Kraftkolour stocks a comprehensive range of books for the Textile Artist & Hobbyist.
Our books range from the most technical and complex to beginners.
There are books of interest for everyone at every level.
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ART CLOTH
Jane Dunnewold - $35.00 Soft Cover 174 pages
A Guide to Surface Design on Fabric. Fiber artists, art-to-wear designers, and art quilters have a broad range of surface design products to choose from and can use a wealth of technique combinations to create art cloth. Jane Dunnewold teaches you methods for creating rich texture, color, and pattern, integrated into an artistic whole. "Art Cloth" offers up-to-date techniques and adds valuable new information from Jane's years of teaching and experience as an artist. In addition to detailed step-by-step wet-media surface-design techniques, Jane guides and inspires artists to new heights of creativity through sidebars with design tips, exercises, and project ideas that support the technical information. |
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BREAKDOWN PRINTING
Benn & Morgan - $35.00 Soft Cover
Another fabulous book from Committed to Cloth.. Breakdown printing involves applying thickened dye or ink onto the screen, letting it dry then printing it off using more dye or ink. It’s breaking down produces an ever-changing array of colours and textures, distressed and organic effects. |
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THE FOUND OBJECT IN TEXTILE ART
Cas Holmes - $39.95 Soft Cover 128 pages
Textile artists have always used found objects, both for decoration and to imbue their work with meaning, and recently the practice has become even more popular. Cas Holmes is renowned for her use of 'the found', and her many-layered, atmospheric pieces have been shown around the world. The practice differs from recycling in that the objects often remain 'themselves' when they are incorporated into the work. The work is often conceived and built around the found object. The definition 'found object' can include a wide range of objects, from natural materials such as driftwood and leaves to old bits of machinery and vintage fabrics. Mundane objects such as CD cases can be used to create stunning pieces of art, or more sentimental items such as old jewellery can lend deep meaning to a work. This book contains a wealth of techniques and inspiration for incorporating found objects into your textile work.
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FINDING YOUR OWN VISUAL LANGUAGE
Jane Dunnewold - $ 49.50 Soft Cover
A unique personal guide to design and composition. This book is a guide to accompany you on your journey as an artist. Written in four sections: 1) Getting, started 2) Continuing On, 3) What to do when you get stuck, 4) How to delve deeper into your own self. The main thing : keep working. |
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HOT TEXTILES
Kim Thittichai - $44.99
Inspiration and practical guide to the potential of heat tools for textile artists. Stunning effects, easy-to-follow instructions and inspirational examples. |
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FIBER ART MONTAGE
Judith Baker Montano - $65.00 Hardcover 266 Pages
By internationally renowned fibre artist Judith Baker Montano, this beautiful book combines quilting, embroidery and photography with embellishments. An experienced photographer, Judith takes her own images, manipulates and prints them onto fabric (often silk) and blends them with crazy quilting, silk ribbon embroidery, dyeing and painting in her own unique style. Know as the "queen" of crazy quilting and silk ribbon embroidery, Judith's work has evolved throughout her long and celebrated career. It is the newest incarnation of her work which is featured in this book. |
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TRANSPARENCY IN TEXTILES
Dawn Thorne - $49.95 Hard cover 128 pages
Achieving transparency and translucency in textiles is the major new trend. Combine stitch and cloth with acetates, acrylics, perspex, resins and gels. This title provides techniques, projects and inspirational textile art. It uses all the materials that are readily available and safe to use and takes you through the design process for achieving transparency in textiles and then introduces you to the materials, from paper and fabric to acetates, acrylics, perspex, resins and metals. She also explains how to create the illusion of translucency through layers, reflections, shadows, lighting and stitch techniques. The techniques for combining stitch and cloth with these harder materials are covered in detail, along with stunning images of the latest transparent textile art. |
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THE PAINTED QUILT
Linda Kemshall - $29.95
Combining fabric paint, pens, pastels and image transfer plus practical instructions and photos. |
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SHIBORI
Lynne Caldwell - $38.50 Soft Cover 127 pages
A Beginners Guide to Creating Colour and Texture on Fabric. Shibori - or Japanese tie-dye - is a patterned three-dimensional form created by a unique process of folding, crumpling, stitching, plaiting, plucking and twisting material. The result is gorgeous, soft-edged patterns that will delight sewers and fabric lovers alike. This appealing, modern take on a traditional art takes the intimidation out of a versatile craft and allows anyone to create beautiful items. Each chapter focuses on a specific method, from arashi (pole-wrapping) and stitching and gathering to using bleach to remove colour. The eighteen exquisite projects are embellished with detailed photos and easy-to-follow instructions throughout. |
