A creative and practical guide on how to get in touch with your local natural world to create thoughtful works of textile art. Filled with projects and step-by-step techniques, this book is perfect for textile students and professionals alike. Renowned quilter and textile artist Helen Parrott explores the creative potential of your local surroundings and teaches you the processes and techniques used to create beautiful textile artworks. Drawing on the Slow Stitch movement, she explains how mark-making techniques can be used meditatively to record personal lives and surroundings influenced by seasonal changes of colour, energy and light. She encourages you to connect to your own locality, whether it be urban or rural, at home or on holiday, and its specific seasonal aspects in order to create a personal, working cycle of textile art. The book is divided into seasons; from learning how to spot the first signs of Spring to recording seasonal characteristics - equinox through to solstice - Helen teaches you how to be in tune with your environment. Each location will have different signs, so each artwork will truly be unique. Techniques and projects are also covered in this book: she first teaches you the basics of both hand and machine stitch techniques, working with free-form stitching, chain stitch, corded quilting and then moves onto applique, blackwork and dyeing. The techniques build in complexity ending with pieced textiles and collages. Helen also explores how to work with dot and line, repeating patterns, light and shadow, colour (and lack of colour), plant structures and people in landscapes. The last chapter consolidates techniques you've learnt in the book and showcases finished works from her exhibitions, as well as the Bradford Textile Archive, to help you better understand where inspiration leads.

The best new research on medieval clothing and textiles, drawing from a variety of angles and approaches. The essays here take us from the eleventh century, with an exploration of the Bayeux Tapestry, into an examination and reconstruction of an extant thirteenth-century sleeve in France which provides a rare and early example of medieval quilted armour, and finally on to late medieval Sweden and the reconstruction of gilt-leather intarsia coverlets. A study of construction techniques and the evolution of form of gable and French hoods in the late medieval and the early modern periods follows; and the volume also includes a study of the Great Wardrobe under Edward I of England, and what it can tell us about textiles at the time.

Latinx artist Tamara Kostianovsky began using her discarded clothes as artistic material shortly after immigrating to the United States, addressing cultural and physical displacement, assimilation and identity, and the brutal history of Latin America. Today, these emotionally charged materials coalesce in a post-colonial vision for an ecological future. Tamara Kostianovsky creates sculptures from textiles that address the relationship between landscapes, the body, and violence. This volume highlights distinct bodies of her work including sculptures of butchered carcasses, slayed birds, and severed trees. Built with layers of texture, colour, and emotion, these works dive head-first into the tension between beauty and horror, confronting histories of systemic violence and transforming them into utopian environments.

Edinburgh Weavers was one of the most important textile companies of the twentieth century. Alastair Morton, visionary art director of the company, commissioned a remarkable series of textiles from leading British artists, including Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Elisabeth Frink, as well artist-designers, such as Marion Dorn, Ashley Havinden and Lucienne Day. Morton was also a gifted artist, textile designer and weaver in his own right. This long overdue study traces his wide-ranging career and records the history of Edinburgh Weavers and the glorious textiles it produced. Drawing on the V&A's extensive archive this impressive book features over 300 images of artists' textiles unparalleled in quality and scope and is an invaluable resource.

A dazzling celebration of the clothes that made America's favorite doll and the incredible woman behind them, timed to the movie release of Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling and directed by Greta Gerwig. If you've ever had a Barbie doll, or you know someone who did, chances are that Barbie was dressed in one of the thousands of designs created by Carol Spencer during her unparalleled reign as a Barbie fashion designer spanning more than thirty-five years. Illustrated with more than 100 full-color photographs, including many never-before-seen images of rare and one-of-a-kind pieces from Spencer's private archive, Dressing Barbie is a treasure trove of some of the best and most iconic Barbie looks from the early 1960s until the late 1990s. Along with behind-the-scenes stories of how these designs came to be, Spencer reminisces about her thrilling time at Mattel working with legendary figures such as Ruth Handler, Barbie's creator, and Charlotte Johnson, the original Barbie designer, for a full, inside look into life with the beloved doll. Over the course of her career, Spencer won many accolades. She was the first designer to have her signature on the doll, the first to go on a signing tour, the first to design a limited-edition Barbie for collectors, and the designer of the biggest-selling Barbie of all time. Now, she is the first member of the inner circle to reveal the fashion world of the quintessential California girl as never before.

