Review: Embroidered Textiles

Embroidered Textiles - A World Guide to Traditional Patterns
Sheila Paine, 2010
Thames & Hudson

Reviewed by Eddie

This amazing book is a true world guide to the tradition of embroidered patterns and motifs. Sheila begins by making clear the function of embroidery as she sees it.
In the West, embroidery is often seen as the pastime of idle ladies. However, Sheila’s approach is to liken embroidery to tattooing rather than other textile crafts such as weaving, felting or knitting.
Together with this book we can explore the symbolism embodied in embroidery patterns and their association with religion, rituals and magic. Unlike Western commercially designed kits, most embroidery is difficult to place in time as motifs do not go in and out of fashion in the same way.
However, they can be identified by region and Sheila takes us through the special characteristics of embroidery in each region of the world from Scandinavia to the Far East.
The following chapters cover; “the decorative power of cult”, “religion and its patterns” and “the magical source of protection”. Each chapter is spiced up with a mixture of images of embroidery and photos of people wearing the embroidered pieces.
Sheila puts a lot of weight on symbolism and of embroidery as a way of expressing this symbolism. I especially found the concept of embroidery as protection against evil spirits very interesting reading. As such embroidery has had and still has in some cases, a special place in many of life’s rituals from marriage to mourning.
I think this book will be of interest to people with a more academic interest in embroidery, but also to anyone seeking inspiration for their next project.

Review: Textiles of the Islamic World

Textiles of the Islamic World
by John Gillow, 2010
Thames & Hudson

Reviewed by Eddie

This book seems to mark the culmination of a personal journey for John. As a schoolboy in the 1970’s he first came across the rich heritage of Muslim textiles in Istanbul. Now 40 years later, he makes a living of buying and selling textiles from across the world and in doing so he is also keenly interested in the same textiles, their prominence and their history.
John has written several books introduction us to textiles across the world (see my earlier review of African Textiles) and has now returned to the place where this fascination began, the Islamic World.
Islamic textiles are defined by John as textiles made or used by those of Islamic faith.
This brings him from Morocco to China, Russia to Cameroon. Islamic textiles can be identified as displaying ‘aniconic art’, meaning an avoidance of human and animal forms but with a wide use of abstract designs, calligraphy, plant life and geometric forms instead.
John gives a short history of the Islamic World and its textiles before taking us through a fascinating journey region by region to explore the material at hand. In each region he looks at the techniques or the people and has a section about the present. Each part of the book is wonderfully illustrated with images of the textiles along with images of the people who wore them.
This is another book that I can highly recommend both to the person wishing to learn more about this subject, but also for anyone looking for inspiration in their own work. I for one feel inspired to try and weave some of these intriguing motifs.

Review: Spinning Wool: Beyond the Basics

Spinning Wool: Beyond the Basics
by Anne Field, 2010 (Revised edition)
A & C Black Publishers

Spinning Wool: Beyond the Basics presents a clearly laid out guide to all aspects of wool spinning from fleece to finish product, divided into four parts: wool, spinning wheels, yarn design, and projects. The spindle spinner that I am couldn’t help but deplore the absence of the humble spindle, but the wealth of information more than makes up for that oversight.

The first section of the book takes you through the specifics of wool as a fibre, with many close-up photos providing clear visual illustrations. There is invaluable information on how to choose, assess and prep a fleece, with many details on the causes and consequences of different characteristics and on things to watch out for. The amount of information is astounding and everything is explained plainly, making it a very accessible read. It includes a section on different breeds and the particulars of the fibres they produce, once again with close-up pictures of each. This is obviously not as comprehensive as in books dedicated alone to this subject, given that it only represents one part of the Spinning Wool book, but 18 breeds are covered giving a good idea of how different they are and how to use them.

