple, sturdy and safe - the aesthetic result of wholeheartedly fulfilling utilitarian needs. They should, in short, be things of beauty. In an age of feeble and ugly machine-made things, these essays call for us to deepen and transform our relationship with the objects that surround us. Inspired by the work of the simple, humble craftsmen Yanagi encountered during his lifelong travels through Japan and Korea, they are an earnest defence of modest, honest, handcrafted things - from traditional teacups to jars to cloth and paper. Objects like these exemplify the enduring appeal of simplicity and function: the beauty of everyday things.

Students new to the work of William Morris will find the full range of his achievements covered in this reissue of Peter Faulkner's excellent biography, first published in 1980. The author has carefully placed Morris in the context of the Victorian age, but has also suggested the relevance of his ideas today. The six chapters are organised biographically and cover all aspects of Morris's work in poetry, fiction, design and socialist politics. The emphasis is on his continuous struggle against the age in which he lived, seen as an idealism which went through various stages from the wistfulness of The Earthly Paradise through the practical activities of the firm of Morris & Company to the socialism of Morris's later years. The book quotes freely from writings by Morris not easily accessible at present and gives an overall account from which the student can develop his specialist interests. This reissue will appeal to sixth-formers and undergraduates interested in the Victorian period, as seen through one of its most striking personalities.

'One of the very few necessary and inevitable utterances of the century.' William Morris, in the Preface. The Nature of Gothic started life as a chapter in Ruskin's masterwork, The Stones of Venice. Ruskin came to lament the 'Frankenstein monsters' of Victorian buildings with added Gothic which 'The Stones' inspired; but despite his misgivings the original moral purpose of his writing had not fallen on stony ground. The Nature of Gothic, the last chapter of the second volume, had marked his progression from art critic to social critic; in it he found the true seam of his thought, and it was quickly recognised for the revolutionary writing it was. As Morris himself put it, The Nature of Gothic 'pointed out a new road on which the world should travel'; and in its indictment of meaningless modern labour and its celebration of medieval architecture it could be called the foundation stone of Morris's aesthetic and purpose in life. 40 years after he first read it, Morris chose Ruskin's text for one of the first books to be published at his Kelmscott Press, using his own Golden type. It is one of the summits of his career, and one of the most beautiful books ever published. Few books can so completely sum up an era. The Kelmscott Nature of Gothic encapsulates the meeting of two remarkable minds and embodies their influence in word, image and design. But more than that, Ruskin's words are increasingly relevant for our times. In this facsimile edition, the first ever made of this rare book, the reader can fully appreciate their importance and their legacy, as understood by one of the most potent visual imaginations to have worked in Britain. In this enlarged edition, essays by leading scholars, Robert Hewison (who was one of Ruskin's successors as Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford University), Tony Pinkney (Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University) and Robert Brownell (lecturer, stained glass maker and author of Marriage of Inconvenience) explain the importance of this book for Ruskin, for Morris and for us today.

The first fully illustrated and comprehensive introduction to May Morris's work as an artist, designer and embroiderer, published in association with the V&A. May Morris (1862-1938), younger daughter of William Morris, was a significant figure in the British Arts and Crafts movement and a pioneer of 'art embroidery'. She ran the embroidery department of Morris & Co., as well as designing textiles, wallpapers and jewellery. May was also an influential teacher and lectured in the UK and America. May Morris: Arts & Crafts Designer is the first publication to present the full range of May Morris's work and reveals her exceptional skill and originality. It draws together her designs, exquisite embroideries, watercolours, costume and jewellery from museums around the world, and in particular the rich collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the William Morris Gallery, London. The book contains more than 180 items in colour and detailed information on their materials and provenance compiled by leading experts. There are also new insights into May's personal life and relationships, her social activism and her support for other craftswomen. This authoritative and illuminating study places May Morris, whose reputation has been overshadowed by that of her father, firmly among the leading British designer-makers of the Arts and Crafts movement.

This reprint of an important work details the authors groundbreaking work in Arts & Crafts era projects created with concrete. Projects include majolica and mosaic tiles, bowls and vases, flower boxes and garden pottery, and architectural applications. Techniques covered include the creation of plaster molds, surface finishes, and slip painting as well as recipes for cement mixes, color applications, and the simple tools needed to get started. The processes are so basic, and the materials so widely available, that the authors even suggest projects for school children. Moreover they offer design tips that are perfect for anyone hoping to recreate Arts & Crafts era accents for their home.

