Orla Kiely has opened her archives to explore a life dedicated to print. From her earliest and most iconic pattern, Stem, to the evolution of her print design encompassing the worlds of fashion, homewares and beyond, Orla shares the full range of patterns and designs that she has produced since establishing her brand in 1995. This is a celebration of Orla's entire body of work - of colour, of print and of a handbag loved by women all over the world. Foreword written by Leith Clark, founder of The Violet Book and previously Lula magazine.
You can use this book to design a house for yourself with your family; you can use it to work with your neighbors to improve your town and neighborhood; you can use it to design an office, or a workshop, or a public building. And you can use it to guide you in the actual process of construction. After a ten-year silence, Christopher Alexander and his colleagues at the Center for Environmental Structure are now publishing a major statement in the form of three books which will, in their words, "lay the basis for an entirely new approach to architecture, building and planning, which will we hope replace existing ideas and practices entirely." The three books are The Timeless Way of Building, The Oregon Experiment, and this book, A Pattern Language. At the core of these books is the idea that people should design for themselves their own houses, streets, and communities. This idea may be radical (it implies a radical transformation of the architectural profession) but it comes simply from the observation that most of the wonderful places of the world were not made by architects but by the people. At the core of the books, too, is the point that in designing their environments people always rely on certain "languages," which, like the languages we speak, allow them to articulate and communicate an infinite variety of designs within a forma system which gives them coherence. This book provides a language of this kind. It will enable a person to make a design for almost any kind of building, or any part of the built environment. "Patterns," the units of this language, are answers to design problems (How high should a window sill be? How many stories should a building have? How much space in a neighborhood should be devoted to grass and trees?). More than 250 of the patterns in this pattern language are given: each consists of a problem statement, a discussion of the problem with an illustration, and a solution. As the authors say in their introduction, many of the patterns are archetypal, so deeply rooted in the nature of things that it seemly likely that they will be a part of human nature, and human action, as much in five hundred years as they are today.
From the author of The Automatic Diet: “A useful yet fun book that could provide the push you all need to achieve lasting change” (Shape). Ever get the sense that you’re reliving the same events, arguments, and frustrations again and again? Does your relationship, job, or diet always begin full of hope, but, somehow, fail to work out in the end? In Breaking the Pattern, nutrition and public health advocate Dr. Charles Platkin synthesizes years of research in psychology, motivation, success, and achievement into the “The 5 Principles You Need to Remodel Your Life,” helping readers take action in those areas where they feel stuck or doomed to repeat negative experiences. Through a series of self-reflective exercises, Platkin encourages readers to examine their successes and failures, identifying, analyzing, and finally breaking the very patterns that have kept them from realizing their dreams. By incorporating inspirational quotes and stories throughout the book, Platkin creates a positive, healing environment in which even the most self-doubting reader can gain the support and motivation necessary to begin to change his or her life for the better. “[Platkin] breaks down five principles necessary to transform your life . . . And he’s not just spouting theory.” —The Dallas Morning News “Breaking the Pattern blends cozy inspiration with a dose of military rigidity.” —The Denver Post “A road map for anyone who’s failed at New Year’s resolution, or any goal for personal change.” —San Jose Mercury News
This practical guide explains the ins and outs of designing patterns while the included CD features templates for experimentation by beginners and professionals alike.
“With its diverse selection of fabrics and designs, A Quilting Life is a fine pick for any quilter looking to produce family-oriented keepsake results.” —The Needlecraft Shelf Bring the handmade tradition home with these charming quilts and home accessories. Inspired by a grandmother who loved to sew for her family, quilter and blogger Sherri McConnell gives traditional patterns like hexagons, stars, snowballs, and Dresden Plates a new look featuring fabrics by some of today’s most popular designers. Nineteen cozy projects include pillows, tote bags, table runners, and larger quilts—quick and easy designs that make great gifts. “Sherri’s book is a treasure! It’s full of fun and straight-forward patterns for quilts, table toppers, pillows, bags and more—all the goodies to make a cozy home.” —Thimbleanna “Would you like the opportunity to make tomorrow’s heirlooms in today’s vast selection of prints? . . . If so, this could be the reference book that will get you started. There are 19 projects, mainly focusing on handmade household items but including some larger quilts too.” —Fabrications Quilting for You “Beautiful inspiration if you are a seasoned quilter, but also a great resource with clear and in some cases, simple patterns for newbies as well.” —Diary of a Quilter “Color photos of finished needlework projects accompany step-by-step diagrams and assembly patterns, while at-a-glance sidebars covering materials and cutting allow needleworkers to gauge the complexity of each project.” —The Needlecraft Shelf
Illustrated largely in colour, 'The Secret Life of Textiles' offers brief catalogue summaries of 48 archive groups of textile pattern books that make up six regional holdings, and will be of interest to scholars, historians, and those with an interest in textiles, pattern design and local history.
