Textiles Books

All the women in my family are very creative and artsy, every single one of them, except me, I tried every craft that looked remotely interesting and not a one panned out for me. And then I found this book, and I fell in love. My grandmother had done cross stitching for as long as I can remember, but died before she had a chance to teach me. So now I finally have my craft, its perfect for a tattooed domestic goddess such as myself!

This books rocks my socks. I'm a novice cross stitcher and this book has some fun, basic designs you can make right away. It also has a great resource guide and other ideas to further you on your cross stitching career once you've got the basics. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to pick up cross stitching or those who are sick of stitching cutesy bunnies and flowers and such and are looking for something new and fun.

This is such a fun concept. Cross stitching seems inherently to be such a lady-like hobby, but these patterns are anything but lady-like. The book is very easy to understand, too; I hadn't cross stitched in about 10 years, but that was no problem.

While wandering through an antique store one day, I saw an aged, framed cross stitch pattern which said "No one likes a smart mouth" surrounded by the usual flowers and patterns. This caused me to wonder if there were any available patterns with similar or stronger sentiments. After an internet search, I stumbled upon the author's website and was immediately in love with the concept and the designs.

Simple to the point of annoyance for anyone beyond beginner level, this book presents more of an attitude towards cross-stitching than a compendium of patterns. A beginner (or someone like myself who learned in home economics 20+ years ago) will find everything they need to begin cranking out cranky designs which will find hilarity with like minded people. Advanced stitchers will still enjoy (if that is your type of humor) the dichotomy of traditional fluffy-bunny designs with road-rage sayings and can apply the ideas to more complicated patterns of their choosing.

All in all, this may not be for everyone, but for a dude looking for something to occupy his hands after quitting smoking, this was perfect. I know what everyone is getting for the holidays from me! Well, not Grandma...

ADDENDUM: I must come across as quite arrogant and haughty. You find this review SO unhelpful. I stand by it though. If I were going to buy this book, I would want to read balanced opinions, not just glowing ones. But I apologize if I've so offended you. I just call 'em as I see 'em:


How delightful: hang on your wall or give someone you like a picture that says "Go F**k Yourself?" Classy!

If someone gave me one of these disgusting items, I'd throw it back in her face for the crass insult it is.

Like you, I also can't stand sickly-sweet Precious Moments drivel and have never stitched anything like those. But, apparently amazing, I have found hundreds of patterns that allow me to display skill in stitching and learn how to design. I'm proud to display these. I don't have to run around my house and hide them when children or people I respect come over.

Do you lovers of this book really use it as a coffee table book?

Our quilting guild put on a program on vintage aprons. Members brought in their aprons and shared their memories. We used many of the quotes and sayings from the book, The Apron Book, giving credit of course. We included the tips for caring for vintage aprons--not unlike caring for vintage quilts!

The program was warmly received. So many members had happy memories about aprons. We also shared some contemporary aprons some of us had made more recently.

I decided I was going to make aprons for my female family and friends for Christmas and ordered this book hoping it would give me lots of different ideas. It is actually more of a history lesson on aprons but did have lots of pictures and patterns and instructions. There does not seem to be a glut of books on Aprons so this was a good choice. If you are the least bit creative you can go with some of their general ideas and expand on them. Makes a nice coffee table book too.

Love this book!
I am always recommending it to others who love Aprons and apron stories.
It even has a user friendly pattern in the back of the book.
A must have as well as a great gift to send to friends who are apronistas!

I love this book - it brings back great memories. Very interesting information, photos, patterns, a great book to add to one's library.

I had to make an apron in Home Ec class many (many) years ago. I didn't enjoy it at all. I didn't care for the fabric, didn't really get the hang of using a sewing machine, just felt it was a waste of time. Nobody in my family wore an apron, anyway, somehow they miraclously stayed clean during food prep.
Flash forward a few decades. I like to cook and bake and I did not inherit the miracle of not getting messy while I cooked. Most aprons you can buy in a store are servicable - but not exactly flashy or pretty. One of my supervisors whipped up aprons as Christmas presents one year. I was amazed because I knew she was a very busy woman. Slowly, I began to gather fabric to make aprons. And when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. That's how I feel about this book. I recommend it highly.

An extremely useful book - has given me a lot of useful background information and been absolutely invaluable helping us out with customer questions.