This is a completely new study of American art pottery by the author of the leading, pioneer. Arranged alphabetically by the potteries, the text includes important historical data, photographs of each potterys representative forms, a complete series of the identifying marks, and a newly updated price guide. Here the novice as well as advanced collector will gain knowledge to help identify and interpret the art pottery produced in America from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Philip Webb was a British architect known as a founder of the Arts and Crafts movement and also a key member of the Pre-Raphaelite circle. He had a long association with William Morris and was responsible for the design of the hugely influential Red House, Morris's first home. In this collection, Philip Webb's letters have been drawn together by John Aplin. They tell a fascinating story of Webb's life and work, and the corresponding notes to each text will help the reader to understand the meaning and context of the letters. This work will be of interest to art and architecture historians alike.

Crafting Democracy: Fiber Arts and Activism calls upon craft, during an era of political disruption, as a creative force to voice dissent, express hope, critique the curtailment of civil rights, and to restore dignity to the human experience. The essays and artwork featured in this exhibition catalogue are framed within the context of American democracy and disclose how we, as individuals and as a culture, "craft democracy" and ultimately question what democracy means today. This is the catalogue of an exhibition held at Harold Hacker Hall, Central Library of Rochester [New York] & Monroe County: August-October, 2019. Juilee Decker is associate professor of museum studies at Rochester Institute of Technology. Her publications include the 3rd edition of Museums in Motion: An Introduction to the History and Functions of Museums (2017) and the four-volume series Innovative Approaches for Museums (2015). Hinda Mandell is associate professor in the School of Communication at Rochester Institute of Technology and is a co-editor of Nasty Women and Bad Hombres: Gender and Race in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election (University of Rochester Press, 2018). She is editor of Crafting Dissent: Handicraft as Protest from the American Revolution to the Pussyhats (forthcoming with Rowman & Littlefield).

What are the secrets of ornamentation? Why are curves important? How do you create an invisible repeat in a fabric or wallpaper pattern? In this book, packed with helpful diagrams and rare illustrations, Lisa Delong demonstrates the time-honoured traditions of the use of curves and plant forms in the decorative arts.

The exciting follow-up to the bestselling Harry Potter Knitting Magic, this volume offers 28 new and official patterns for knits ranging from spellbinding stuffed toys to cosy Hogwarts house apparel to all-new costume replicas – including bewitching projects inspired by the Fantastic Beasts films!

Discover even more knitting magic with a brand-new collection of patterns inspired by the characters, creatures and artefacts of the wizarding world. Harry Potter Knitting Magic: More Patterns from Hogwarts and Beyond includes patterns for toys, apparel, and costume replicas pulled straight from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, all pictured in gorgeous colour photography.

Projects: Knit yourself a mini sock garland that spells ‘Dobby Is Free’. Support your favourite team with a Hogwarts Quidditch Pullover. Channel the elegance of Professor McGonagall with the stunning Vero Verto Cape. Travel beyond Hogwarts to 1920s New York with projects inspired by the Fantastic Beasts films, including a gorgeous colourwork scarf inspired by Newt’s case, a mischievous stuffed Niffler and a sparkling Gigglewater Shawl.

Copyright © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. WIZARDING WORLD characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. – WB SHIELD: © & ™ WBEI. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s21)

Following on from her textile hit Slow Stitch, author Claire Wellesley-Smith considers the importance of connection and ideas around wellbeing when using textiles for individuals and communities, including practical ideas around 'thinking-through-making', using 'resonant' materials and extending the life of pieces using traditional and non-traditional methods. Contemporary textile artists using these themes in their work feature alongside personal work from Claire and examples from community-based textile projects. The book features some of the very best textile artists around, esteemed American fiber artists and the doyenne of textiles, Alice Kettle.Resilient fabrics that can be manipulated, stressed, withstand tension and be made anew are recommended throughout the book, as well as techniques such as layering, patching, reinforcing, re-stitching and mending, plus ideas for the inclusion of everyday materials in your work. There's an exploration of ways to link your emotional health with your textile practice, and 'Community' suggests ways to make connections with others in your regular textile work. 'Landscape' has a range of suggestions and examples of immersing your work in the local landscape, a terrific way to find meaning in your work and a sense of place. Finally, there is a moving account of one textile community's creative response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.The connection between wellbeing and the creation of textiles has never been stronger, and, as a leading exponent of this campaign, Claire is the perfect author to help you find more than just a finished textile at the end of a project.

Winner of the Wolfson History Prize, and described by A.S.Byatt as 'one of the finest biographies ever published', this is Fiona MacCarthy's magisterial biography of William Morris, legendary designer and father of the Victorian Arts and Crafts movement. 'Thrilling, absorbing and majestic.' Independent 'Wonderfully ambitious ... The definitive Morris biography.' Sunday Times 'Delicious and intelligent, full of shining detail and mysteries respected.' Daily Telegraph 'Oh, the careful detail of this marvellous book! . . . A model of scholarly biography'. New Statesman Since his death in 1896, William Morris has been celebrated as a giant of the Victorian era. But his genius was so multifaceted and so profound that its full extent has rarely been grasped. Many people may find it hard to believe that the greatest English designer of his time - possibly of all time - could also be internationally renowned as a founder of the socialist movement, and ranked as a poet with Tennyson and Browning. In her definitive biography - insightful, comprehensive, addictively readable - the award-winning Fiona MacCarthy gives us a richly detailed portrait of Morris's complex character for the first time, shedding light on his immense creative powers as artist and designer of furniture, fabrics, wallpaper, stained glass, tapestry, and books; his role as a poet, novelist and translator; on his psychology and his emotional life; his frenetic activities as polemicist and reformer; and his remarkable circle of friends, literary, artistic and political, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones. It is a masterpiece of biographical art.