The second part on spinning wheels is similarly very detailed. I especially like the way the mechanics of the wheel and the different types are presented. There are simple explanations on how to figure out the drive ratio on a wheel, and how to then use that knowledge, which I always failed to fully understand before. This section also explores one of the central ideas of the book: spinning to match the crimp. Anne Field indeed explains that to produce the ideal yarn (soft yet strong), the number of twists per inch in the final yarn should match the number of crimps per inch in the original fibres. If those do not match then the yarn is made either weaker or harder. This in turns implies that fibres from different breeds will also be better suited to specific yarn sizes. Not all spinners agree with this, but it is nonetheless a fascinating idea, and Anne Field explains how to go about achieving it on a wheel.

The ‘yarn design’ section, like the first one, will be useful even for exclusively spindle spinners as well as wheel spinners. It focuses on the different techniques available to produce woolen, worsted, semi-woolen and semi-worsted yarn, including the tools to use for the carding/ combing of fibres and the different drafting methods. There again, photos provide very helpful illustrations of how much fibre to load onto the different cards and combs and of the movements involved in the drafting.

I have to admit the last section of the book: the projects, was one I didn’t care much for, but then I hardly ever do. There are nevertheless some interesting considerations such as felting/fulling singles in order to stabilise them, then shown knitted up.

Overall, this is not a book for a beginner spinner, but is a great source of information for anyone already mastering the basics movements of spinning and wishing to understand how to spin wool with specific properties. It will help you make the most of any fleece. This is a book which I’ll definitely keep within hand reach so I can easily refer to it on a regular basis.

Teaching Knitting a Century Ago

By Inny

I first published this article over on my own blog IngridNation. My 'specialist subject' is craft skills education, and I often come across really interesting books in the course of my research. Here is my take on just one of them. Let me know what you think too.

Hand knitting was brought formally into the British school syllabus with the 1870 Education Act. It had been taught in many schools, and especially to girls for long before that, but was not formalised until the late 19th century. By the time of the First World War, knitting was a required element of girls' education and of many boys' too.

The examiner for the London School Board 100 years ago was one Ethel Dudley. She wrote the 1914 standard school book Knitting for Infants and Juniors which I recently consulted in the Knitting Reference Library. Sadly, due to copyright and library rules, I wasn't able to show you a photograph or any of the text here.

I really love looking at old textbooks, (especially old textile-related ones) because I'm just geeky like that. This one was particularly fascinating because it was a textbook for the teacher, not for the pupils. The book showed how the teacher of this period was expected to instruct a class of both boys and girls from age five to eleven. At this point, British children attending state run schools were generally taught in separate single sex classrooms except when they were very young.

In the book, techniques are explained for the teacher using both diagrams and text and teachers are advised to physically demonstrate the knitting techniques in front of the class. This makes a lot of sense today in the light of what we now know about learning styles. It also suggests that either the teachers may not know all of the techniques or that they may need to improve on them in order to meet the programme of learning/teaching.

In her book, Dudley suggested lesson plans and instructions for patterns suitable for varying ages such as the following for five year olds:

‘Duster for school blackboards. Needles 5. Number 8 cotton. 30-40 minutes.
Cast on 18 stitches. K (chain edge) 36 rows.
Cast off and make chain of 12 stitches to hang up.’ (1930:14)

It seems surprising to me today, that five year old children would be able to produce a duster in 40 minutes. Certainly when I have been teaching small children to knit, even those who are 'improvers' would struggle with the speed of this due to the dexterity of their fingers. I'm not sure of the comparable weight of number 8 cotton (but would guess DK to aran weight), but number 5 needles are 5.5mm or US9.

Other items recommended by Dudley to be knitted by children at ages six to seven included lace-paneled, pieced and fitted doll’s clothes, and shaped and pieced slippers. I have to say that they appear much more complex than projects in knitting books for children of a similar age today.

So, is it just that knitting is seen today to be a leisure activity that children might be interested in as a hobby and therefore has to be simple and fun? Was it that 100 years ago, knitting was a necessary life skill that they had need to be competent at from an early age and therefore seems more complicated through our 21st century lens? Or do we expect less from our young learners today?

From the teaching point of view, I wonder whether the school knitting teachers of today would know all of the skills that Ethel Dudley had in mind for those of 1914, or perhaps we should have our own kind of training manuals today? In some ways, I'd love a book that told me how to teach people certain skills. As an example, it took a few tries for my (adult) student and I to work out a good system for teaching her to knit left-handed with me as a righty.

