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Book Review
Our latest book reviews are below. If you are looking for a particular book or subject then please use our search at the bottom of the page.
Latest Book Reviews
Review
Textile Art - Textile 1
A Course With Val Holmes
Published by HotHive Books
ISBN: 9781906316549
Price: £19.99
Reviewed by Eva Cantin
When I first ventured into this world the top item on my wish-list was a source book of techniques - or several years worth of experience instantly. Not a lot to ask in these days of instant gratification!
This new book by Val Holmes seems like a wish come true, with a promise of further volumes to come. Val generously shares a distillation of her own practice and the workshops she leads as a starting point for beginners and a refresher for those with more experience. She brings us tried and tested methods of creating textile surfaces for embroidery, opening doors into exploration, experimentation and development.
Four sections deal with; Fabric Surfaces as a Starting Point, Colouring Fabrics with Adhesive Webbing, Silk Fibres and Silk Paper, and Heating Synthetic Fabrics. Val provides basic instructions on different methods, experiments to try, ideas for further development as well as background information on some of the materials used. To complement this there are the illustrative photos, both inspirational and practical.
As well as being an invaluable manual for anyone developing their textile art skills this book, and its following volumes, would be particularly useful for those with limited access to hands-on courses.
All this in a compact volume with a layout which is clear and easy on the eye and … did I mention that the text is in English and French, so you can improve your language skills at the same time!
... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Embroidered Jewellery By Shirley Anne Sherris £18.99 Reviewed by Sue Reid
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The Beader’s Floral By Liz Thornton and Jill Devon Published by Search Press ISBN 978-0-9556520-0-4 144 pages Price: £17.99 Reviewed by Carole Kokinis At first glance, this book appears quite daunting, pages and pages of beading diagrams and instructions. However with beads and needle in hand it is a different story. It begins with four, deceptively simple flower shapes made in four different stitches, herringbone, brick, square and peyote. Each flower has a number of variations for practise. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Twenty to Make: Charms By Stephanie Burnham Published by Search Press ISBN: 1844482758 Price: £4.99 Reviewed by Wendy Toole The great thing about charms is that you can admire them every day - just clip them onto your purse or key ring, or hang them on a belt loop of your jeans. In this book expert beadworker Stephanie Burnham shows how, with very few tools, you can create a host of charms, ranging from the sweetly delicate to the outright funky, to enliven your accessories in a variety of stylish ways. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Fabric Jewellery By Teresa Searle Published by A&C Black ISBN: 9-780713686432 Price: £14.99 Reviewed by Fiona Rainford Teresa Searle’s work has always demonstrated a wonderful colour sense and this is evident throughout this book. The instructions for the projects are so well written and supported by clear pictures that a beginner could easily complete the projects. Within each project there are also suggestions for variations, and thus the book would also be of interest to more experienced embroiderers and craftworkers, giving them a starting point to develop their own ideas. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Zulu Inspired Beadwork By Dianne Fitzgerald Published by: Interweave Press, Distributed in the UK by Search Press ISBN:978-59668-034-0 Price: £17.99 Reviewed by: Kerry Miller "Part how to, part history, part travelogue - a true beading journey!" This is a fascinating book for both beading enthusiasts and cultural historians. The author clearly shows her love of the craft and has researched it extensively. The dialogue takes the reader right through the history of Zulu beadwork, explaining the meanings of the specific styles and colours used. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Twenty to Make: Bracelets By Amanda Walker Published by Search Press ISBN 10 1-84448-276-6 Price: £4.99 Reviewed by Paula Newbery This is an excellent book for someone embarking on bracelet making. There are, as the title states, instructions for making twenty bracelets, however once the techniques have been mastered this could extend to a lot more by mixing the techniques and using different combinations of beads and fastenings. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Getting Started with Seed Beads By Dustin Wedekind Published by Interweave Press, distributed in the UK by Search Press ISBN-13: 978-1-59668-016-6 Price: £13.99 Reviewed by Dorothy Lumb This instruction book, written by one of the editors of Beadwork magazine, has got me started on a new craft. What is more, I like holding this attractive little hardback book, which feels like it will stand up to a lot of use as you go back to it again and again to check up on a technique or work through another project. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Stringing Style 2 By Jean Campbell Published by Interweave Press, Distributed in the UK by Search Press Ltd ISBN: 1596680369 Price: £13.99 Reviewed by Lindsey Green This is a book for everyone interested in jewellery making. There are tips and hints for the experienced beader, and for the beginner it is an easy to follow guide. Jean Campbell, who specialises in beading, is a freelance editor and writer and founding editor of Beadwork magazine, she is assisted in this book by several project contributors, which make this a varied and informative addition to anyone’s collection. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Fibredancing - Book One: Brooches, Bracelets, Rings & Things |