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STITCH CLOTH PAPER PAINT
Angie Hughes - $45.00 Hard Cover 96 Pages
Mixed media and inspiration. Angie Hughes book is a comprehensive guide to making enchanting mixed media artefacts, which will delight both beginners and advanced crafters.The book includes an extensive techniques section that leads into the three beautiful projects.Step-by-step photographs and accompanying text take even a novice through to producing wonderful works of art.Numerous variations and alternative designs will provide inspiration for even veteran crafters. |
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FABRICS TO DYE FOR
Freida Anderson - $45.00 Soft Cover 80 pages
Create 72 hand dyed colours for your stash from just 4 basic colours. Step by step instructions for everything from preparing your work to mixing the dyes. Easy to follow charts, dye formulas using standard measurements like cups and spoons. |
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HEAT TRANSFER TECHNIQUES
Dawn Dupree $40.99 Soft cover 128 pages
Heat press is a relatively new way of embellishing, decorating, fusing and layering fabrics, and has a limitless range of applications, from fashion to fine-art, and interiors to installation. This is the first book to take an in-depth look at the subject and includes exciting new methods developed through extensive experimentation. Techniques covered include: flocking, foiling, phototransfer, fusing, sublimation printing, heatsetting and embossing. Each process is explained in detail, with instructions for simple experiments and suggestions for further investigation. The methods featured have a comparatively low impact to the environment, and often utilise recycled materials or offer the opportunity to upcycle. The book has been carefully tailored to be suitable for a variety of skill levels, and includes affordable domestic options - such as heat pressing using an iron - as well as more ambitious and specialist techniques and materials for those with the resources, such as colleges and established textile artists who have access to a heat press. |
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MIXED MEDIA EXPLORATIONS
Beryl Taylor - $48.99 Soft Cover 112 pages
Blending paper, fabric and Embellishment to create inspired design. With a sense of humour and creative abandon, renowned mixed-media artist Beryl Taylor shows you how surprisingly easy it is to turn fabric, stitch and embellishment into artistic treasures to keep and share. Using her own art as examples, Beryl gives step-by-step instructions for making projects like greeting cards, wall hangings and books using the latest mixed-media techniques, all the while encouraging readers to follow their own instincts and experiment. In "Mixed-Media Explorations" the reader will learn numerous techniques that will provide them with not only a solid background of information, but also the creative confidence they need to become proficient in their chosen hobby. |
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NUNO FELT
Liz Clay - $45.99
Nuno Felt is an innovative process that combines handmade felt with beautiful woven fabrics. In this book, the author Liz Clay gives clear instructions about how the nuno process works and demonstrates how it can be used on various fabrics and fibres to create very different and beautiful results. The book contains a wealth of projects from gorgeous scarves and throws to home interior pieces such as wall hangings. The book is filled with tips on surface embellishment, colour mixing, fibre blending and combining processes such as shibori and cutwork. The result is a practical guide to making a wealth of beautiful and imaginative creations as well as a source of tips and methods for using this innovative felting technique. |
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PRINTING BY HAND
Lena Corwin / Thayer Allison Gowdy $44.95 Hard cover 144 pages
An up to date hand printing guide using step-by-step instructions and up-close photos, she teaches crafters everything they need to know from master stamping, stenciling, and screen printing, to making their own printing devices to trouble-shooting when plans go awry. Her inimitable collection of projects ranges from stamped stationery and simple-to-sew pouches, to stenciled tote bags and furniture, to screen-printed bed linens and upholstery fabric. There's even a silk-screened dog bed. The author has created original artwork for each project (full-size patterns are included in an envelope at the back of the book), so that every crafter can achieve the same beautiful results. Or maybe not quite the same. Remember: It's the subtle differences that make hand-printing so special and alluring. |
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TEXTILE SURFACE DECORATION on SILK and VELVET
Margo Singer $39.95 Soft cover 112 pages
Textiles Handbooks is a series of practical paperbacks covering various topics in the textiles field. They are aimed at the serious student as well as professional textile artists who want to extend their skills. This title looks at different ways of decorating silks and velvets, introducing methods such as ikat, direct painting, block printing and stencilling, embroidery, needlefelting, foiling, dip dyeing and transfer dyeing. The book includes a brief history of various materials and then covers the practical requirements and techniques for surface decoration, including examples from around the world, as well as a series of projects for items you can make using decorated textiles.