From a platypus scarf to a giant crocodile rug, this fabulous activity book features animal-themed knitting patterns and fun puzzles, stories and quizzes to knock your socks off. Combining her love of humour and cuteness, Louise Walker, also known as Sincerely Louise, presents a selection of her favourite knits for you to try out. Including patterns for both home and to wear, this book includes mini animal trophy heads, triceratops slippers, a lion mug coaster and a giant balloon dog for you to recreate at home. Also, knit along to the `Lola the Polar Bear Moves' comic and create a killer whale, raccoon, corgi, meerkat and a toucan, among many other adorable animals. But this book is not just packed with patterns - have a go at the crafty crossword, the `Find the Fibre' wordsearch, The Knitter's Arms pub quiz, Louise's scrap yarn challenge, and many more. Each project is easy to make, only using a basic range of stitches, increases and decreases, so is perfect for beginners wanting to knit something impressive straight away or experienced knitters who are looking for exciting patterns. In just a few afternoons, you could have your very own trophy head to adorn your wall, a knitted toy or a fun piece of handmade clothing. The 20 patterns in this book include: Lion Mug Rug; Triceratops Slippers, Lobster Dinner, Faux Taxidermy Heads including Pig, Cow, Donkey and Giant Elephant; Polar bear; Toucan; Meerkat; Killer Whale; Chickens; Raccoon; Corgi; Starfish; Swan Door Stop; Giant Balloon Dog; Pretty Platypus Scarf; Roselle-Laura the Manta Ray; and Crocodile Rug. The quizzes, puzzles and stories featured in this book include: Get Sincerely Louise to the Craft Fair board game, Craft Crossword, The Knitter's Alphabet, Should I Knit Today?, Find the Fibre, At the Craft Fair, Lola the Polar Bear Moves, Knitter's Bingo, Find the Odd Ball Out, Pub Quiz, History of Sincerely Louise, Hall of Fame, Knitter's Homework, World Map of Faux Taxidermists.

Design and sew your own gorgeous, unique skirts, with no need for shop-bought patterns. Start by creating your own block and toile using just four body measurements. Then select your skirt shape, add the fittings, fastenings and details you want, and put the whole thing together with ease. With clear step-by-step photography and easy-to-follow instructions, Jenniffer Taylor (of The Great British Sewing Bee) will show you how to mix and match the design elements you really want to make your perfect garment; choose from A-line, flared, gathered, pencil and pleated shapes, and from pockets, zips, buttons and yokes. The book contains 10 inspiring skirt options to get you started... but it's your skirt, your way, so fill your wardrobe with an array of gorgeous skirts that fit you perfectly and suit your style!

Popular author Corinne Lapierre creates a charming range of 20 exquisite folk embroidered felt birds, including a swan, a hen, a goose, a partridge, an owl, a dove, a peacock and a flamingo. Beautifully made in lovely, soft colours, the birds are filled with toy stuffing and embellished with folk-style surface embroidery in different-coloured threads. The stitches include chain, feather, fly running, blanket, French knots and satin stitch. There are also bead and sequin embellishments on some birds. The book includes pretty hand-drawn step-by-step illustrations and there are same-size templates at the back of the book for all the designs. The birds all have optional ribbon hangers for display.

Blackwork is a traditional type of counted-stitch embroidery. Monochromatic, with superb shadow effects, it has been revisited here in a magnificently graphic, contemporary style highlighted with occasional splashes of colour. The 13 patterns designed by Bernadette Baldelli modernize the technique by adding a touch of red to the traditional black and white, and by including both geometric and more figurative styles. You'll discover a lush, graphic world with embroidery that is simple to do and gives stunning results. You can make a basket, a pouch, wall hangings, place mats, an embroidered shirt, throw blanket and more. Simple diagrams make them easy to do, and there is a wealth of tempting patterns to choose from. Bernadette's creations are known for their excellent finishing touches and these are no exception.

This book explores the fascinating history and present-day practices associated with cotton. This is a story of commercial and cultural enterprise, of the ties and tensions between East and West, of technological and industrial revolution, social modernization, colonialism and slavery. Cotton's history mirrors profound global transformations. And cotton remains one of the most significant mass commodities today. Cotton's track record on labor conditions in factories and plantations has tarnished its history and reputation, even as cotton clothes became the hallmark of modern industrialized society. Cotton expressed popular fashions and popular politics in dynamic ways. Yet cottons also take other cultural forms and are part of vibrant craft traditions in many parts of the world. This book explores the history, impact and ongoing life of this hugely influential textile.

