From booties and scarves to art and fashion, "The Culture of Knitting" addresses knitting since 1970. Investigating knitting as art, craft, design, fashion, performance and as an aspect of the everyday, the text uncovers the cultural significance of knitting. Drawing on a variety of sources, including interviews with knitters from different disciplines as well as amateurs, the text breaks down hierarchical boundaries and stereotypical assumptions that have hitherto negated the academic study of knitting, and it highlights the diversity and complexity of knitting in all its guises. "The Culture of Knitting" investigates not merely why knitting is so popular now, but the reasons why knitting has such longevity. By assessing the literature of knitting, manuals, patterns, social and regional histories, alongside testimonial discussions with artists, designers, craftspeople and amateurs, it offers new ways of seeing, new methods of critiquing knitting, without the constraints of disciplinary boundaries in the hope of creating an environment in which knitting can be valued, recognized and discussed.

Explore a life lived in stitches and witness the aesthetic evolution of a treasured quiltmaking artist. Immerse yourself in the beauty of detailed, up-close photos that will inspire and delight you. Revel in this dazzling self-curated collection of Gwen Marston's more than five-decade passion for quiltmaking. Her masterful body of work is presented in a single vibrant coffee table book of stunning photography for the first time ever. From her early pieces inspired by Mennonite quilts to her innovative work with applique and texture to her exploration of modern design, Gwen's aesthetic has remained a glorious marriage of freedom in construction, expert use of unexpected colors and negative space, and happy design surprises. See more than 80 quilts representing more than 40 years and a variety styles--all united by a common thread: the artist Gwen Marston.

For freshmen-level courses in Industrial Sewing, Introduction to Industry Methods, Sewn Product Techniques, Production Management, Workroom Techniques, and Beginning Apparel Construction. Sewing for the Apparel Industry, Second Edition, focuses on the fundamental principles of garment construction, the interrelationship of assembly methods, and the elements which the designer must consider at the outset of individual design creation. It details easy-to-master production operations, while emphasizing the equipment, practical skills, and sewing processes used in apparel manufacturing. Efficient and cost effective procedure descriptions complement material on the basic concept of design and desired quality, providing students with an understanding of various production methods and how they affect design decisions and relate to garment quality and labor and material costs.

This is the first UK edition of the cult darning book by Hikaru Noguchi who has become a guru of visible darning in Japan. With 12 different darning techniques and 63 inspirational examples, this detailed step by step guide makes the methods easy to follow. The stylish photography shows off the artistic and minimalist style of the designer's work.

Marrying two exceptionally popular topics-needlework and women's history-this book provides an authoritative yet entertaining discussion of the diversity and importance of needlework in Victorian women's lives. Victorian Needlework explores these ubiquitous pastimes-their practice and their meaning in women's lives. Covering the period from 1837-1901, the book looks specifically at the crafts themselves examining quilting, embroidery, crochet, knitting, and more. It discusses required skills and the techniques women used as well as the technological innovations that influenced needlework during this period of rapid industrialization. This book is unique in its comprehensive treatment of the topic ranging across class, time, and technique. Readers will learn what needlework meant to "ladies," for whom it was a hobby reflecting refinement and femininity, and discover what such skills could mean as a "suitable" way for a woman to make a living, often through grueling labor. Such insights are illustrated throughout with examples from women's periodicals, needlework guides, pattern books, and personal memoirs that bring the period to life for the modern reader. Patterns and illustrations from women's periodicals and pattern books of the time provide a window into Victorian life that will be especially intriguing to the legions who practice these crafts today Quotations from memoirs, works of fiction, and poetry allow readers to share the experiences of women of the period