What do you think to these century old differences in the perceived skill levels for teaching and learning to knit?

Do let me know in the comments.

Review: Traditional Knitting

The Complete Book of Traditional Knitting
Rae Compton
Dover Publications

This is a republication of the Complete Book of Traditional Knits from 1983 with the original list of suppliers removed.
It begins with a good introduction to the history of knitting explaining the four other techniques often confused with knitting: stitches made with a single needle, knotless netting (i.e. nalbinding), sprang, and embroidery.
The rest of the book is divided into different regions and their knitting traditions: Shetland and Fair Isle, Britain, Aran (Ireland), Iceland and The Faroe Islands, Sweden, Norway, Central Europe and Northern Lace. Each chapter looks into the different patterns and techniques which form a part of each of these traditions.
At the end of the book each tradition is represented by a pattern - mostly sweaters. As the book was first published in 1983 it does have quite an outdated look about it. Especially, the pictures in the middle do bring you back to the 80s.
But the content is not outdated and makes for very fascinating reading on the whole. I for one can't wait to get stuck into making some Fair Isle sweaters for my husband and myself. Lovely warm ones protecting us against wind and weather when we are outside working.

Reviewed by Eddie

Review: Ethnic Knitting Exploration

Ethnic Knitting Exploration: Lithuania, Iceland, and Ireland
Donna Druchunas
Nomad Press

Reviewed by Kate Walker
Ethnic Knitting Exploration is a thorough introduction to knitting design. As with many pattern books, it includes the very basics, such as yarn weights and needle sizes, but it progresses quickly, and takes the reader through a step-by-step process of designing their own pattern. Along the way, Druchunas offers tips for sizing, choosing the right yarn weight and keeping consistent gauge.

There are different ways to plan your patterns, including a visual plan, detailed planning worksheets and a step-by-step list of written instructions. The focus of the book is on knitting sweaters, and there is a good introduction to the different shapes of sweater. For new knitters looking to build confidence in pattern design, Druchunas starts with some smaller projects, such as fingerless gloves and ponchos.

Unlike her previous book, Arctic Lace, Druchunas does not concentrate very much on the history of the countries themselves, although there is a brief introduction to them at the start of each section and sidebars of trivia dotted around the book. Instead the emphasis is on using elements of each country’s knitting traditions to create your own patterns. Icelandic and Lithuanian patterns include Fair Isle motifs and borders, while the Irish patterns include cabling and designs to create your own customised aran sweaters.

There are photos of the pattern stitches throughout the book, although I would have liked to have seen photos of the finished product as well. With the exception of the cover photos, finished products are shown in line drawings

If you’re looking for rigid patterns, this is not the book for you. The key themes of the book are flexibility, pattern tweaking, and as Druchunas herself says ‘fudging’. For a beginner this is a very good introduction to designing your own pattern, and should give even the most cautious knitter the confidence to design their first sweater.

 

Review: Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design

The Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design (How to Keep you Knits about You)
Shannon OKey, 2010
Cooperative Press