Neisha Crosland sees pattern everywhere. Her extraordinary eye seeks out symmetry, order and structure wherever she goes: in artefacts, buildings, paintings and, above all, in nature. This book is a tribute to that talent: a visual feast of pattern, color, unexpected information and surprising personal stories. It is also an exploration of why pattern matters to every single one of us. Artists are often asked the origin of their ideas. This remarkably beautiful book is Neisha's answer to that question. She takes the reader from first spark of an idea to the finished product: exploring a myriad of cultural pathways and making unusual connections along the way. For in art, Neisha believes nothing is ever truly original. This book is a personal and revealing account of Neisha's own story as a designer, but it also draws on conversations about pattern she has had with musicians, mathematicians, psychotherapists as well as other designers. Beginning as an art student standing in the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, it travels through many continents and eras: from Mughal India to Moorish Spain, and from pilgrims on the route to Santiago de Compostela to Jacobean England. there are tales of mankind's earliest rituals, alongside explorations of 16th-century court dresses, Baroque wood carving, 17th-century shell-collecting and Russian Constructivist paintings. It ends in Japan over a delicious meal. There is fascinating technical detail, too, including wonderful examples of Neisha's early work using weaving and printing methods that have now vanished because of contemporary commercial pressures on mills and manufacturers. She also explores the ways a technique or color can completely reinvent a design, and how that design can alter its mood when placed in a different interior or when applied to a different medium or product. Working sketches illuminate her argument as well as visuals of her key sources of inspiration. Abundant photographs, too - showing Neisha's work in the interiors of fashionable restaurants, nightclubs, hotels and homes around the world - strikingly illustrate the text. The patterns themselves are stunningly animated by Anikst Design's specially commissioned photography: magazine files become skyscrapers, fine china glides across mirrors, rugs take to the air and fabrics appear like wild seasand rivers. The result is a kind of visual onomatopoeia as well as a thrillingly surreal visual experience for the reader. This book is a loving tribute to the power of pattern that will appeal to anyone who appreciates beauty and has ever wondered why their eye is so delighted.
A design book filled with beautiful photography and clear ideas for how to use pattern to decorate your home. If you focus on pattern, from texture and color to furniture and textiles, everything else will fall into place. Pattern is the strongest element in any room. In Living with Pattern, Rebecca Atwood demystifies how to use that element, a design concept that often confounds and confuses, demonstrating how to seamlessly mix and layer prints throughout a house. She covers pattern usage you probably already have, such as on your duvet cover or in the living room rug, and she also reveals the unexpected places you might not have thought to add it: bathroom tiles, an arrangement of book spines in a reading nook, or windowpane gridding in your entryway. This stunning book showcases distinct uses of pattern in homes all over the country to inspire you to realize that an injection of pattern can enliven any space, helping to make it uniquely yours.
The world of Orla Kiely is one where pattern reigns. Immediately recognisable, her unique design language and sure sense of graphic control has seen her label become a hugely successful global brand in the decade since its launch. From her early signature bags, the collection has grown to include a complete womenswear line, accessories, travel and homeware, sold in shops and outlets worldwide.Giving a personal account of what informs her work and inspires her designs, Orla looks at pattern in all its manifestations - the impact of scale and proportion, rhythm and texture and the all-important dimension of colour. With her prints applied to a wide range of products, from bags and clothing to decorative objects and soft furnishings, she is in a unique position to comment on all the ways in which pattern can enrich our lives. Illustrated with many examples of Orla's work, along with inspirational images that have shaped her style, the result is both a visual treasury and a thoughtful guide to using pattern with flair and confidence.
The next exciting title in the bestselling motif series, 'Pattern Motifs' provides stunning patterns from around the world, and from various historical and cultural periods. They include patterns that have their design source in Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Celts, Islam, India, Africa, and Aboriginal lands but also the worlds of western folk, Gothic, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. The types of pattern provided include interlaced, basketweave, network patterns, web-like patterns, plaited, twisted, chequer, tartan, diaper, chevron, intersection patterns, Paisley and Arabesque. Author Graham McCallum's fine draughtsmanship makes this large resource of motifs an essential addition to the library of every designer and crafter, whether they are a needleworker, quilter, glass painter or woodworker. All the images are free to be copied and used for further creative work. The detailed index at the back of the book makes the search for the ideal motif quick and easy.
