Katie Essam's fresh, modern style uses unique combinations of traditional techniques, and in this book she shows you how to create beautiful textile art inspired by the beauty in everyday objects. Stretch your imagination and be inspired by Katie's fun, innovative ideas; learn how to draw inspiration from the animals, birds, gardens, beach huts and scenes that surround you; and use that inspiration as the fuel you need to create gorgeous stitched pictures.

A beautiful sewing reference guide full of exercises designed to inspire great ideas and motivate readers of all skill levels to create. This inventive book is a treasure trove of over 40 inspiring practical exercises, a rich and creative exploration of fabric and stitch, and a fascinating all-round read. Elizabeth Healey’s approach to sewing is that it should be fun, and not like a chore or an exam we need to excel in. Her aim is to simply encourage you to pick up a needle and thread and get sewing! The exercises draw inspiration from around the world: create corded works of art inspired by Milton Glaser’s iconic Bob Dylan poster; craft bold embroidered African masks; layer up and cut away to make Mola applique; use bleach and fabric paint to create Aboriginal dreamtime lizards; create knotted works of art inspired by ancient Mayan counting systems; embroider varsity cross-stitch letters; or try out decorative Japanese book binding. Alternatively, try a host of other techniques such as quilting, printing, dyeing, couching tumbled crockery, creating pleats and puckers, and needle lace. Packed with stitch galleries and bursting with slow sewing ideas, the book also contains “behind the stitches” features: illuminating insights into sewing movements such as Boro textiles, Gee’s Bend quilting, and Dorset buttons.

Making gorgeous handcrafted jewelry can be an amazingly simple process that even beginners will quickly master--as long as they have this guide by their side. Written by an experienced artist and teacher, and generously illustrated with attractive how-to photos and drawings, it demonstrates a wealth of easy techniques in superb detail. Twenty dazzling projects--including a twisted wire choker, bangle bracelet, bead pod pin, and mixed metal earrings-- are created by wrapping, stitching, and folding metal, and by making cold connections with basic screws, bolts, pop rivets, eyelets, brads, and nails. Sophisticated photographs of each piece highlight its rich textures and visual complexity. Would-be jewelers will love this--and beaders, memory crafters, and anyone eager to explore metal jewelry will want it, too!

Mixing the versatility of paper with the dimensional qualities of cloth, this inventive handbook to crafting with "paper-cloth" provides mixed-media artists with the knowledge to easily transform their works into collaged quilts using embellishment techniques, such as painting, stitching, needlefelting, and beading. Though the technique is inexpensive and requires less space, equipment, and skill than dyeing fabrics for quilt making, readers will learn step-by-step how the use of paper-cloth--from making the paper-cloth itself; adding color and interest to the foundation with inks, stains, paints, and glazes; texturizing; implementing printmaking techniques; and more--can allow layers of complexity and textural appeal. Common projects include art quilts, art dolls, jewelry, and artist books. Perfect for artists interested in altered art, found and recycled art, needle felting, and nontraditional elements, this original resource is the first to cross the paper and cloth mediums.