Review by Cecile Renaud

The Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design is aimed squarely at the budding designer thinking about taking the next step and wanting to publish their designs. As such it is a mine of useful information, covering every aspect of the process of going professional from who does what in the industry, to design software and advertising, also including alternative ways to earn money with knitting, whilst you wait for the design side of things to take off. It presents different options for many of the steps involved, with helpful indications on their pros and cons, notably on the different means of selling patterns. This is not a book with fancy fashion shots or even instructions on how to write a pattern, but the advice it dispenses covers a wide ground, and undoubtedly represent a handy shortcut to information which would otherwise have taken a long string of trials and errors to figure out.
This is, however, definitely a book you need to read with a handy Internet access, because much of its advice is illustrated by links to web pages. Although this leaves more space to cover a wider amount of topics in the limited space available in a book, it also means that if you want to get the full picture you often have to refer to the Internet (although a summary of the main points developed elsewhere is most of the time given). This might also be easier to access from the ebook version, which is also available for purchase, as the references might be hyperlinked in the PDF, otherwise, typing in URLs can be slightly tiresome.
The pattern design industry is constantly changing and Knitgrrl’s guide covers the facilities offered by the Internet thoroughly, starting with examining the possibilities of the different types of social media, but also giving or mainly linking to ‘how tos’ and sources of information.
It includes advice for people at different stages of their professional project, including a chapter on Further Education in textiles, covering many countries of the English-speaking world, which is a very nice change from national-centered perspectives. On a personal level, I was thrilled to find a reference to the knitting collection of the Winchester School of Art Library, which is part of my university.
Finally, the last chapter of the book consists of interviews with thirty professionals from the knitting industry: long established designers such as Louisa Harding, as well as more recent, mainly Internet based ones like Ysolda Teague, but also tech editors and magazine editors. The number and range of people interviewed adds to the variety of points of view, making it a rich and comprehensive read.
The book thus offers, in simple terms accessible to any knitter, a fascinating insider’s view of the workings of the knitting industry.

Review: Ethnic Knitting Discovery

Ethnic Knitting Discovery: The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and the Andes
Donna Druchunas
Nomad Press

Review by Eddie

Donna writes in the introduction: 'Today, published patterns are everywhere. But that doesn't mean that you can find just the right pattern, when you have a project in mind'.
How right she is! This is why she has written this book, which explored how knitters in different parts of the world approach knitting and create unique garments and accessories.
The book contains no patterns but instead has a sample garment and a sample accessory for each country. The countries in this book are The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and The Andes.
I would like to knit a really nice sweater for my husband from this Jacob's wool that I have begun spinning. I am sure this book will be very handy when trying to figure out the sizing and shaping as I haven't yet found the perfect pattern.
Donna teaches you how to get the size right by making some measurements and working from them. There are different options depending on whether you are a knitter who is ready to work from a basic concept, a knitter who wants to plan thoroughly in advance, or a knitter who would like detailed instructions.
Basically, Donna is teaching us to knit from very basic principles in a way that has been used for generations. This is a truly unique and extremely useful book.

Review: Simple Socks

Simple Socks (Plain & Fancy)
by Pricilla A Gibson-Roberts
Nomad Press
Review by Dee Westwood

As a dedicated sock knitter myself, I was pleased to be asked to review this lovely book.
The author has put many years of sock knitting expertise into creating a simply presented book for any new or more experienced sock makers with some tips for hand-spinners too. Once mastered, I feel certain that all knitters will be keen to adopt the style and methodology explained…. And that having done so, will effortlessly find their sock making takes on a new lease of life. Having seen for myself the benefits of doing things in the ways revealed within the book I believe I may now be a convert.
What is immediatly striking is Pricilla’s enthusiasm for knitting and sock making history giving us as readers a little background, making us feel almost as if we’re old friends sitting knitting together, discussing the cultural origins of the stitches and styles as we create.
The book adopts the use of 5 DPN’s although as a knitter who prefers using circular needles I have found no reason at all why circular needles cannot be used successfully by using stitch markers. I absolutely love the idea of using the short row method for sock toes, as well as the heel (which is also my own preferred heel turning method) and really appreciate the alternative yarn over method instead of wrapping stitches. It does indeed leave a much smoother and tighter seam.
In fact the book has many great ideas for the committed sock enthusiast and knitter to try, and no doubt adopt in making future projects. For instance, the invisible cast on when beginning at the toe, which as a hand spinner has recently become my preferred starting point too and for exactly the reasons Pricilla states… no more worries about not having enough yarn to finish a project that you might encounter when knitting from the top to the toe. Brilliant!
No matter what your preference, whether you begin at the cuff and knit towards the toe, or begin at the toe and work to the top, both are fully explained and are equally easy to do. Leg shaping for longer socks to suit the male or female shape, deciding where and how you want stitches to behave, or which way to lean, it’s all there. I can’t think of anything that has been forgotten or left to chance.
Then there are the elastic cast on or cast off techniques, given in English and Continental styles, as well as the straightforward explanation and diagrams for sock construction which will enable us all to make socks to any size, to fit any foot, that will not only look and feel pleasing, but that also stay put keeping our tootsies snug!
The author has gone to great lengths to provide us with easy to understand explanations of any movements needed to attempt and successfully complete the manoeuvres required to master these new methods and has provided simple illustrated drawings to back these descriptions up.
Having tried the basic sock, I’m keen to get started on my next project and to put into practice some of the ideas for creating fancy designs, although I have much doubt in my ability to master intarsia or motif knitting I will with this book open beside me be giving it a go!

