Book Reviews

Module 4

I found Handmade Paper by John Plowman and Paper Making by Marion Elliot both very useful for beginning to make paper. They both have lots of ideas to extend your practice and are a good addition to my bookshelf. Decorated Letter by JJG Alexander has some beautiful plates of historical decorated lettering and is a good source of inspiration. Calligraphy by Denise Lach is a book Shelley Rhodes recommended on the 2015 summer school and has been very useful for this module. It also has wonderful drawings and many ideas on tools for mark making.

Cover To Cover by Shereen LaPlantz is an excellent resource for beginning book making and is full of ideas which fit in well alongside the course materials.

For stitching drawn thread work Moyra McNeill's Drawn Thread Embroidery has become a firm favourite. It is crammed full of ideas and instruction for a contemporary take on traditional stitch. It was very useful for this module and the book I have used the most. Grids to Stitch by Beaney and Littlejohn has also been a good source of contemporary stitch ideas.

For using natural dyes Wild Colour by Jenny Dean is a must. It is an invaluable reference book and you can email her for extra advice if necessary.

Module 3

Hand Dyed Fabric Made Easy by Adriene Buffington is a neat little book packed with information. I haven't actually tried any of the dyeing projects but they are on my to do list. I particularly love the pictures, it looks a bit like she works in a nuclear reactor! I will probably halve the quantities as this is dyeing for quilt making. I also bought Fabric Painting for Embroidery by Valerie Campbell-Harding which has some lovely pictures and examples. It has a good chapter on block printing and several on using resists.

I have several books and DVDs by Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn and so added Stitch Magic to my bookshelf. It is another excellent book full of inspiration but I'm not sure it added much to the original series of books which I already have.

I'll just point out I bought all of these books second hand for a few pounds on Amazon or Abe books.  The Encyclopedia of Origami and Papercraft Techniques by Paul Jackson has lots of information although I'm not sure I would use it too often, it has some interesting ideas which could be translated into fabric.

Lastly The Tassels Book by Anna Crutchley is great. many f the projects involve serious tassel making but I got lots of ideas to adapt and I'm sure if I want some tassels in the future say for curtains etc. I will definitely pull this off the shelf.

Module 2

Dyeing In Plastic Bags by Helen Deighan is an excellent book which clearly explains different methods in a 'minimal mess' way. My children used this for an afternoon of tie dyeing.

Another book I bought for this module was RSN Guide to Blackwork by Becky Hogg. This has a concise but interesting history and many pattern ideas for blackwork. It also has some excellent examples of contemporary work.

I picked up a copy of Art Quilting Studio produced by Stampington and Company and although a little expensive it has a wealth of information and ideas. The artist portfolio article introduced me to the work of Joan Schulze and led me to further research for chapter 13.

Two books I have bought which were not specifically module centred are Layer, Paint and Stitch by Wendy Dolan and From Art to Stitch by Janet Edmonds. I like both for the clear methods and in particular the Janet Edmonds book is full of ideas and how to be inspired by art and to use this to influence your own work.

Module 1

Looking at the recommended book list I decided after some research to buy some books that I feel will help me throughout the course and beyond. I also checked what was available at the local library and was surprised to find quite a few.

Firstly I bought Design Sources For Pattern, Design Sources For Symbolism, Designing With Pattern and Designing Worksheet by Jan Messent. These were available at a good price second hand on Amazon, but it's worth checking Abe books for used books as well.

So I can easily see that these books although they look quite basic on first glance are going to be very helpful. I won't discuss each individual book but they are what I can 'dip in' books that I will use again and again. I will say that if you have never presented work as working sheets or composite sheets then Designing Worksheets is an excellent buy.

Update 10.04.15 I've been using these books on & off throughout Module 1 and they've been a great help. They're going to get a lot of use!

Color Works by Deb Menz is going to become one of my most loved books. It has excellent explanation of colour and a handy section of push out colour tools. As it is based around colour and textiles it makes it a real gem to have on the bookshelf.

Before embarking on this course I was advised to buy the original series of books by Jan Beaney & Jean Littlejohn so I already have Bonding and Beyond and Vanishing Act (not on the list). Some of the books in the series are no longer available from them but Abe books has some. Bonding and Beyond is a real sit down read and absorb book, but fortunately you can also dip in and out as well. It has lovely photographs of inspiring work. I fear I may end up buying the full set course or no course.

10.04.15 Ok so I'm adding to my already large collection of craft/needlework books. I got an excellent deal on The Art & Craft of Applique by Juliet Bawden and Colour on Paper & Fabric by Ruth Issett - £5.50 including P&P from Abe Books. I've skimmed through both and they look great, again a dip in and out for me. The Juliet Bawden book has been a good background read for the applique parts of Module 1.

I also have New Dimensions and Colour Explorations by Beaney & Littlejohn. I love these books, the pictures and instructions are very helpful.

Lastly, I have acquired Creating Sketchbooks by Kay Greenlees and New Ideas In Fusing Fabric by Margaret Beal. Not on the list but I already had them on my wish list. Creating Sketchbooks has so many ideas both for this course and on for other projects, another of my favourites. I've not had much chance to do anything more than skim Fusing Fabric but it has good clear instructions and when I've got more time I intend to spend some time experimenting.

19.05.15 I've used all of the books throughout Module 1, alongside others I have on my shelf. The Beaney & Littlejohn books from the original series I have used over and over for ideas and inspiration, as well as for technical instruction. The instructions are enough to point you in the right direction and encourage you to develop your own ideas. Overall I'm sure I will be returning to all of the books in the future.