A modern, stylish and practical exploration of the traditional craft of block printing. For self-taught textile designer Molly Mahon, there is something special about block printing that has stood the test of time. From the initial design process, through to the carving of the block, the mixing of the colour and the actual printing process, Molly has always found printing to be meditative. This book enables readers to explore this ancient craft through Molly's contemporary designs and the influences that inspire her use of pattern and colour, before teaching them practical skills and potential ways to transform their creations into beautiful homeware. The book is divided into three main sections: A Modern Block Printer: An introduction to Molly and how she found and nurtured her love of block printing. Also, Molly gives a brief history of the tradition of block printing. Design Journeys: Molly sees pattern everywhere she looks and this is what creates the basis of her blocks. When Molly is designing, it's as if she goes on a journey, whether it be a walk in the forest or a work trip to India. She is constantly inspired by her surroundings in all that she sees and feels. Here the reader is taken on some of her favourite journeys with an inspirational sourcebook filled with beautiful images. Discover a brief history of block printing, design ideas and stories focusing on how India's artisan craftspeople and traditional block printing techniques, nature and the Bloomsbury Group have all inspired Molly's designs. Practical Printing: This chapter focuses on how to block print, including information on key tools, step-by-step techniques for printing on paper and fabric, and pattern design advice. Follow instructions to make five simple homeware projects with your newly printed creations and find exclusive block templates drawn by Molly for you to copy and recreate at home. House of Print is a celebration of both the art of block printing and the joy of design.

For centuries, the peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa have been producing domestic and professional embroidery to decorate themselves, their families, clients, homes and public spaces. Embroidery is an expression of artistic, personal, family, regional and even political creativity which has played an important role in the social and cultural lives of people throughout the region. It has also reflected economic and political changes over time as well as social, religious and artistic contexts. This is the first reference work to describe the history of embroidery throughout Africa south of the Sahara from the early modern period through to the present. From quilted armour to embroidered caps and leather sandals, it offers an authoritative guide to all the major embroidery traditions of the region and a detailed examination of the material, technical, artistic and design dimensions of the subject. Generously illustrated with 395 images (362 in colour) of clothes, accessories, and examples of decorated soft furnishings such as cushions, bed linen, curtains, floor coverings and wall hangings, the Encyclopedia is an essential resource for students and scholars of the subject.

A heavily illustrated classic on the evolution of the handloom. The handloom-often no more than a bundle of sticks and a few lengths of cordage-has been known to almost all cultures for thousands of years. Eric Broudy places the wide variety of handlooms in their historical context. What influenced their development? How did they travel from one geographic area to another? Were they invented independently by different cultures? How have modern cultures improved on ancient weaving skills and methods? Broudy shows how virtually every culture has woven on handlooms. He highlights the incredible technical achievement of early cultures that created magnificent textiles with the crudest of tools and demonstrates that modern technology has done nothing to surpass their skill or inventiveness.

The lavish new book from bestselling author and renowned textile artist Moy Mackay. From concentrating mainly on the felting techniques described in detail in her previous books (Art in Felt & Stitch and Flowers in Felt & Stitch), this latest title by the prolific and popular felt artist now shows you how to find inspiration for your own felt painting creations. Delve into the catalogue of Moy's beautiful, colourful sketchbooks and photographs and learn about her own design process and influences, through which your own artistic abilities can be explored. Moy takes you through every step of the felt-making process then shows you how to put together four fabulous felt paintings of various subjects. There is also guidance on stitching - both hand- and machine-stitching - as well as how to use colour and introduce texture in the form of different fibres and threads. There are numerous examples of Moy's work throughout the book, inspired by the dramatic scenery of the Scottish Borders where she lives and works, providing further inspiration for your own gorgeous felt paintings. From inspiration and design to the finished vibrant picture, Moy's third book explores the development from initial thoughts through to the essential embellishments that add life and character to her work.

Addressing textiles as a distinctive area of cultural practice and field of scholarly research, The Textile Reader introduces students to the key issues essential to the exploration of the textile from both a critical and a creative perspective. The second edition brings together lectures, catalogue essays, academic articles, fiction and poetry, as well as several articles available in English translation for the first time, to capture the diversity of voices informing textile studies today. Content is organized around the themes of touch, memory, structure, politics, and production plus a new section exploring the role of community. With 22 new contributors, this revised edition includes selected work from Maria Fusco, Ursula le Guin, Elaine Igoe, Faith Ringgold, and T'ai Smith. Extended introductions and annotated suggestions for further reading by the editor Jessica Hemmings make the second edition an invaluable resource to students of textiles, craft and material culture.

