It's a question asked by many budding textile artists: how can I be more creative? You've got a few ideas and know some techniques, but you're not sure how to get started or make your work hang together. This book shows you how. It explains the creative process from the very beginning: where to find inspiration and how to harness those ideas; how to gather source material; how to pull together what you have. The authors then take you on a journey to develop a design. Learn how to put elements together to make a cohesive whole and develop a theme, learning established design rules along the way. Part Three, Moving into Stitch, gives you a range of techniques and easy experiments with which to turn your design into stitched-textile work. From choosing what fabrics to use, to layering, creating texture and adding embellishment, it covers the key techniques to try. This is a terrific book for those starting out in textiles who really do want to be as creative as they can possibly be.
An inspiring look into the world of creative textile-making, illustrated with beautiful textile pieces. This inspiring book guides the reader through Deborah's creative and inventive textile work: from painting fabrics and building textures to embellishing with hand and machine stitching. This book contains a wealth of inspiration for any textile artist, showing them how to create gorgeous, textured pieces of art.
Textile Landscapes demonstrates how to develop your approach to textile art with a focus on using found objects and paint and stitch on cloth and paper. Cas explains how to exploit the contrast between the hands-on textural quality of working with fabrics and threads and the spontaneity and movement of brush marks to lend a painterly quality to your work. She begins with the basics – keeping a sketchbook to generate ideas, painting and stitching on cloth and on paper and working digitally; Inspiring Landscapes looks at natural and urban space, the changing seasons and great landscapes as well as intimate spaces and travel diaries; Painting and Marking with Cloth explains the practical aspects of painting and dyeing cloth and how to make connections between paint, print, dye, stencil and stitch; Stitch-scapes looks at the different forms of landscape, experimenting with photographs and prints and how to translate those images using ink, stitch, abstract and collage techniques and then at how to transform the image using digital techniques; On Closer Inspection covers using elements and details from landscape and the environment as found objects and for research; finally People and Place explores the relationship we have with the outdoors and the built environment, as well as personal interpretations of place. The book includes artworks by the author that explore the UK, USA, Europe and Australia, as well as works by other internationally renowned textile artists. A creative guide ideal for textile artists of all levels – students, teachers and practising artists and makers – to make unique and beautiful work inspired by the world around us.
Begin an exhilarating journey into the world of drawing and painting with thread and your sewing machine. Thread sketching is a fascinating craft - but where do you begin? This fully revised and illustrated Second Edition of 'Creative Thread Sketching' guides you through everything you need to know. From equipment and tools, fabric selection and setting up your sewing machine, to free motion stitching techniques and problem-solving, this friendly guide shows you how to put all the pieces together. Learn how to create a wide variety of stunning stitched textile art for your home or friends. Popular textile artist, author and blogger Deborah Wirsu includes six free, illustrated projects to help get you started with this comprehensive introduction to creating stunning textile art using fabric, thread, and a domestic sewing machine.
Presents step-by-step instructions for creating surface designs on fabric using textile paints and printing ink, and includes tips on such techniques as stamping, silkscreen, image transfer, marbling, and Japanese shibori.
A veteran fiber artist shares the basics of fabric painting, including step-by-step instructions to master techniques, and a list of necessary supplies. For Mickey Lawler, the sky is never the limit! Mickey’s SKYDYES fabric is well known among quilters and fiber artists as the finest individually hand-painted cotton available. • Perfect for beginning fabric painters, as well as those who have dabbled with fabric paints • Straightforward instructions explain Mickey’s painting techniques • Easy-to-follow exercises show how to create skies, earth, seas, and gardens • Learn how to choose appropriate fabrics, paints, and applicators • Handy “Paint Color and Mixing Chart” • Includes an easy quilt project that uses fabrics you create in the exercises Praise for Skydyes “Skydyes takes an easygoing tutorial approach to teach quilters new aspects of their craft. Known for her beautiful hand-painted cotton fabrics, Lawler here teaches the art of fabric painting to those who would rather paint their own than buy custom-painted fabric. . . . An excellent choice.” —Library Journal
A reference guide to all you need to know to dye fabric, including necessary tools, the best dyes, which fabrics to use, additives, precautions, and more. Dyeing expert and author of Fabric Dyer’s Dictionary, Linda Johansen offers a full overview of the process, including special tips and techniques for tricky colors. The compact size is perfect to take along to a class or to the fabric store to match complementary fabrics and materials. And the hidden wire-o binding will allow the guide to lay flat next to your work surface for easy reference. Dyeing is addictive! You’ll come back to this must-have guide over and over Complete and easy-to-follow recipes for every shade and hue for each color of the spectrum Includes directions for Dharma and ProChemical dyes
The use of text is currently very popular in textile art, and its creative potential is unlimited. Text can engage directly with the viewer to express personal concerns, social and political issues and even humour. In this exciting new book, Sara Impey, one of the world's best-known textile artists and an innovator in using text in her work, presents the definitive guide to text in textiles. She aims to inspire makers with the confidence to use text, to illustrate how it can be used as a means of self-expression, and to provide advice on where to look for sources of inspiration. The book includes a brief discussion of stitched lettering in history, and examines the current scene, including contemporary artists such as Tracey Emin. It then goes on to explore how to find inspiration for your work, whether personal or political, with exercises on how to get your thoughts organized. Finally, a wealth of practical tips are given on how to get text into your work, including hand-stitching techniques, computers and the new generation of sewing machines, photo transfer, found objects and the use of newsprint and other printed materials. It also contains valuable information on copyright. This fascinating book is perfect for any textile artist who wants to add an extra dimension to their work by incorporating text.