C.F.A. Voysey (1857-1941) was an architect-designer who advocated honest and thorough design, and championed high standards of craftsmanship applied only to the finest materials. The resulting objects-simple yet elegant, often enhanced by beautiful and symbolic decoration-were considered revolutionary in their time and continue to enchant audiences today. The first substantial monograph to be published in 20 years, this comprehensive book focuses on Voysey as a designer of furniture, metalwork and textiles, providing a new analysis of his characteristic motifs and designs. It draws on the greatest public and private collections of his work to give a complete and fully illustrated account of Voysey's output and his vision for domestic life at the turn of the twentieth century. Original drawings and plans, archive photography and images of a vast selection of surviving objects are brought together here in a fresh examination of the Arts and Crafts pioneer. The authors' extensive new research documents the personal and professional relationships that enabled Voysey to become a great and prolific designer. The book draws together new information on how he ran his business; how he promoted, exhibited and sold his work; who his clients were; who was responsible for manufacturing his designs; and what a Voysey house and interior looked like.

This exquisite book takes you to a jewelry Magical Kingdom of theatrical beauty, showcasing dazzling Juliana crystal jewelry made by William DeLizza and Harold Elster from 1947 to the 1990s. Over 375 color photographs display the largest collection of striking Juliana jewelry ever brought together, revealing many rare, highly sought after, and coveted pieces. Lavish designs have components of great quality: amazing art glass, incredible intaglios and cameos, mesmerizing margaritas, dramatic dangles, ravishing rivoli and rhinestones, and distinctive Juliana figural brooches. Information is provided on the makers, design elements, and construction techniques, with details to assist in identification. Captions are provided with a value guide. Useful information on techniques for the repair and restoration of the jewelry, storage and care, and specific terminology are included. This is an inspiring book for seasoned collectors and novices who are beginning the fantastic voyage into the world of Juliana jewelry.

Why on earth do cars have the same symmetry as dragonflies? Is there really a beautiful swirling pattern lurking in every dripping tap? What do insect eggs have in common with planets, and why? In this exquisite book, the smallest and most concise ever produced, designer David Wade introduces the main principles of symmetry, and shows how, despite opinions over exactly what it is, symmetry can be found in almost every corner of science, nature and human culture. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. "Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.

South African beadwork has a rich and diverse history and is abundantly represented in the beaded art pieces in the Wits Art Museum (WAM) collection. Some works date back to the 4th century CE but most date from the 19th to the 21st centuries. Currently numbering over 9 000 items, the three major collecting areas of classical, historical and contemporary African artworks are broad in their geographical range and deep in some local areas of specialisation. Paying homage to this collection, Beadwork, art and the body is a compilation of essays by scholars who have researched and written about the traditions, practices and aesthetic forms of beadwork in southern Africa. The book covers an expansive history of beadwork in South Africa from the 19th century to the contemporary moment. The artists and the beadwork featured range from Sotho-, Tsonga-, Xhosa- and Zulu-speakers, ending with a focus on fashion designer Laduma Ngxokolo, whose work has been inspired by Xhosa beadwork. Questions of ethnic affiliation and beadwork patterns are explored in relation to the different aesthetic forms of beadwork and its use as a marker of identity and status within and beyond communities.

Iconic views of Glasgow in the latest of Birlinn's series of colouring books, all featuring Eilidh Muldoon's inimitable artwork. Includes: Glasgow Cathedral * Kelvingrove Museum * Riverside Museum * Gallery of Modern Art * Pollok House * People's Palace * CCA* Tramway * The Lighthouse * Museum of Transport * Glasgow Science Centre * Glasgow Film Theatre * Theatre Royal * SEC Hydro and Finnieston Crane * Oran Mor * Barrowland Ballroom * Ashton Lane * Merchant City * George Square and City Chambers * Buchanan Street * Botanic Gardens * Holmwood House * Templeton on the Green * Tenement House * Kelvingrove Park * Central Station * Glasgow University * The Squinty Bridge Eilidh Muldoon's are ideal for all levels of colouring - plenty of intricate detail for those who like a colouring challenge, yet simple enough for those with less patience to create beautiful colour artwork in a short time.