Invite light, warmth, and the freshness of spring into your home in time for Easter! Designer Thea Rytter, a fan favorite for her beautifully subtle color palettes and undeniable creativity, is back with a brand-new selection of decorations, ornaments, and more-including both well-known Easter classics such as colorful eggs and fluffy hares, and fun, festive springtime designs for flowers, feathers, and a sweet, soft friend or two. Welcome the season in style, with cozy, charming, characteristically Norwegian Easter knits. - Start small and work your way up: quick single-color patterns keep it simple for beginners, and wrapped-yarn projects like birds and feathers are perfect for kids - Once you've mastered the basic patterns for eggs, flowers, and miniature birds-shake things up with color changes, beads, embroidery, and more! - Step-by-step instructions, full-color photographs, and additional guidance for techniques like short-row shaping, to guide knitters who've never tackled them before.

The classic book on the art and history of weaving--now expanded and in full color Written by one of the twentieth century's leading textile artists, this splendidly illustrated book is a luminous meditation on the art of weaving, its history, its tools and techniques, and its implications for modern design. First published in 1965, On Weaving bridges the transition between handcraft and the machine-made, highlighting the essential importance of material awareness and the creative leaps that can occur when design problems are tackled by hand. With her focus on materials and handlooms, Anni Albers discusses how technology and mass production place limits on creativity and problem solving, and makes the case for a renewed embrace of human ingenuity that is particularly important today. Her lucid and engaging prose is illustrated with a wealth of rare and extraordinary images showing the history of the medium, from hand-drawn diagrams and close-ups of pre-Columbian textiles to material studies with corn, paper, and the typewriter, as well as illuminating examples of her own work. Now available for a new generation of readers, this expanded edition of On Weaving updates the book's original black-and-white illustrations with full-color photos, and features an afterword by Nicholas Fox Weber and essays by Manuel Cirauqui and T'ai Smith that shed critical light on Albers and her career.

This second edition of 'Textile Conservator's Manual', now revised and available in paperback, provides an in-depth review of the current practice, ethics and materials used in textile conservation. Concentrating on decorative art objects from the major cultures, the book gives practical instruction and a wide variety of case histories.

While the format has been simplified, the text has been expanded and updated to include changes bought about by recent developments in the conservation of material. This new information will increase the reader's ability to interpret signs of ageing and past activity on the object. New case histories in Part Two represent major investigations into the technical history.

A basis is provided from which to develop practical skills, taking into account the needs of the object, its essential characteristics of appearance and, above all, its structure. The book covers a wide range of decorative objects, from a fragment of linen 4000 years old to a theatrical backcloth of the twentieth century.

This book is practical and thought-provoking, not only about what is being done and how, but also why.

Table of Contents

PART ONE: The profession; Technology; The objects, examination, options and choice; Recording, handling and preparation; Chemicals and their uses; Cleaning; Support and consolidation; Reassembly and finishing; Display, storage and transportation; Equipment and the workroom; Appendix A; Materials and equipment; Appendix B; Fire, flood and infestation. Appendix C; Glossary of weaving terms. PART TWO: Case histories revised; Detection and reconstruction; Upholstery; Large objects; Experience and experiment; Disasters; Index.

A Visual Dictionary of Decorative and Domestic Arts provides a common and unambiguous vocabulary for the parts of handcrafted decorative, domestic, and artistic items. Terminology for a broad array of object types is presented alongside original 3D illustrations that facilitate objective referencing. The reference enhances learning, labeling, and discussing various craft items in great physical detail. Sixty-four 3D graphic illustrations provide an effective visual format for identifying the vocabulary/location of the parts on individual objects. The dictionary is divided into five major sections: -Decorative Objects such as a basket, jar/jug, flatware -Domestic Furnishings such as a bed with bedding, upholstered chairs, tables -Artistic Works and Tools such as books, prints, paintings, photographs, and sculpture -Jewelry Adornment Items such as earrings, necklaces, pins, and watches -Accessory Articles such as a hat, pipe, comb, and fan The thoroughness of the annotations makes this volume an essential tool for museum curators and conservators, librarians, connoisseurs, buyers and dealers; artists and crafts persons, collectors, designers, registrars and anyone with an interest in visual history.

