Book Reviews

Slow Stitch

Slow Stitch: Mindful and Contemplative Textile Art by Claire Wellesley-Smith is an important explanation of the power of deliberate slowness in your creativity. It covers several themes, including repairing with stitch, the cultural context of stitch and the value of considered reflective practice.

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The Embroidered Art of Chloe Giordano

The Embroidered Art of Chloe Giordano

The Embroidered Art of Chloe Giordano is a detailed insight into the beautiful hand embroidery of one of the UK’s favourite stitchers. Packed with stunning photography that complements the intricate stitching, this is an inspirational feast for the embroidery enthusiast.

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The Nature Of Creativity

The Nature Of Creativity written by Jane E Hall is a timely book for our age, focusing on how our connection with nature can inspire us and evoke creativity from within. She discusses how a number of things connect together, such as mindfulness and the power of nature to make us feel positive coupled with a desire to create art and craft. You will learn how to nurture creativity to become an artist, using inspiration starting on your own doorstep.

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boro the art of necessity book cover

Boro – The Art Of Necessity

This book Boro – The art of necessity is actually a companion to an exhibition under the same same, at the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities in Sweden. Yet it serves as a beautiful piece of literature to own in its own right, that is why we wanted to review it.

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The Mending Directory

Have you got a load of old clothes which are too sentimental to bin but too ruined to use? Using The Mending Directory, become inspired how you can salvage them and give them a new life. With over fifty patterns and ideas, there will be one to suit your item.

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Paint With Thread by Emillie Ferris

Paint With Thread

Paint With Thread by Emilie Ferris is a richly illustrated step-by-step guide with five main projects for readers to follow, all inspired by the changing of the seasons and its impact on nature. With detailed tutorials, a separate stitch guide and all the information required to begin and finish each embroidery project.

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Claire Smith Resilient Stitch

Resilient Stitch

Resilient Stitch by Clare Wellesley Smith focuses on the connection between wellbeing and textiles and how the two can work in tandem, featuring both community and individual projects. Cas Holmes reviews this fascinating book for Mr X Stitch!

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Stumpwork Flowers by Sachiko Morimoto

Stumpwork Flowers by Sachiko Morimoto is an excellent instruction book for helping you apply one of the more challenging embroidery techniques in a floral context. It is a must-have for the keen embroiderer and will empower you to make elegant flower embroideries for friends and loved ones.

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Quarantine Quilts by Sandra Sider

Quarantine Quilts

In Quarantine Quilts: Creativity In The Midst Of Chaos by Sandra Sider, learn directly from makers personal notes and quotes what moved them to create their individual art quilts, which are all inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. Discover how the experiences which the artists went through enabled them to develop new ways of artistic thinking. Read how the pandemic experience has allowed them to connect to creativity. Topics include Home Is Where The Heart Is and Pandemic Landscapes.

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Unravelling Women’s Art: Creators, Rebels, & Innovators in Textile Arts | Weaving Book Review

Within Unravelling Women’s Art, P.L. Henderson symbolically unties the woven structures of female textile artists and their work. She focuses on the links between the artists she has curated together, examining the messages found within their work, providing fascinating insights into the finer details of female textile art. Over twenty artist interviews back up her interpretations; embroidery, weaving, sculpture and patchwork are all covered, as well as notes on their cultural context, historical meaning and identity within the contemporary arts field.

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Textile Folk Art

Textile Folk Art by Anne Kelly explores traditional folk art collections from all over the world, explaining their association with Textile art and craft. In this book Kelly reveals how contemporary Textile artists have used inspiration from samplers, quilts, icons and traditional motifs to produce new and exciting work today. This guide contains many easy to follow step-by-step projects, so readers can practice and apply what they learn.

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Trish Burr kew cover

The Kew Book of Embroidered Flowers

The Kew Book Of Embroidered Flowers by Trish Burr is written in collaboration with Kew Gardens. In the book Trish uses needle painting techniques to recreate some stunning flowers in embroidery, and shares templates, techniques and tips that will encourage you to try them for yourself.

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