What's New Review
The Decorated Journal: Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal Pages
A beautifully illustrated and written 128 page, full cover book detailed several journaling techniques with explainations of bookbinding technqiues. If you enjoy journal making, you'll enjoy this book.
The Decorated Page: Journals, Scrapbooks & Albums Made Simply Beautiful
A gorgeous follow-up to The Decorated Journal, with this book focusing on ways to customize blank books, alter printed books, embellishing journals, and more. The first 30 pages of the 128 page book covers art supplies leaving the remaining pages to cover techniques such as watercolor washes, sponge painting, transfers, layouts, and various applications.
Artists' Journals and Sketchbooks: Exploring and Creating Personal Pages
This is one of those books where you can flip to any page and fall into reading the words and admiring the art. While there are tips and techniques, the beauty of the book is peaking into the journal pages of the many contributing artists who share their insights and ideas.
Off-The-Shelf Fabric Painting: 30 Simple Recipes for Gourmet Results
I've been painting and dyeing fabrics for nearly 15 years, and I wish this book was around when I started. It's loaded with ideas - everything from preparing your paints and simple techniques likes splatters and splashes, lines, basic textures, salting, and sunprinting to various print techniques (such as spong stamping, stenciling, and masking) and resist techniques. It includes a troubleshooting guide, too
The Art of Fabric Books, Innovative Ways to Use Fabric in Scrapbooks, Altered Books and More
Looking to make the leap from paper to cloth? Jan's attractive, 112 page book tells you how by explaining techniques and providing projects. For those who like fabric but not sewing, Jan provides alternatives.
Paintstiks on Fabric, Simple Techniques, Fantastic Results
$16.95, 32 pps, Cedar Canyon Textiles
What are Shiva Paintstiks (called "Markal Paintstiks outside the USA) and why do you want to use them on fabric?
Paintstiks look like a chunky crayon, but they are actually made from pigment, oil, and wax. They are available in 51 professional colors and 15 iridescent colors. My question when I first learned of them was: What type of oil is used in the Paintstiks? Mineral oil, as in Sennellier oil pastels? If so, I knew that was fine to use on untreated fabric. Or linseed oil, a chemically active, highly acidic oil that is generally not good to use on fabric unless some type of primer is used.
I learned that Shiva Paintstiks do contain linseed oil; but, there is far less oil used compared to all other oil sticks and the oil that is used is uniquely refined making it far less acidic. For these reasons, the manufacturer maintains that Shiva Paintstiks are completely safe to use on fabric, which is great news to fiber artists! Need ideas on how to use Paintstiks? That's where this book comes in.
Using concise writing and color photographs, Shelly Stokes shows you how to use Paintstiks on fabric to create unique looks. She explains how to create textures, work with stencils and masks, create transparencies — even how to create "Paintstik applique." Preparation, heat setting instruction, and clean-up are also covered. The techniques have a very short learning curve, yet offer a wealth of possibilities. Paintstiks on Fabric is well worth the small price tag — the only question is how many Paintstiks will you buy?
Paintstiks on Fabric is available directly from Cedar Canyon Textiles.
250 Continuous Line Quilting Designs for Hand, Machine & Long-Arm Quilters
After some ideas on what you can do with the designs—such as sizing, transferring, and hints for repeating images—this book is loaded with inspiring line drawings that can easily enhance any quilt top. Designs include home and garden, sewing notions, nature, sports themese, birds, animals, and fish motifs along with a selection of various textures. This book is destined to be a timeless treasure that quilters will refer to over and over for quilting ideas. Laura Lee is onto something very good with this book, and I suspect we’ll see more of her designs in the future.
Show Me How to Machine Quilt, a Fun, No-Mark Approach
Kathy’s friendly guide to no-mark machine quilting is perfect for beginners. She provides the basics on the quiltmaking process, offers trouble-shooting tips, a handful of projects, and 14 pages of “no-mark” quilting designs. Kathy encourages you to add spontaneity and fun to your machine quilting.
Fast, Fun & Easy Book Cover Art: Add a Quilted Fabric Touch to Binders, Scrapbooks, Journals & More
This 45 page book, part of the Fast, Fun & Easy C&T Publishing series, explains a basic method of creating a quilted book cover and then goes on to take the method and apply it to different projects such as a binder cover, checkbook cover, a flapped journal, and sketchbook holder.
Laurel Burch Quilts Kindred Creatures, 12 Projects for Applique and maindbment
This colorful book immediately draws you into Laurel Burch’s whimsical world of kindred creatures. There are patterns for folkloric flutter-byes, hearts filled with love rainbow friends, mythical dogs, feline fairies, and other fanciful creatures. Laurel walks you through a selection of techniques where she explains her appliqué process, painting and drawing tips, and stitching ideas. Full size pattern sheets are included. This book will help you to create your own festive Laurel-like quilts.