The Textile Directory Book Reviews
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Rag Rug Making
Rag Rug Making: Contemporary projects, techniques and inspirations for a traditional craftBy Jenni Stuart Anderson Published by: Traplet Publications ISBN 978 1 900371 53 7 Price: £9.95 For me what singles this book out from many other instructional publications is real people. The author includes people's memories of making and using rag rugs as well as work by people who make them for pleasure, rather than for a living. The tradition... Read more | Buy Book |
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Victorian Lace Today
Victorian Lace TodayBy Jane Sowerby Published by XRX Books ISBN-13: 978-193306410-9 Price: £21.99 Reviewed by Carole Kokinis This is a truly beautiful book, newly published in paperback. It is fascinating to read about lace knitting in Victorian times. They are well researched excerpts from early knitting manuals and modern explanations given. The patterns in chart form are based on these traditional lace patterns, which often mimicked expensive... Read more | Buy Book |
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Beginner’s Guide to Silk Ribbon Embroidery
Beginner’s Guide to Silk Ribbon EmbroideryBy Ann Cox Published by Search Press ISBN 10-0855328355 ISBN 13-9780855328351 Price: £6.99 Reviewed by Sara Millis of Sara’s Texture Crafts This is a great introductory book to silk ribbon embroidery. Covering essential tools and materials, Ann Cox takes us through easy to follow stitch techniques and shows us a myriad of individual plants, flowers and other objects we can create from them.... Read more | Buy Book |
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Beginner’s Guide to Bobbin Lace.
Beginner’s Guide to Bobbin LaceBy Gilian Dye and Adrienne Thunder Published by Search Press ISBN: 978-1-84448-108-8 Price £9.99 Reviewed by Jean Pethick A beautiful new book about bobbin lace for the beginner, from two experienced lace makers and teachers. The book covers the equipment and materials needed with clear illustrations and diagrams. It describes the yarns traditionally used, but moves on to more colourful and varied... Read more | Buy Book |
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The Sewing Stitch Bible
The Sewing Stitch BibleBy Lorna Knight Published by Search Press Price: £15.99 ISBN 13: 978 1 84448 286 3 Reviewed by Sue Rankine Some sort of “family osmosis” is how many of us learn to sew and it’s an effective way of getting started. Lorna Knight’s book, The Sewing Stitch Bible: an illustrated guide to techniques and materials, is a wonderful handbook to accompany you as you delve deeper. A vast quantity of information is... Read more | Buy Book |
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Hot Textiles
Hot TextilesBy Kim Thittichai Published By Batsford ISBN: 978 0 7134 9040 4 Price: £18.99 (plus £3 UK postage) Reviewed by Jenny Lewis Hot Textiles, as the title suggests, is an exciting book that explores the effects of various heat sources when applied to a range of interesting and unusual materials. The book invites you to be experimental and find new substances that will melt, distort or bond. It encourages you to take a heat gun, soldering... Read more | Buy Book |
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Embellish and Stitch
Embellish and StitchBy Maggie Grey and Valerie Campbell-Harding ISBN: 978-0-9555371-0-3 Price: £14 (plus £2 p&p) Reviewed by Sue Allan This book is a really inspiring introduction for anyone new to dry needle felting or for those who have recently purchased an embellisher. However, best of all, this book provides those who have done some experimenting with ideas of where to go next. The book has a clear but concise introduction to... Read more | Buy Book |
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Shibori for Textile Artists
Shibori for Textile ArtistsBy Janice Gunner Published by Batsford ISBN: 0 7134 9013 6 Price: £18.99 Reviewed by Jenny Lewis There are several books written about Shibori, but none are as lovely as this one. It is authoritative, unusual, complex, informative and beautiful, with superb photography. Shibori, is one of the richest and most beautiful textile traditions in the world. Its fascination lies in the unpredictability... Read more | Buy Book |
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Aboriginal Designs 
Aboriginal DesignsBy Penny Brown Published by Search Press ISBN: 1-84448-253-7 Price: £4.95 Reviewed by Catherine Philpott If you are looking for something new and different to inspire your creativity then this design source book of Aboriginal Designs is one that you should definitely look at. The book is packed with illustrations all of which can be photocopied and used without having to seek prior permission. The designs... Read more | Buy Book |
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Ply-split Braiding - An Introduction to Designs in Single Course Twining
Ply-split Braiding - An Introduction to Designs in Single Course TwiningBy Julie Hedges Published by Julie Hedges Books Designed, edited and produced by Word4Word Design & Publishing Ltd ISBN 0-9554 187-0-4 Price £12.99 + £2 p&p Reviewed by Jennie Parry This is a very practical attractive book for all seeking to begin ply-split braiding. The A4 format, well-designed pages and beautiful full colour, including the coloured page tabs,... Read more | Buy Book |
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Contemporary Whitework
By Tracy Franklin & Nicola JarvisPublished by Batsford ISBN 0 7134 8964 2 Price £18.99 (Hdbk) Reviewed by Jenny Lewis ‘The possibilities of whitework are endless’ say the authors, and the book proves the point. By building on traditional techniques, whitework has evolved from being a fragile and functional craft to become an art-form in its own right. Whitework can be traced back more than 2000 years to 50 BC when it is thought to... |
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