She likes this book enough to buy it, which is unusual, so her opinion speaks for itself. Especially since she crochets, not knits.

This book is gorgeous. It's well-bound, full-color, and printed on thick paper. Now, I know that how a book looks doesn't really matter, but in this case, the quality of the craftmanship is a definite bonus, as I can see myself using this book for years.

Parkes has written a wonderful book on everything you could ever want to know about yarn. The first part of the book has focuses on natural(both plant and animal) and synthetic fibers, including info such as where it's from, how it's made, what characteristics the fiber has, what it's good for, what its weaknesses are, and so on. After reading this book, you'll be completely prepared to make the appropriate fiber choices for the project at hand. Want to know which fiber would be best for a light but warm scarf? How about a yarn for a sweater that's both easy to care for but knits up without stretching and sagging too much? This book answers these questions and more.

In the second part of the book, Parkes has included a number of patterns that emphasize a particular yarn's highlights. All of these designs are beautiful, classic pieces that will stand the test of time...there's nothing in here that would look dated, so you can be assured that the sweater your worked on for months will, with care, last you many years.

I can't say enough good things about this book. It's chock full of useful information for anyone that works with yarn, it's organized beautifully, the quality of the book is high, and Parkes writes in a conversational tone that makes you feel as if you're being guided by a close friend. It's definitely something that should be on every fiber crafter's bookshelf.

This book is the equivalent to a college course on fibers and their characteristics. NOW I know why some of my projects were not what I had hoped they would be; I substituted yarns that were the same gauge, but that wasn't enough. The patterns in this book are examples of each type of yarn (not just the fiber, but the number of plies, etc.) and are very user-friendly. I've already completed a small project, and this time my yarn substitution worked extremely well. I've knitted for many years, but feel that I've graduated to a new level because of this book.

This is a good, well-written book.

My beef is with the description, which led me to expect 256 pages of in-depth information about fiber properties, fiber blending, the effects of bleaching, dye and other processing on the fibers, and the benefits and drawbacks of various yarn constructions. I was very excited about getting such a book.

Which is why I was so disappointed when I got the book to find so much of the space was actually devoted to patterns. The patterns are certainly good, but there are pattern books by the hundreds---that wasn't what I was shopping for here, and space given over to patterns was taken away from the information I had expected and wanted.

The shame of it is that Clara Parkes is a fine writer with wide exposure to yarns and yarn types, and access to the people who create them and the people who use them. As someone who neither creates nor sells fibers or yarns, she is in perhaps an ideal position to synthesize yarn and fiber information in a readable, unbiased way - precisely the book I expected and wanted.

What appears in the book is more of a survey of fibers and yarns for the advanced beginner or intermediate knitter, while I was expecting more of a true fiber-whisperer master class. I would have bought this book anyway had it been more accurately described, but I would have been a much happier owner had my expectations not been raised so high by the description. In Sheep's Clothing: A Handspinner's Guide to Wool by Nola and Jane Fournier is closer to what I expected this to be as far as reviewing specific fibers, although it deals only in wool and does not discuss the issues of chemistry or yarn structure.

I do like this book, but I'm also still waiting for someone (maybe Clara?) to write the book I thought it was going to be.

This big book has tips and helpful guides for every step of quilting from start to finish. Highly recommend

I really love the book and it was a great deal. This shipping was quick and the whole process was so easy.

This book is absolutely wonderful. Concepts are presented in a lesson format, teaching you to cut pieces, piece by hand and machine, draft templates, speed piece, paper piece, various styles of quilting (hand, machine, trapunto, and more), and much much more. If you work through the first few lessons, you'll have enough information and experience to tackle a fairly complex quilt. Working further into the book you'll learn techniques you never thought you'd care about... until you make your first quilt!

In fact, by the time you finish all the practice blocks, you'll have enough blocks for your own sampler quilt!

This book is definitely the first book you should buy if you're learning to quilt, like I am. I've already finished piecing my first quilt top, hae it basted to the batting and backing, and today I'll start quilting by hand. This is something I never thought would happen.

If you can only get ONE book on quilting, THIS IS THE ONE!!

Quilter's complete guide is the first quilt book I ever got and it is just the best. It show you everything a new quilter need to know and has a step by step way of learning how to quilt, if you can not get to a class.Each block is shown and there are step by step lessons, you will have a great looking quilt top if you do the blocks and learn how to quilt. Fons and Porter just do a great job.

