1941, Estonia. As Stalin's brutal Red Army crushes everything in its path, Katarina Rebane is desperate to protect her grandmother's precious legacy: the weaving of gossamer-fine shawls and the intricate lace patterns holding stories passed down through generations. In Moscow, Lydia Volkova is suffocating in a prison of privilege, yearning for freedom and hoping to rediscover her beloved mother's Baltic heritage. As the battle for their homeland intensifies, these two women are caught in a fight for life, liberty and love.
Birth. Death. Wonder … One woman’s journey to the edge of love and loyalty from the bestselling author of The Lace Weaver London, 1702. When her husband is lost at sea, Mary Burton Gulliver, midwife and herbalist, is forced to rebuild her life without him. But three years later when Lemuel Gulliver is brought home, fevered and communicating only in riddles, her ordered world is turned upside down. In a climate of desperate poverty and violence, Mary is caught in a crossfire of suspicion and fear driven by her husband’s outlandish claims, and it is up to her to navigate a passage to safety for herself and her daughter, and the vulnerable women in her care. When a fellow sailor, a dangerous man with nothing to lose, appears to hold sway over her husband, Mary’s world descends deeper into chaos, and she must set out on her own journey to discover the truth of Gulliver’s travels . . . and the landscape of her own heart. Praise for Gulliver’s Wife 'An absolutely gripping read, with a powerful and ultimately hopeful story to tell' Booktopia ‘Gulliver’s Wife is utterly spellbinding. Lauren Chater is a master of story-weaving and exquisite detail. I adored this book.’ Melissa Ashley, bestselling author of The Birdman’s Wife ‘Lauren Chater’s Mary Gulliver is an extraordinary character – a performer of everyday miracles, a woman of quiet strength and compassion in a world where nothing can be relied on, least of all her flamboyant fantasist of a husband. Set in a fictional past, this superbly written story of love, loss, motherhood, and letting go is highly relevant to the issues we face today. Do not miss it.’ Meg Keneally, author of Fled ‘Bold, evocative and brave – Gulliver’s Wife is a revelation in story-telling. I am in awe of Lauren Chater’s talent. Gulliver’s Wife had my heart from the opening line and didn’t let go until long after I finished the final page. An exquisitely told tale of love, loss and the magic of life.’ Tess Woods, author of Love and Other Battles ‘An imaginative tour-de-force!’ Bestselling author Kate Forsyth ‘The most impressive aspect of this novel is the finely tuned and nuanced treatment of the relationship between a mother and her rebellious teenage daughter.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘A heartfelt tale of female solidarity.’ Daily Telegraph
New and experienced weavers alike are always on the lookout for new weave-structure patterns. The Weaver's Idea Book presents a wide variety of patterns for the simple rigid-heddle loom, accompanied by harness drafts for multishaft looms. The techniques include leno, Brooks bouquet, soumak, and embroidery on fabric. Each chapter contains weaving patterns along with swatches illustrating the techniques, accompanied by step-by-step photography. The book is arranged by structure or type of weave, from variations on plain weave to doubleweave. With traditional patterns from around the world, bands, and fabrics woven on two double heddles, The Weaver's Idea Book brings together a variety of ways to create exquisite cloth. Weaving tips and tricks help weavers at all levels achieve their textile dreams. In addition to pattern drafts, Jane offers project ideas that guide the reader through creating functional woven projects, from wearables to home decor. Weaving, especially on rigid-heddle looms, is enjoying a resurgence, and contemporary weavers are in need of a book to bridge the divide between basic books and complex text designed for advanced weavers with sophisticated tools. Celebrating the immense potential for creativity possible with the simplest of tools, The Weaver's Idea Book eBook opens new avenues for exploration on both the rigid-heddle and multishaft looms.
This must-have draft book contains almost 1000 different patterns on more than 25 weave structures. Introductory chapters provide a thorough understanding of how each structure works.
Both new and experienced hand weavers will find inspiration in this beautiful guide to creating lace. While true laces are laboriously made with needles or bobbins, hand weavers can use a loom to quickly produce lovely lacy fabrics. The loom-controlled textures depend upon groups of threads that work together and do not reveal their full effect until the cloth comes off the loom and is washed. Suitable for self-study or class use, this book offers weavers a sense of design mastery and a wealth of ideas and lace patterns.
Learn weaving basics or hone your skills with this invaluable guidebook Originally published in 1984 (under the name Learning to Weave with Debbie Redding), Learning to Weave is now on the verge of its 40th Anniversary in print. This unparalleled study guide teaches readers to weave on four shaft looms, whether they are learning from scratch or honing their skills. Written with a mentoring voice, each lesson includes friendly, straightforward advice and is accompanied by illustrations and photographs. Budding floor and table loom weavers need only to approach this subject with a sense of adventure and willingness to learn such basics as step-by-step warping, basic weaving techniques, project planning, reading and designing drafts, the basics of all the most common weave structures, and many more handy hints. Beginners will find this guidebook an invaluable teacher, while more seasoned weavers will find food for thought in the chapters on weave structures and drafting.
TWO WOMEN SEPARATED BY CENTURIES, THEIR LIVES DRAWN TOGETHER BY A BEAUTIFUL SILK DRESSTextiles historian Jo Baaker returns to the Dutch island where she was born, to investigate the provenance of a valuable seventeenth-century silk dress retrieved from a sunken shipwreck. Her research leads her to Anna Tesseltje, a poor Amsterdam laundress who served on the fringes of the Dutch court.But how did Anna come to possess such a precious dress? Jo is convinced the truth lies hidden between its folds, but as she gets closer to Anna's history, haunting details of her own past emerge.
Curling up with a book was never so delicious. This gorgeous, whimsical book celebrates beloved works of literature in the shape of beautiful iced biscuits. Feast your eyes on mouth-watering classics in full colour from Jane Austen and Mary Shelley to Tolkien and F. Scott Fitzgerald, modern masterpieces by Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Geraldine Brooks and Melissa Ashley, and beloved children’s tales by Dr. Seuss and J.K. Rowling. With all the tender love and care of a true book lover, writer and baker extraordinaire Lauren Chater shows you how to translate your favourite books to the plate – and start making your very own sweet morsels of edible art. Filled with beautiful photographs and insider tips on achieving cookie nirvana, now you can have your books and eat them too. Lauren Chater is the founder of the popular blog, The Well Read Cookie, and author of the acclaimed historical novel The Lace Weaver.
