Weekend Review: Daydream Journals

 

Daydream Journals / Tilly Rose
Tunbridge Wells: Search Press, c2022.
128 p.

This was an unusual read for me, a book of embroidered projects which I found via the library. The title and cover make it clear that this is a book about making cloth books! But there are a few other 'wrap' style projects as well. 

The first half of the book is made up of instruction - tools, techniques, and lots of inspiration. The second half then shares projects for readers to make themselves. There is also a small stitch guide section included at the end. 

There are 8 projects in total:  a journal wrap (cover), sewing case, project bag, jar cozy, and 4 kinds of books/booklets. There is nice variety and some intriguing artistic concepts here. The projects are heavily photographed and simple enough to people to follow along. Some of the steps require hand sewing along with the embroidery to finish up a project, but it's all easily done by someone with fairly basic stitching skills. 

But the book is in the 'messy' English style of textile work, and so includes more than the stitches as part of these projects. The design and decoration of many of these textiles includes painting fabric with watercolours to give a gentle wash effect, solar dyeing and even using squished berries as ink sources. I wonder a bit about the lasting power of these techniques but they do give an interesting effect! 

If you like this kind of shabby chic English aesthetic, you might find some appealing ideas for techniques to try in this book. I'm not sure I'd make any of the actual projects in full, but some of the parts of the projects could be adaptable to other things. It's not 100% my style of making but still interesting enough to look at and see how someone else approaches this kind of project and technique.

The "Stitch Wrap" - probably my favourite idea in the book!

Weekend Review: The Embroidered Closet

 

The Embroidered Closet / Alexandra Stratkotter
NY: Abrams, c2022.
160 p.

This is another book I picked up in my recent Book Outlet splurge. I love embroidering, and this book is all about using stitching to embellish your wardrobe. I really enjoyed this one! 

I didn't realize until I received it that it was written by a fellow Canadian. How nice to see that! This is a delightful read -- nothing earth-shattering, as it's basically about using stitching to beautify and update your wardrobe, but it's nicely laid out. The photos are beautiful, the instructions are fairly clear for all the stitches, and there are some beautiful motifs. I liked her colour palette and choices, even if they aren't always my own. 

The only that doesn't work -- just for me personally -- is the use of wool crewel threads. They look lovely on a sweater but there's something about the texture of wool threads that's like nails on a chalkboard for me -- I literally can't use them! If you don't have this strange reaction to wool threads then go for it :) 

Many of the motifs shared here are nature themed, from florals to bugs, houseplants to suns and stars. She even has some lettering options, and tips on how to use cursive style lettering effectively. There are examples of stitching on collars, lapels and necklines, even pant legs and jacket backs. There are projects for accessories like caps, bags, or shoes -- and even a very unusual choice to stitch onto a bralette! The different bases that she stitches on require different threads and stabilizers, and she does go into choices for each. 

This is an inspiration book, and it's beautifully put together. The photos are really lovely, and there are enough closeup images of the stitching to satisfy a reader. There are colour and stitch guides for each project that are easy to follow, and there is a wide variety of ideas about what to stitch on. I found a couple of the monochrome examples particularly nice. If you're thinking about adding more embellishment to your clothing via stitch, this would be a fun book to investigate. Enjoyable! 

Weekend Review: Making Designer Trims

 

Couture Sewing: Making Designer Trims / Claire B. Shaeffer
Newton, CT: Taunton Press, c2017.
144 p.

This is a wonderful book, which I fortunately got my hands on via Interlibrary Loan. So inspiring! It's one of the titles in the Couture Sewing series by acknowledged expert and Chanel collector Claire B. Shaeffer. (If you haven't heard her talk about her collections, check out this podcast by Threads).

This book is full of great information on making and applying trims to that Chanel style jacket you've just spent so long working on. Rouleau loops, piping, ribbon, self fabric fringe or selvage piping, insertions, embroidered edging; there is so much here to work with. Since it's couture focused, most of the work on these trims is done by hand, and really seems like it needs to be to get a good result. Quick weekend projects these are not. 

Personally speaking, I'm not likely to sew up a couture jacket any time soon, but the ideas here are so beautiful and interesting. I can already think of many other ways to use these ideas on simpler projects, and dress up a plain silhouette with something that is already at hand. One thing to note is that this book is about using ready made trim for the most part -- ribbons, gimp, self fabric strips etc -- and not creating your own trim from scratch, ie: braiding, weaving etc. 

If this is something that appeals to you, this book will definitely give you some ideas, and some specific techniques for applying the trim and finishing the edges cleanly and so on. And there is also a gallery of Chanel pieces at the end of the book to get a good look at many of these options in person, so to speak. Really lovely to look through, like the rest of Claire Shaeffer's books. 

I really love that faced cuff on the back of the book!