Fashion Fibers: Designing for Sustainability is an accessible reference tool for fashion students and designers who want to learn how to make decisions to enhance the sustainability potential in common fibers used in the fashion industry. Drawing upon the cradle to cradle philosophy and industry expertise, the book introduces readers to the fundamentals of fiber production and the product lifecycle. It features a fiber-by-fiber guide to natural fibers including cotton, hemp, silk, manufactured fibers including polyester, modal, azlon, then covers processing and promoting recycled fibers that are designed to be "circular". Each chapters investigates six main areas of potential impact in fiber cultivation, production, and processing-including chemical use, water, fair labor, energy use, consumer use/washing and biodegradability and recyclability. Readers will learn about the sustainability benefits and environmental impacts at each stage of the lifecycle, optimizing sustainability benefits, availability, product applications, and marketing and innovation opportunities that lead to more sustainable fashion. Features - Future Fibers sections highlight emerging fiber technologies and innovations such as new virgin-quality apparel fibers that have been recycled from post-consumer textile waste - Emphasizes application through examples and images of product end use - Discusses closed loop material systems that enable the recycling of fibers - Innovation Exercises offer readers practice designing or merchandising fashion products to optimize sustainability benefits - Foreword by Lynda Grose, Designer and Educator, California College of the Arts, US STUDIO RESOURCES - Study smarter with self-quizzes featuring scored results and personalized study tips - Review concepts with flashcards of terms and definitions - Enhance your knowledge with real-world case studies

Whitework embroidery traditionally features beautifully intricate designs using white thread on white background fabric, examples of which can be found in many cultures across the world. Without the addition of colour, the fabric surface is ornamented with high-relief stitching, cutting, pulling or withdrawing threads with some styles utilizing all these techniques. Whitework Inspirations highlights the very best whitework has to offer in both design and technique. Featuring talented embroidery designers Kim Beamish, Deborah Love, Judy Stephenson, Christine P Bishop, Susan O'Connor, Patricia Girolami and Luzine Happel, this special collection - including a tablecloth, table mats and sachets - has been curated into one publication. With 8 stunning whitework projects to make, there are clear step-by-step instructions, pullout patterns, a stitch guide and all the information you need to create them. Discover the origins, stitches, techniques and designs that are uniquely whitework, and learn how to make your own beautiful works of art.

Winter is coming. Every Sunday night, millions of fans gather around their televisions to take in the spectacle that is a new episode of Game of Thrones. Much is made of who will be gruesomely murdered each week on the hit show, though sometimes the question really is who won't die a fiery death. The show, based on the Song of Fire and Ice series written by George R. R. Martin, is a truly global phenomenon. With the seventh season of the HBO series in production, Game of Thrones has been nominated for multiple awards, its cast has been catapulted to celebrity and references to it proliferate throughout popular culture. Often positioned as the grittier antithesis to J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Martin's narrative focuses on the darker side of chivalry and heroism, stripping away these higher ideals to reveal the greed, amorality and lust for power underpinning them. Fan Phenomena: Game of Thrones is an exciting new addition to the Intellect series, bringing together academics and fans of Martin's universe to consider not just the content of the books and HBO series, but fan responses to both. From trivia nights dedicated to minutiae to forums speculating on plot twists to academics trying to make sense of the bizarre climate of Westeros, everyone is talking about Game of Thrones. Edited by Kavita Mudan Finn, the book focuses on the communities created by the books and television series and how these communities envision themselves as consumers, critics and even creators of fanworks in a wide variety of media, including fiction, art, fancasting and cosplay.

This step-by-step introduction to grading combines the theory of pattern grading with its practical applications. After presenting the x, y orientation to familiarize readers with the concepts of computer grading and using the Cartesian graph, the text takes a holistic approach, integrating anthropometry, size specifications, and grade guides into the grading process for women's garments with emphasis on maintaining fit and style sense. New to this Edition: - Expanded discussion of computer grading technology including Optitex, Gerber, Lectra, and Tukatech software - 20% new end-of-chapter exercises - Includes more than 200 illustrations and 85 tables for grade rules, measurement charts and garment specifications - Added discussion on grading from specifications and development of tolerances - Instructor's Guide and Test Bank provide answers to exercises, completed and blank grade rule tables, grade charts for different base sizes and projects for further research Concepts of Pattern Grading STUDIO: - Study smarter with self-quizzes featuring scored results and personalized study tips - Review concepts with flashcards of terms and definitions - Practice your skills with extra exercises