I recently got interested in quilting and purchased this book. To my amazement it has all the basic information that you need to complete a quilt from beginning to end. There is information for several different quilts so not only is this a good reference book, you can go though it and get ideas for many quilts. I'm glad this is in my new library.

Fabulous. Love all the pictures and the artists description of her process in creating her work.

Everyone else who has reviewed this book say is great. Maybe it is, but because I haven't received anything I guess the only thing that I could say is "don't buy anything here, you'll get nothing".

For anyone in art quilting or wanting to be, this book gives an in depth look into the thoughts and creations of Nancy Crow. The color in the book is excellent and there is an abundance of pictures. This is a "Must have" for anyone who loves color and fabric and original art.

Nancy Crow is the ultimate quilter's quilter. Her advice, thoughts and pictures of her work and projects are more than any quilter could hope for. This book will enhance any quilter's library.
It was one of the best b-day presents I've ever received.
Diane

Amazing book. great information, stories. Lots of pictures of striking quilts show-casing the progress of this wonderful artist. Also shows pictures of Nancy Crow's studio and timber frame barn - must be an amazing place to create. This book is a wonderful value and very inspiring to any artist regardless of preferred media.

If you are really into felted wool this book contains nice little wallet type bags that are stunning. Sally Mavor's work is awe inspiring and worth the price of this book. Everything you could wish for

If you want to look at truly innovative and beautiful art, this is the book. I love to look at art books, as well as make stuff, so I found this book truly satisfying. You must have it in your collection, if only for your own satisfaction. The artist has included extremely good instructions for making the dolls and background. I may get around to it...someday.

Felt Wee Folk is one of the most inspirational books I have come across in a long time, I just love it. Readers can't help but be captivated by these little Wee Folk and their magical world. The book contains lots of ideas for different characters, including ideas for both boys and girls. Also included are other projects made from felt like badges and purses that are equally enchanting. I can't wait to start some projects from this book for my children. Highly recommend this book to other craft people, particularly hand sewers.

Felt Wee Folk is a lovely book filled with photographs and easy directions for making pipe cleaner figures, some as small as 1.5 inches. My daughter loves playing with the flower fairies I've made for her. There are other felt projects as well, although I haven't tried any yet. I'd give the book five stars if I didn't have to flip back and forth across a couple pages for directions, but the more dolls I make, the less I have to do that.

This book was an excellant purchase. It is detailed in showing you how to created these lovely little dolls, with exceptional patterns for clothing in such a wide variety. The possibilities are endless limited only by your own creativity. This book is a must for anyone caring to create these adorable little collectible dolls.

Masters: Art Quilts from Lark Books is a sumptuous visual feast for quilters and non-quilters alike. The gorgeous work featured is innovative and inspiring, and the profiles of each of the 40 featured quilters adds enormous depth to the entire presentation. This beautiful coffee-table release deserves a place of honor in your living room. Don't miss out! I'm also very excited about another release in Lark's groundbreaking Masters series: Masters: Beadweaving Masters: Beadweaving: Major Works by Leading Artists (The Masters), curated by eminent beadweaver Carol Wilcox Wells.

This book is full of inspiration for the adventurous quilter. The photographs are really great.

As reviewed in Melisse Laing's "Stitches & Stuff" column in The Daily News, Longview, WA on August 26, 2008:
"Masters: Art Quilts" by Martha Sielman is a collection of the works of 41 artists who are working today as art quilters. Many are well known - Jane Sassaman, Hollis Chatelain, Yvonne Porcella, Caryl Bryer Fallert, to name a few.
Others you will enjoy getting to know as you read brief biographies and comments from the artists and see color photographs of their works.

This book is one of the best I have seen on contemporary quilt making. Martha Sielman chose the creme de la creme of the quilting world to include in the book- an arduous and difficult task I think! This is a book that you will look at again & again and always find something new. Fabulous! Well done! A must have for any contemporary quilter's library. Also, I think, a "must have" for libraries....come to think of it !