Weekend Review: Ruth Singer's Fabric Manipulation

Fabric Manipulation: 150 Creative Sewing Techniques
by Ruth Singer
Exeter, UK: David & Charles, c2013.
175 p.

I picked this book up through the library and was very pleased with the inspiration inside! As noted right in the title, there are 150 ideas for fabric manipulation in this book, although quite a few use ribbon as in the image on the cover. (all images here are from the publisher).

These techniques fold, tuck, smock, gather and squish fabric to create new textures and visual impact -- the techniques can then be used in any kind of project you want. Projects are not included here but the techniques are highlighted on pillows, art quilts, and other things, and when you're reading with an interested eye you can think of many, many ways to incorporate some of these ideas into your own sewing. 

There are some gorgeous ideas for smocked velvet (luscious), and for tons of trim ideas. Any of the pleated ribbon techniques could be used as trim for skirt or jacket edges and would make a simple garment look a lot fancier. There was even the simple idea (but one which had never occurred to me) to face a pleat with a ribbon, so that when you walk, the pleats would swing and show off the contrast. I really like that one! 

Each of the techniques is clearly explained, and the accompanying photos are large and clear, showing the details well. Singer makes these tucks and folds seem approachable and non-intimidating, and starts with a simple idea that she then expands on to suggest so many more ways to use it. I loved the weirdness of lined yoyos attached to a ground fabric: they look organic somehow. 

I also really love tucks of all kinds and there are some nice ideas here for different effects using tucks -- I'm sure this is something I could easily incorporate into a garment. They are so basic but look so different depending on how you finish them. 

There is a lot of variety in this book, so I think it could be useful to quilters, garment sewists and art quilters alike. If you like to fuss around with fabric and make it into something more interesting than it was to begin with, this is definitely a reference book you'll want on your shelves. I really enjoyed it and have marked some ideas down for experimenting in the new year. Clear and colourful, this was a real find. 

Weekend Review: Creative Sewing Ideas by Singer

Creative Sewing Ideas / Singer Reference Library
Minnetonka, MN: Cy DeCosse, c1990
127 p.

This is another book in the Singer Reference Library series, published by Cy Deosse in the 80s & early 90s. I have quite a few titles in this series, thanks to my thrift store habits.

This one fits nicely into this month's look at some of the books on embellishments that I have on my shelves. However, the first third is more about fabric manipulation than strictly about embellishment. 

It shares how to twist silk for a pleated texture, how to felt wool, and dye and discharge or stamp fabric to change the surface design. Some of these ideas are quite beautiful - the silk technique in particular seems very modern again.

Then the book moves on to sharing creative details that you can adapt to add some spark to your garments. From adding shaped bound buttonholes to decorative seams to double and triple piping and unusual shaped pocket openings, there are ways to adjust and add design detail to basic elements of a garment. Fraying edges or exposed seams seems a little of the era of this book's publication, but even these ideas might be adapted to something interesting. 

From there, we start to look at real embellishment. Adding buttonholes or buttons not for use but just for design is one simple idea. Then this chapter covers ribbonwork (basically flat ribbon applied in specific shapes and stitched down), beadwork, or punched lace in faux suede.

 Most interesting to me because it was completely new to me, was how to make Slentre Braid. This is a handmade braid that is flat on one side and half-round on the other, making it ideal for application as trim. The examples show the variations available in your choice of material and how it can be used at seams or edges. 

The book then concludes with some project ideas; this section is dated and didn't appeal much to me, but overall this book has some great techniques and ideas. Like all of this series, the photos are large, clear and colourful, although somewhat 80s -- okay, they are usually pretty spectacularly 80s! (just another reason I enjoy them). 

If you are looking for some new ideas to perk up your projects, this old book is a fun look at some ways you might change up a plain project a little; you don't have to choose the colours or over the top nature of some of the examples, but you could easily modernize the techniques and create something really interesting today. 

Weekend Review: Fabricate

Fabricate / Susan Wasinger
Interweave Press, c2009
128 p.

This little book has been on my shelf for a long time and there are some really neat ideas in it. There are 17 projects in this book, each featuring a different kind of fabric manipulation and/or surface decoration idea. The projects are really neither here nor there, in my view -- it's the techniques that are most interesting.

Take the cover -- I won't make a clutch purse like that, but I most definitely will try felting up some floral decor for another project more likely to be used by me. Other items in the book include rugs, pillows, bags, throws, wraps, scarves etc. Lots of fun ways to make something really original here. 

Techniques range from chenille or felting to shibori and fabric etching. There is discussion of laminates, or repeat surface design via notions like ric-rac or zippers; there is pleating, puckering, applique and more. Actually for such a small book with only 17 projects, there are many ideas you can run with in your own way. 

What she calls nonstitch embroidery -- scraps fused to
a skirt under a translucent fusible interfacing as a feature!

One of the unusual ideas that caught my attention when I first had this book was the concept of ironing -- or fusing -- plastic sheets together. Using shopping bags, she irons them into heavier sheets to make bigger bags or plastic material.