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WOVEN SHIBORI
Catherine Ellis - $40.00 Soft cover 144 pages
In the traditional shibori technique, stitches are placed into a piece of commercial cloth with a needle, the cloth is compressed, and then dyed. In woven shibori, the "stitches" are supplemental wefts woven directly into the cloth, thus becoming a part of the original cloth construction. The use of the loom to control the placement of these threads has defined a whole new and exciting vocabulary. |
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CREATIVE QUILTS
Sandra Meech- $49.99 Soft cover 128 pages
In this practical and inspiring book, contemporary quilt artist Sandra Meech explains how to harness your own creativity to add innovation and depth to your quilt and embroidery work. In "Creative Quilts", she shows you how to take inspiration from a wealth of sources, including art, textiles and architecture, and gives special emphasis to journals and sketchbooks. The book also contains full instructions for a range of exciting techniques including surface embellishment, mixed-media techniques, and taking quilt work into three dimensions. Special 'Creativity Plus' and 'Design Workshop' exercises help you to develop confidence in your own creativity. Illustrated with work from the world's leading quilt and textile artists, this book is both a practical workbook and a precious source of inspiration. The subjects covered include: Exploring Creativity; Finding a Theme; Design, Pattern and Composition; Texture and Dimension; and a Professional Approach. |
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THE ARTFUL BIRD
Patner Glassberg - $29.95 Soft Cover 160 pages
Fanciful feathered friends to make & sew. Author Abby Glassenberg, celebrated for her charming, quirky, personality-filled birds, presents 19 incredibly creative projects with a gallery of birds from other noted fabric bird makers with accompanying profiles. In addition, a set of step-by-step basic bird-making techniques and tips will help the reader to make the projects in the book and to draft a pattern for almost any bird-real or imagined. Bird projects range from dignified owls (with baby owlets) to friendly wrens, from an elegant flamingo to a swooping crow in flight. A queenly quail would make a sweet gift for any friend's kitchen, while larks, raptors, gulls, and even a peacock stand on their own as sculpture or become part of mixed-media assemblages. While the structure, sewing, and stuffing processes for each of the bird bodies are similar, Glassenberg offers an array of creative ideas to give each bird individual character. Fabric treatments for wings and tails allow for color and texture variation. Beads and embroidery add personality to eyes and faces. Beaks are made from fabric or polymer clay, and wire legs and feet are wrapped in floral tape and thread for an amazingly life-like yet handcrafted appearance. Ideas for inspired use of paint, glitter, and collage elements give the reader even more tools for bird-making magic. |
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FROM PRINT TO STITCH
Jane Edmonds - $42.95 Hard Cover 128 Pages
This highly practical and unique book provides clear, step by step instructions for adding amazing designs to fabric by printing and stitching. Using a whole range of printing techniques, including block printing, soft-cut lino printing, mono printing and collagraph printing, the author guides you carefully through the process, from initial idea, through the development of a theme, to designing and making a block and creating pattern on paper , transferring it to fabric and finally stitching is added to enhance the design. Both machine and hand stitching are used, and there's a useful and extensive stitch library at the back of the book showing the range of stitches you can use. Janet's unique eye for colour is evident throughout the book, which is richly illustrated with numerous partly completed samples to illustrate the author's methods, finished examples of her work, and three-dimensional objects created using printed and stitched fabrics to extend the reader's imagination even further. |