This pioneering book explores the notion of 'radical decadence' as concept, aesthetic and lived experience, and as an analytical framework for the study of contemporary feminist textile art. Gendered discourses of decadence that perpetuate anxieties about women's power, consumption and pleasure are deconstructed through images of drug use, female sexuality and 'excessive' living, in artworks by several contemporary textile artists including Orly Cogan, Tracey Emin, Allyson Mitchell, and Rozanne Hawksley. Perceptions of decadence are invariably bound to the negative connotations of decay and degradation, particularly with regard to the transgression of social norms related to femininity and the female body. Excessive consumption by women has historically been represented as grotesque, and until now, women's pleasure in relation to drug and alcohol use has largely gone unexamined in feminist art history and craft studies. Here, representations of female consumption, from cupcakes to alcohol and cocaine, are opened up for critical discussion. Drawing on feminist and queer theories, Julia Skelly considers portrayals of 'bad girls' in artworks that explore female sexuality - performative pieces designed to subvert and exceed feminine roles. In this provocative book, decadence is understood not as a destructive force but as a liberating aesthetic.

This book brings together our present-day knowledge about textile terminology in the Akkadian language of the first-millennium BC. In fact, the progress in the study of the Assyrian dialect and its grammar and lexicon has shown the increasing importance of studying the language as well as cataloging and analysing the terminology of material culture in the documentation of the first world empire. The book analyses the terms for raw materials, textile procedures, and textile end products consumed in first-millennium BC Assyria. In addition, a new edition of a number of written records from Neo-Assyrian administrative archives completes the work. The book also contains a number of tables, a glossary with all the discussed terms, and a catalogue of illustrations. In light of the recent development of textile research in ancient languages, the book is aimed at providing scholars of Ancient Near Eastern studies and ancient textile studies with a comprehensive work on the Assyrian textiles.

Louisiana Coushatta Basket Makers brings together oral histories, tribal records, archival materials, and archaeological evidence to explore the fascinating history of the Coushatta Tribe's famed basket weavers. After settling at their present location near the town of Elton, Louisiana, in the 1880s, the Coushatta (Koasati) tribe developed a basket industry that bolstered the local tribal economy and became the basis for generating tourism and political mobilization. The baskets represented a material culture that distinguished the Coushattas as Indigenous people within an ethnically and racially diverse region. Tribal leaders serving as diplomats also used baskets as strategic gifts as they built political and economic allegiances throughout the twentieth century, thereby securing the Coushattas' future. Behind all these efforts were the basket makers themselves. Although a few Coushatta men assisted in the production of baskets, it was mostly women who put in the long hours to gather and process the materials, then skillfully stitch them together to produce treasures of all shapes and sizes. The art of basket making exists within a broader framework of Coushatta traditional teachings and educational practices that have persisted to the present. As they tell the story of Coushatta basket makers, Linda P. Langley and Denise E. Bates provide a better understanding of the tribe's culture and values. The weavers' own ""language of baskets"" shapes this narrative, which depicts how the tribe survived repeated hardships as weavers responded on their own terms to market demands. The work of Coushatta basket makers represents the perseverance of traditional knowledge in the form of unique and carefully crafted fine art that continues to garner greater recognition and appreciation with every successive generation.

This volume pictorially documents many of the outstanding textiles used in homes from the 1930s to the 1950s. Barkcloth, a type of dense, textured cotton weave, was often used in draperies or slipcovers of the era. In recent years, barkcloth has enjoyed a renaissance, now seen covering photo albums, hat boxes, vintage luggage, lampshades, purses, and pillows. More and more modern designers are using vintage barkcloth as inspiration for today's textiles. With over 200 color photographs, this book showcases the beautiful array of patterns, colors, and motifs used on authentic, old barkcloth. It is a valuable resource for designers and all who enjoy these wonderful fabrics.

For introductory courses in Textiles, courses in Fashion Design/Production, Fashion Merchandising, Visual Merchandising, Interior Design, and Costume Studies. Fabric Reference is a guide for anyone who needs accessible information on today's fabrics-how they behave and why. Designed as a companion book to the Fabric Glossary, this book presents a complete and up-to-date source of the highly technical basics of textile science, from fibers to finished fabrics. Specially prepared graphics, illustrations, comparison tables, and flow charts make the process of creating modern fabrics clear to both students and instructors. This edition features more on nanotechnology, industrial textiles and other smart textiles and covers practical applications such as care, assessment and ecology. Buy both together and save! Fabric Glossary & Fabric Reference Package!