Review: Vintage Knits

Vintage Knits: 30 Knitting Designs from Rowan for Women and Men
2010

Reviewed by Eddie

This book is purely a pattern book - but oh what patterns. Rowan has collected 30 patterns by 8 of the UK's top hand knit designers. I can't wait to get going with some of the patters. The patterns themselves are obviously not vintage but instead, vintage inspired by photos from the post war period and films such as "Chocolat" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's".
The patterns are mostly for shawls and cardigans but they are all unique and beautiful. Some include embroidery while others incorporate intricate cable-work. About half the knits are for men and half for women. A great collection for anyone who enjoys great design and vintage style.
The designers behind this book are: Kaffe Fassett, Sarah Dallas, Kim Hargreaves, Martin Storey, Sharon Peake, Louisa Harding, Brandon Mably and Lucinda Guy.
My personal favourite patterns are definitely Kim Hargreaves "Beau" and "Jarrett", two wonderful and stylish knits for men, Sarah Dallas' exceptional cardigan for women: "Tyrolean" and Martin Storey's "Bridget" which to me has a lovely Scandinavian look, that is a classic but still fresh.

Review: Knitting it Old School

Knitting it Old School
By Stitchy McYarnpants and Caro Sheridan, 2010

Published by Wiley

Review by Inny

Stitchy McYarnpants and Caro Sheridan's new book, Knitting It Old School is an absolute riot of colour, patterns and inspiration. The writing style is very jolly; rather tongue in cheek, and I really enjoyed reading the book for that alone.

The book is dedicated to the authors' mothers 'who passed on their creative genes' and in light of this, I reviewed this book along with my own mother, who is of the age to have worn and made a lot of the patterns when they were first in fashion.

There is a good mix of styles covering the decades approximately from the 1940s to the 1970s. Although not a vintage book in the strict sense of the word, these patterns are inspired by the vintage look but brought up to date for today. The patterns range in size from XS to 2X variously in the women's patterns which is a heck of a lot bigger than the 34" busts of many actual vintage patterns.

Knitting it Old School features a nice mix of both garments and kitschy items like Bottle Buddies. The book attracted some well known designers such as Annie Modesitt and Pamela Wynne and this is reflected in the high standard of the designs. Some of the garments we thought a bit too out-there for everyday wear, but there were enough included that we would knit for ourselves to make up for this.

We really liked the way that the book was divided into fun sections like 'Vroom!' and 'Sci-Fiber' [sic] although my Mum wasn't sure that my Dad would have appreciated her knitting him a Star Trek inspired sweater!

Despite the title, Knitting it Old School actually also contains 10 crochet patterns and 4 for sewing. Within the crochet patterns is a fabulous 1960s style granny square dress.My Mum claims to have worn one of these herself although I am still waiting on photographic proof of this...

While she wouldn't make herself a crocheted dress nowdays, my mother would like to knit herself the lovely 1950s-inspired navy and white short sleeved sweater, whilst I particularly liked the scoop-necked St Moritz pullover with its button details and clever waist shaping. We both agreed that that it was really positive in a general knitting book to see such a range of men's garments.

Each pattern has at very well shot photographs, although it would have been useful to see the back and some detail shots of some of the garments to get a better idea of how they sit when worn. There is a good description included of each garment or item with a little design story and ideas about how to best wear each.

The charts included are very good, and in colour, which is a real bonus. However lack of written word alternatives to the charts might have been been helpful in places for those who prefer to work that way.


