Books

This is the book you have been waiting for. Textile Translations joins up the dots for those of us who were a bit worried about delving into 'mixed media'. There are plenty of instructions with lots of new ideas. Whether you work in textiles, craft, fine art or paper crafts, this book will be invaluable.

There are also plenty of luscious photographs to inspire you, with lots of fascinating layers and wonderful textures to experiment with. Whether you are just starting out or an experienced artist, there will be more than enough ideas and information to have you delving back into this book for years to come. Who would have thought mixed media could be so exciting! The icing on the cake is the free on-line classes available only to folk who buy the book.

Kim Thittichai

I think everyone will have heard that Julia sadly passed away in October. Such a sad loss. Julia was a master of colour, well known for her amazing colourful hand stitching. You can see an interview with her on the www.d4daisy.com website. Her book is a feast of colour and she leads the reader through sketchbook and storyboard to stitching, describing on that journey how the reader can master the tricky subject of colour. At the end of each section, you will find Colour School, which sets assignments and suggests projects to put into practice all that has been learned. Imaging using all Julia's knowledge to create your own book of brilliant things. Unmissable.

There are not many books that I would recommend as being an essential addition to the bookshelf of a contemporary embroiderer/textile artist, be they a beginner or very experienced, but this is one. Many people have digital cameras, scanners and computers now and this book uses simple methods and materials that we all have in the house to transfer our images to paper or fabric. However, this is the first book I have seen that then takes the next step of using these images on paper or fabric to create a stitched design using hand or machine embroidery. As we have come to expect from the author, there are plenty of innovative ideas to create an exciting stitched design, from simple ideas which will appeal to those with little experience or limited time, to more challenging ideas for those experienced artists. Each technique is clearly and simply explained step-by-step with excellent photographs illustrating the methods and finished pieces. The book is divided into three sections, 'Inspiration and Images', 'Printing on Paper' and 'Printing on Fabric', with a useful summary of techniques and materials used at the end of each section. There are also two excellent appendices, one on 'Cameras and Scanners' and the other on 'Printing your Images'. A wide range of materials and techniques are explored and the photography throughout the book is superb and balances Maggie's clear writing well. This is a book that we will all refer to for many years to come.

Carolyn Sinclair

More information on www.imagetostitch.com.

Although this book explores a series of mosaic projects, there is a lot of inspirational material which textile artists could use. The projects are based on figures and a classical mosaic is taken in each case, followed by step-by-step instructions for the making. The design process is interesting and could be translated into textiles, building up the design piece by piece with snippets of fabric. The photographs that I found most inspiring were those where the drawn cartoons were partly worked. These could be translated into interesting embroideries where the drawing formed part of the stitch. The book contains some more modern interpretations of faces and figures and a section on the way other artists had used figures in mosaics. Crowood Press always produce excellent books and I often find that the non textile ones are the most inspirational.

This book is a comprehensive introduction and guide to creating Mountmellick Embroidery, a highly textured floral whitework embroidery. The book is split into sections covering the following areas: Instructions and Techniques for Stitches and Knitting, and Projects with Traditional and Contemporary Applications. There is a useful introduction, which outlines the features of Mountmellick Embroidery, followed by the technique's history and development from the 1800s to the present day. The Instructions and Techniques sections go through each stitch with diagrams and photographs which are very clear and easy to understand and would prove useful to anyone wanting to learn basic stitches, as well as those who are interested in them specifically in the context of Mountmellick Embroidery. The Knitting Stitches instructions are limited to creating the characteristic fringed edging. The projects are also displayed very clearly with a lot of attention to detail and patterns are provided in separate sheets at the back. There are 17 projects to work and these include items such as doilies, a nightdress case, table runners and a lampshade, catering for abilities from beginner to advanced. The book would be of most interest in those interested in this technique, as the projects (even those with Contemporary Applications) look very traditional, but with the patterns are clear enough that you could adapt particular designs in other work. I found this book very clear and easy to understand, and have been inspired to get out a sampler and practice a few stitches.

Samantha Packer

This book contains a wealth of information about the history, production and influences of textiles from Angela Thompson's travels around many different countries of South-East Asia since the 1980s. There are chapters devoted to subjects such as costume, threads and fibres, dyes and dyeing, weaving and loom types. These are all explored in relation to how each country and the communities within them approaches their craft and how external forces shape production. The exhaustive research which has been undertaken is apparent and this book contains everything you could possibly need to know about the differences between these countries of how and why they produce their textiles. What I liked most about this book was the historical background given, which provides the foundations of what the book is about. The photographs contained in it are not just of textiles on display (although there are plenty of these) but we are given a visual insight of how they are produced, by whom they are produced, and, most importantly, how they are worn. An extremely informative book, and a very interesting read.

Samantha Packer

This is an inexpensive little book that will inspire you for a long time to come. It gives instructions for making 20 'Wild Women' brooches using face charms or face stamps. Armed with these and four basic templates, the sky's the limit. Sarah gives detailed directions for twenty brooches using hand and machine stitching, beading, ribbons and arm and leg charms but I think you could raid your own stash and come up with lots of ideas for 'wacky women' of your own.