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Fibredancing - Book One: Brooches, Bracelets, Rings & Things By Carol Coleman Published by Word4Word ISBN: 0-9551677-9-9 Price: £9.50 plus postage Reviewed by Gabrielle, of Wearable Expressions Fibredancing by Carol Coleman is a marvellous introduction to a technique in which even the novice can achieve success. The projects will have your mind dancing with possibilities for personal adornment. Starting with the basics of equipment most of which you probably already have at hand and materials, Carol details techniques in easy to follow step-by-step directions. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Beadwork Treasures The Designs of Gillian Lamb Published by Word4Word ISBN: 0-9551677-6-0 Price: £14.99 + postage Reviewed by Isobelle Bunting It is good to see a book that is totally devoted to beading projects. The format is easy to use and has been designed to take the reader through the work stage by stage. The wide variety of projects offer the opportunity for a complete beginner to achieve an end result while at the same time the more experienced beader is challenged to extend the idea to create an individual piece. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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By Suzen Millodot Published by Search Press ISBN: 1 84448 054 2 Price: £9.99 pbk Reviewed by Jenny Lewis The latest book from Suzen Millodot featuring Celtic Knot jewellery has a real passion for the mysterious ‘ups and downs’, ‘unders and overs’ that intrigued the Celts designers and which are still as popular today. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Beadwork Creates Necklaces Edited by Jean Campbell Price: £12.99 ISBN: 1931499225 Published by Interweave Press, Distributed in the UK by Search Press Reviewed by Jill Thomas, GJ Beads With thirty individual designer necklaces, there is a pattern here for every occasion, from dainty designs with pearls and seed beads to chunky necklaces using Czech pressed beads through to trinket chains and wire work. Some deigns make a real feature of the fringing while others are more bijoux. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Beadwork Creates Beaded Beads Edited by Jean Campbell Price: £12.99 ISBN: 1931499276 Published by Interweave Press, distributed in the UK by Search Press Reviewed by Jill Thomas, GJ Beads Making larger beads from your own tiny beads! The finished beaded beads are great to use as stand-alone beads, or to incorporate into the embellishment of other beaded projects. Try netting over larger beads to decorate or use peyote, right angle weave or a variety of other stitches to make a complete bead. These are fascinating mini works of art, Enjoy! Full colour photos and detailed instructions throughout the book. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Beadwork Creates BraceletsBeadwork Creates Bracelets Edited by Jean Campbell Price: £12.99 ISBN: 1931499209 Published by Interweave Press, distributed in the UK by Search Press Reviewed by Jill Thomas, GJ Beads The 30 bracelets in this gorgeous book are as much a pleasure to make & create, as they are to wear and admire. Fashionable designs using popular colour schemes will have you racing to your bead box to get started! Techniques include wire work, elegant stringing, peyote, loom work and much more. Clear colour images of each bracelet support the patterns. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Beadwork Creates Beaded Bags Edited by Jean Campbell Price: £12.99 ISBN: 1931499349 Published by Interweave Press, distributed in the UK by Search Press Reviewed by Jill Thomas, GJ Beads You can never have too many bags! And here is the answer, 30 new designs for decorative and practical beaded bags. Art Deco evening bag, knitted handbag, drawstring designs and clutch purses…they are all here in this book. The techniques are clearly illustrated at the end of the book and each bag is beautifully photographed. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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Beadwork Creates Beaded Rings Edited by Jean Campbell Published by Interweave Press, distributed in the UK by Search Press ISBN: 1931499268 Price: £12.99 Reviewed by Jill Thomas, GJ Beads A colourful collection of 30 ring patterns, many from well-known beaders such as Jeannette Cook, Diane Fitzgerald and Sharon Bateman. The patterns use a wide variety of stitches from peyote, herringbone, fringing and even crochet! There are dainty subtle rings and freeform rings for those beaders who love a bit of bling! Each pattern is supported with full colour photos and diagrams where appropriate. These rings are inexpensive and very quick to make. ... Click here for more information. Click here to purchase this book. |
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