Although not a beginner's book, we would highly recommend this as a useful resource any of us who have a good working knowledge of basic knitting. This book has such a lot of interesting techniques that it would make a great buy for someone who likes both the retro look and the challenge of learning something new.

So really, whether you love knitting, or are just a 1950s throwback, this book should be on your Christmas list. You'll dip into it again and again.

Review: Sew Retro

Sew Retro: Simple Vintage-inspired Projects for the Modern Girl and a Stylish History of the Sewing Revolution
By Judi Ketteler, 2010
Voyageur Press

Reviewed by Eddie

Let me begin by saying that I love this book. There are a lot of books around at the moment focusing on the retro or vintage aspect of crafts. While this naturally thrills me I don't think that they all focus equally on the historic aspect, but this book does. It is divided into decades beginning with the 1800's and ending with the chapter "1980's to today".
Each chapter introduces the period and talks about different aspects of sewing in this period. In the 1800's we have "the cult of true womanhood". Later we explore how sewing gave women freedom to earn a living or to follow fashion.
Each chapter also includes a couple of patterns and a designer Q&A. The patterns are very nice too although I don't think they are the main attraction of the book. They are beautifully written and illustrated well with great period images. It's a fun and interesting book and I learned a lot from reading it. I would recommend it any day of the week.

Review: Classic and Modern Fabrics

Classic and Modern Fabrics - The Complete Illustrrated Sourcebook
Janet Wilson, 2010
Thames & Hudson

Reviewed by Deborah Hannam

This is a large book. It is a beautiful book. It will take up space on the bookshelf and will need to sit with dictionaries and encyclopaedia!! When I first dipped into it I felt it was a reference book for professional designers, dressmakers and students rather than an amateur weaver and spinner such as myself. I was mistaken and rapidly found myself absorbed by the subject matter. It is a definitive guide to all the major fabrics in use today ranging from entries on well known classics such as Flannelet and Tweed to innovative newcomers such as Nanomaterials and Moisture Transport Textiles new to me but fascinating).
The layout is clear and attractive and consideration has been given to ease of recognition and identification. Each fabric is accompanied by a large scale photograph clearly showing structure and texture. Where necessary these include diagrams of construction. The text accompanying each photograph includes a wealth of fascinating detail, covering essential information such as the principle applications, history, construction, patterns and the usage of obsolete terms where appropriate. Cross references at the end of each entry widen the information. The entry on Glass cloth for example will lead to Diced Weave, Huckaback, Tea Towelling, and Union Fabric. All these are further described and illustrated.
This is a book for anyone who has an interest in fabric whether for professional or personal reasons. It is primarily a definitive reference book and should be included in any reference library used by students of textiles and fashion. It would provide an up to date reference book for anyone needing information about textiles in current use today whether professionally or for personal interest. It will also be of interest to those wanting an historical background to textiles, costume and interior furnishings.

Review: Edwardian Farm

Edwardian Farm
by Alex Langlands, Ruth Goodman & Peter Ginn
Pavilion

The book “The Edwardian Farm” accompanies the 12 part BBC Series of the same name currently running on BBC2. Being a fan of the series I am of course an avid viewer and I was so happy to get a chance to review the book too.
The Edwardian Farm is a follow up to The Victorian Farm from 2009, where the authors; Alex, Ruth and Peter have both moved to a new region of Britain and taken on a new era in farming. Morwellham Quay on the banks of the River Tamar in Devonshire provides them with the perfect opportunity to try a hand at a more modern lifestyle in a still rural, but a more industrial setting than previously.
As much as I love learning about farm life at the turn of the century I am also fascinated by all the other ways of earning money that the authors try out.
One of these cottage industries that I am particularly interested in myself is the Honiton bobbin lace making. At a time when machine made lace was becoming increasingly popular – pillow lace became a difficult commodity to sell. To make matters worse, most women and girls making lace would sell through a dealer and would thus receive next to nothing for their hard work. Even though Ruth didn’t master lace making she did have success cleaning it and I will refer back to this when I next need to clean my own lace pieces.
The other local industry that caught my interest was market gardening. I was very interested to learn how this was organised through co-operatives with leaflets from the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries giving advice. If you enjoyed The Edwardian Farm then I don’t have to convince you of this book’s merits, but even if you didn’t watch the series, I think this book is a great display of Experimental Archaeology/History and still makes for a great read.