"Masters: Art Quilts" is one of the most fantastic books I've ever seen; incredible photo imaging, wonderful commentaries about the artists, and the book is beautifully organized. "Masters" is inspirational - think of it as artistic "eye candy",,,,,, I'll treasure it forever ! Congratulations to Studio Art Quilts Associates (S.A.Q.A.) executive director, Martha Sielman, for providing all of us with such an outstanding book ! Kathy Harte, From the Harte Design Studio, Anchorage, Alaska

If you are seriously into re-enacting and you want to make clothes which not only look right but are historically correct too, this is the book you need. The book is very practical, with a lot of line drawings and some pictures of what the finished clothes should look like (but no pictures from works of art, those you will have to look up for yourself).
Some basic patterns are given on scale, so you need a rather thorough knowledge of pattern-drawing and sewing to make the garments. As far as I can tell (but I'm not a historian, nor a professional seamstress), these patterns are authentic.
You can find clothes for men, women and children, from 3 centuries, ranging from underwear to cloaks and kerchiefs.
Very interesting too, are the little pieces on sewing techniques and acessories.
A must-have for all dedicated re-enactors !

For anybody interested in accurately reproducing clothes of the medieval period, this book is an essential resource. The author does a wonderful job of outlining 1200-1500 century clothing for the modern reenactment enthusiast. And as an SCA resource it is one of the best!

This is a wonderfully prepared book for those just starting out in Medieval European costuming. It covers many of the basics and styles that were present throughout the region during this period and is a great starting place for novice and intermediate costumers to get the feel practice of simple styles.

PLEASE NOTE: This book is NOT out of print and you should not be paying any more than $45 for it. If you look around, you can find it as cheap as $25. Definitely worth adding to the library! Enjoy!

This book is a must-have. It shows how to make the patterns fit and work, and explains the garments well. I used this book to help me figure out the pattern for fitted hose, and Tudor Tailor to help fit the hose... and together I managed to get some nice hose! The braies pattern, like the rest of the explanations is easy to understand on first-read. I recommend it!

I bought this book after reading the description. The photos and information on how to recreate medieval clothing are very useful for seamstresses and beginner alike. Full-color photos of people in clothing made helps with the 3-D aspect of what it looks like. Use this book in conjunction with other references and you will not be disappointed.

Book has some amazing projects involving wrapping fabric strips around cotton clothes line. I haven't tried anything yet, but I have all of the materials listed to make a bowl.

I had briefly seen this book at a quilt shop recently and was pleasantly surprised to find it on Amazon at about half the price. It's a great book with a lot of new, innovative ideas for using long, thin leftover fabric scraps. The photos are clear and explicit as are the instructions for making things with simple clothesline and fabric and a sewing machine. I am enrolled in a class in a few weeks to learn the process as well and this book was recommended by the teacher.

I bought this book and could not wait to get started! I made one bowl and showed it to my friends in our local ASG and they made bowls for an auction and they have not stopped dreaming up new color combinations and styles. The bowls make up so fast that I wish I had someone to wrap the fabric for me so I could just spend all my time stitching them together.

This book is awesome. Great gifts and so much fun to do.
Made a basket and it is so pretty and useful. Totes and baskets make good sense around the house.
Can't wait to make more different shaped baskets and even some trivets for the table. Who knew a hank of rope and some 1" fabric strips could be so pretty and useful. Well, I just found out. Try it you'll like it.

The book arrived very quickly and in excellent condition. I am very pleased with the service. Thank you

Beautiful color photos and lots of examples and instruction. Maybe not for the beginner's only source of instruction.

This is a very clear guide for the beginner and good for referencing different braiding patterns. The pictures are good and the language easy to understand.

The author makes this very easy. Granted this is a beginners book but you can still make a 'pretty' on your first effort. Her dimensions for a wooden marudai (stand) were so accurate that my husband made me one from scrap hardwood in his shop. Like most arts/crafts,you can go forward from this point and get into really complicated braids, or not....the choice is up to you. There are many practical uses for beautiful braids. My first one is attached to a pull for a ceiling fan. This book contains instructions for square, round and flat braids.

As a beginner to kumihimo, I felt this book covered all the basics needed to learn the braiding process. Once you follow the step by step photo images and diagrams, it was easy to pick up the steps. Although I used the pearl cotton threads for my first project, it is not necessary to keep using the suggested threads as they can be costly. I used cotton blend yarn, nylon cord, and even hemp as my cords and found great results, depending on your project needs.

I am a new Kumihimo enthusiast and was looking for something to help me. I love the photos and very easy to follow directions and diagrams! Would definately recommend to those who are interested in this very addictive craft!