I used this idea to fuse the thin blue bags that newspapers are wrapped in into largeish sheets that I am using for a series of ocean themed embroideries. The first one features coral!

French knots on blue plastic :)

There's a mix of accessory and clothing projects in the book, but many of the ideas can be adapted for garments. From the unusual to the usual and classic pleating/tucking ideas, there are so many pretty and intriguing ideas here to fancy up and personalize a project. 

The instructions for the projects are brief but clear, and the photos are all lovely and detailed. Recommended even if just for browsing through for enjoyment!

Weekend Review: Tucks Textures & Pleats

Tucks Textures & Pleats / Jennie Rayment
Haslemere, Surrey: JR Publications, c1994.
104 p.

Today's book of embellishment ideas comes from Jennie Rayment, a quilter known for her fabric manipulation techniques. This is one of her very first books, and I first became acquainted with it through my local quilt club. 

Although it is aimed mainly at quilting and/or decor objects, there are also project ideas for adding fancy panels to bags, belts or even jackets and vests. The book is arranged both by technique and project -- since it was self-published, the instructional illustrations are all just hand drawn black and white, but they are very clear, and the techniques are clearly explained. There are a couple of colour photo pages inserted as well, showing some of the finished pieces in greater detail. 

There is also a section on what to do with your textured pieces - create cushions, bags and so forth, and how to finish them neatly. Lots of ideas and examples to spark the imagination and get you going on a new fabric manipulation kick! 

Of course, since I'm looking at this book from the perspective of garment sewing, I could see many ways to adapt these techniques to a piece of clothing. Creating special panels for a quilted style jacket, perhaps. Or maybe a yoke or insert in a plain linen dress that has some fancy pintucks beforehand (I like the look of crossed tucks a lot). There are ideas for creating texture through quilting, or through origami style folded fabric that is stitched into place. She even has new ways of using bias tucks or bands as accents. And there is a chapter on fabric weaving. There is a lot here that a garment sewist can be inspired by! 

It's funny that this book is quite old but the techniques feel fresh and intriguing. The author's website has a bit more information as well as a follow-up book to this one available, so if the idea of changing your fabric through texture appeals to you, I'd recommend you check it out. For an older coil bound quilting focused book, I was surprised by how much use I could get out of it for clothing and accessory projects. I like her approach to teaching and writing, and think that she has a gift for inspiring even newer sewists and needleworkers to give some of these ideas a try. Recommended!

Weekend Review: Embellishments A-Z

If you are currently one of the many people staying home, and finding more time for sewing, maybe you're starting to think about projects that take a little more time or effort. If so, I have some ideas for extra details and embellishments that you might be interested in exploring, all found on my bookshelf.

I do have quite a few sewing and textile art books in my collection, and this month I will share some of the interesting ideas from these books. Maybe I'll even be inspired to use some myself ;)

Embellishments A-Z / Stephanie Valley
Newton, CT: Taunton Press, c1999.
168 p.

I'll start with this small coil bound book. It's part of a larger series by the Taunton Press, and has lots of interesting ideas in it. The techniques can be used for textile art, for quilting, and also for preparing personalized details in your garment sewing. There is a wide variety shown in this book, more than you'd expect for its size. 

The book is laid out in sections, with different techniques described in each. I'm particularly fond of things like bias binding and piping, so was pleased to see mention of them -- the only technique I hadn't seen before was shirred piping, when the casing for your piping is gathered up around the cord, giving it quite a decorative appearance. 

I also like the illustrations and suggestions for using basic stitching to great advantage, particularly in the couching and decorative machine stitching sections. I can see using these to decorate a panel of a garment before putting a piece together. 

In the section on machine embroidery, she also demonstrates bobbin work, which is using heavier decorative threads in the bobbin and stitching from the wrong side, essentially. And there is also information about the cable stitch, a raised, looped stitch made from setting your tension differently and using decorative threads. 

There are also ideas for fancier fabric manipulation -- the chapter on velvet is particularly fascinating. While I've seen velvet embossed with rubber stamps previously (she does go over this also) the part I found clever was using simple household items to create great effects. The velvet below has been embossed using a wire rack, but it looks fabulous. 

There are other ways to manipulate fabrics, like sewing all kinds of tucks -- pintucks, crossed tucks, etc -- an effect I really like. You might also want to slice and reassemble fabric using weaving techniques. I've tried a few of these kinds of projects when working on textile arts, but never thought about using them to create fabrics to use for clothing. It's giving me some ideas.

In each chapter, the projects move from easy to challenging, and are clearly marked as to their difficulty levels. There are many, many clear photographs of each technique, and clearly explained steps for each. 

If you're looking for a way to add an extra element of pizzazz to your projects, this is a good basic guide to some new decorative ideas. I would recommend it to anyone interested in adding something truly individual to a project or two.