Review: Japanese Taupe Quilt Blocks

Japanese Taupe Quilt Blocks
Susan Briscoe, 2010
A & C Black Publishers

Reviewed by Coral Jackson

Sumptuary laws in Japan prohibited commoners from wearing brightly coloured clothing, resulting in the widespread use of subdued colours which are still considered to be the epitome of good taste. Using this palette and taking her inspiration from traditional Japanese sources, the author has produced 125 patchwork and applique blocks which have a surprising contemporary feel.

She gives a good description of choice of fabric and appropriate colours. Contrary to my expectations, these were not confined to browns but included shades and tints of all colours. This gives colour palettes that can be warm or cool and give a quiet, restful appearance to the finished article.

Using good, clear instructions and numerous photographs, Susan Briscoe carefully takes us through all the stages from choice of fabric through to finishing techniques. There are numerous tips for sewing and design. The blocks are graded into three skill levels from easy to advanced. However, given the clarity of instructions I feel that even complete beginners would do well. All the necessary templates are in the back of the book to be traced or photocopied.

She has included six small projects– my favourites were the tote bag (great for a present!) and the satchel bag. These alone justify purchasing this book.

This is an excellent companion to her previous book ‘Japanese Quilt Blocks’.

Review: African Textiles

African Textiles - Colour and Creativity Across a Continent
by John Gillow, 2009
Thames & Hudson

Reviewed by Eddie

This book aims to be an illustrated general survey of textiles of the whole African continent. The chapters divide Africa up, region by region, to look closer at each local weaving, dyeing and embroidery tradition.
Gillow examines the history of the textile tradition across the continent as well as comments on the current state of it. One valid point he makes is that while selling crafted items to tourists or through export is a great way to keep these crafts alive, there is still a need for a strong local demand in order to ensure that a high standard is maintained.
I have learned many new things from this book. Among others, the West African concept of strip-weaving which I must admit I had never heard of before. This is a technique of weaving narrow bands of fabric on a double-heddle loom, which are then sewn together selvedge to selvedge to create a large rectangular wrap.
Another technique I have discovered through this book is stitched resist dyeing, where you fold a piece of cloth and use raffia thread to embroider a pattern. The cloth is then dyed and when the thread is removed you are left with a beautiful regular patterned cloth.
This book has also allowed me to learn more about the bead-work of Southern Africa. A type of decoration that has fascinated me from a very early age. It is often used to make belts, necklaces and aprons to go with the customary skin clothing or just on its own. The beads themselves were of European or Indian manufacture and were introduced by traders and Christian missionaries. Nevertheless, the people of Southern Africa have made a unique technique and style of their own out of it.
I think this book is of equal interest to those who want an overview of African Textiles as well as those who are looking for new inspiration in their own craft-work. I for one have discovered new techniques that I wish to experiment with.

Review: From Print to Stitch

From Print to Stitch
Tips and Techniques for Hand Printing and Stitching on Fabric
Janet Edmonds, 2010
Search Press

Reviewed by Sue Bates

This is a beautifully presented colourful book showing how exciting it can be to add stitch to prints that you have done yourself.
From the introduction we are taken through some background history, and then shown what to use, how to use it, and why you would use these things to make prints. There are enormous descriptive bright photographs on each page.
Inks, paints, fabrics and tools lead on to print blocks. These can be bought, but Janet shows a multitude of methods for producing your own, mostly at next to no cost. There is a small section on sewing equipment but much of this comes later in the book.
Developing a theme is one of Janet's strong points, and she covers plenty of ways to find designs, then goes on to create a motif from these to put on her blocks. Pattern design is shown by positioning of motifs and there are five themes shown from source to finished piece. Again the exciting photos will give you a guided tour of these themes.
Colour is another subject that is covered thoroughly. Doing your own testing of primaries, complementary colours and tints is recommended and Janet leads you through it clearly.
Printing whys and wherefores take up about a third of the book, so there will be few questions left to ask by the time you have read it all and seen the stunning examples of block prints, monoprints, collographs, over printing, and so much more.
The next section is about how to apply stitch to enhance the printing. There should be balance between the two forms of decoration and Janet explains how this is achieved. This section also gives the choices of hand and machine stitching, with ample suggestions and again, clear photos of the subject.
This is followed by a Stitch Gallery of her work, with a myriad of choices to visit. She explains that she mostly uses favourites that derive from a straight stitch.
"The joy of stitching for me is in selecting threads with the right texture and colour to complement the print fully and not having to struggle with technique."
The conclusion is short and to the point and the Index is totally inclusive.

