Textile Surface Decoration: Silk and Velvet

Textile Surface Decoration: Silk and Velvet
By Margo Singer
Published by A&C Black Publishers Limited
ISBN-10: 0 7136 6953 5
ISBN-13: 978 07136 6953 4
Price £14.99
Reviewed by Fi Reed

This Textiles Handbook is aimed at students, but would also suit adventurous beginners. It covers a lot of ground in its 108 pages and the author is obviously an experienced teacher. Good, concise instructions start with the types of silk and their uses, how to prepare the fabric, use of different dyes, paints and other media, and how to fix them.

A large number of decorative techniques follow, from basic painting and dyeing, going through resist, devoré, discharge, blockprinting, stencilling, embroidery, quilting and appliqué, right up to making silk paper, needlefelting and foiling. Included throughout are suggestions for experimentation and development.

Although this is not a project book, one chapter does deal with making bags, cards and cushions. Each area of the book gives information about the materials and methods as used in different times and cultures. There are photos to inspire on every page, of both historical and contemporary work.

The size of this book is no indication of the extensive information contained within. It is an excellent introduction for anyone who is hungry to learn.