This is a book that you can delve into and pick out, or just take it as it comes. There are ideas a plenty and all come from Janet's deep knowledge and appreciation of all aspects of her work. It is a City and Guild student's dream.

Review: Sampler Workbook

Sampler Workbook: Motifs & Patterns
by Caroline Vincent, 2010
A & C Black Publishers

I have a sampler from when I was born. My mother designed it and my grandmother did the cross-stitching. Growing up I’m not sure I saw the point of it all that much, but now I cherish it dearly and I can’t wait to make some for the next generation. And boy am I full of ideas from looking in Caroline’s book.
It is simply a treasure trove of motifs and patterns presented in the most delectable fashion. The book is divided into categories: buildings, figures, trees, animals, border patterns and floral arrangements. Each chapter begins with the history of this specific type of motif.
Caroline also leads us through the history of the sampler; telling us the story of those who made the samplers and those who enjoyed their decorative beauty.
So if you are interested in the history of the sampler this book is a great read. Furthermore, all the motifs and patterns in the book make it a wonderful source book if you are interested in making your own sampler or embroidered piece of work.

Review: Scandinavian Weaving

Scandinavian Weaving: Projects to Make for Your Home
Tina Ingell, 2010
A&C Black Publishers

I seldom find a project based book with so many projects in it that are all so attractive to me. I brought this book with me on holiday home to Denmark so that I could have a look through it with my mother. She used to weave 20 years ago and we have great plans of setting up her old floor loom and have a go on it. This book was just the inspiration we both needed. I can see us trying out quite a few of the projects over the next couple of years.
This book, though put together and written by Tina Ignell, is really a collection of 45 patterns published in Vävmagasinet - The Swedish Weaving Magazine. The patterns include everything from blankets to hammocks. The style of the items in the book are very Scandinavian modern. They might not be to everyone's taste, but I love them!
I feel that the book is really brilliant when it comes to showing off the product of different techniques. However, be aware that there is not much in terms of explanation of the techniques themselves. Scandinavian Weaving is not, in my view, a beginners book in terms of learning to weave. But it is great for getting that all-important inspiration!

Review: Best in Show

Best in Show: knit your own dog
by Sally Muir & Joanna Osborne, 2010
Collins & Brown

This book is mainly a bit of fun. All knitting doesn’t have to be sweaters and socks as we see here. Why not knit your own dog instead! Sally and Joanna will show you how you do it.
Divided into the breeds of dog there is a pattern for every dog lover. Whether your thing is a utility dog like the Dalmatians or a gun dog like the Labrador, there is something for everyone. Or as the authors suggest, you can also create your own mongrel. Mix the body parts of a Labrador with those of a poodle and get a Labradoodle.
I have always had a thing for English Bulldogs I made this my next project. The thing is, I have been making handmade presents for my husband's birthday this year. But alas, I already told him about most of them. So this bulldog will be the only surprise.
You can see the finished project on Ravelry (you will need to login to Ravelry). I found it very fun to knit in my own plied, recycled sweater yarn. But I must admit that I am not too impressed with the sewing up instructions. They were quite confusing. On the other hand the bulldog does seem like one of the most confusing dogs in terms of sewing because of the nose. So maybe if I had chosen another dog I wouldn't have had this problem.

I highly recommend this book as a fun way of doing something different when it comes to knitting.