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CONTEMPORARY QUILTS
Sandra Meech - $39.95 Soft Cover 128 Pages
This book covers - how to develop a theme thoroughly before starting to stitch. How to experiment with different fabrics, surface decoration techniques and mixed media, the importance of keeping sketchbooks and design files and the basic principals of design and colour. 200 stunning colour illustrations. Modern approaches to traditional quilting. |
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FUSING FABRIC
Margaret Beal - $39.95 Soft Cover 128 pages
Armed with a soldering iron, you will discover how to cut, bond, seal, seam score and make marks on single or multiple layers of fabric |
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DRAWN TO STITCH
Gwen Hedley - $35.00 Hard Cover 144 pages
Line Drawing & Mark Making in textiles.
Line is an essential component of all textile and surface art. When used effectively, line and mark-making convey texture, tone, form, movement, and mood. With "Drawn to Stitch" by your side, learn creative uses of line in embroidery and textile art.
Artist and teacher Gwen Hedley shares a series of exercises designed to explore line's potential as well as develop your creativity. "Drawn to Stitch" also covers line and mark-making tools, materials, and processes, including printing and mixed-media techniques. Gwen explores stitch, explaining how to interpret different line qualities from crisp and sharp to soft and diffused and from raised and overlaid to recessed and inlaid. "Drawn to Stitch" is illustrated with stunning examples of stitched-textile work from leading artists. |
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STITCHED POSTCARDS
Christina Rolf $24.95 Soft cover 64 pages
Beautiful textile designs in miniature using quilting and mixed media techniques. Artist's Mailing Cards are a new and growing trend in the world of mixed media art, and this book contains an exclusive selection of some of the best designs, with contributions from a number of well-known textile designers, including the author, Christa Rolf, herself. The lovingly created miniatures are postcard-sized pieces of art, richly decorated with a range of designs including landscapes, florals, geometric and abstract, achieved using special yarns, fabrics and embellishments. With the help of a detailed section on materials, clear explanations of the basic techniques, and the individual designers' tips, you will find these postcards quick and easy to make, while at the same time developing creative ideas of your own. Then you can start swapping, collecting, giving and of course sending your unique cards! |
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THE ART OF MANIPULATING FABRIC
Wolff - $59.95
The possibilities for 3 dimensional manipulation of fabric – gathering, pleating, tucking, shirring, and quilting woven materials. Photos, diagrams - an encyclopaedia of techniques that resurface, reshape & reconstruct fabric. |
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TRAY DYEING
Morgan/Benn - $36.50
Packing cloth into a tray, pouring over a single or multiple colours of dye and leaving it to work it's magic. The resulting cloth is glorious in texture and colour. |
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SHIBORI FOR TEXTILE ARTISTS
Gunner - $49.95 Soft Cover 127 pages
The book begins with the historical and cultural background of shibori; then goes on to explain, with clear, precise instructions and diagrams, how to make a wide range of exquisite fabrics. Gunner covers many different techniques, including tied-resist, stitched-resist, wrapped-resist, clamp-resist, folded- and pleated-resist, as well as immersion, space and indigo dyeing. Stunning examples of shibori pieces appear throughout the book both to inspire and guide; and practical advice is given on incorporating shibori textiles into the reader's own quilted and embroidered.
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STITCH DISSOLVE DISTORT
Campbell/Harding & Grey - $59.95 Hard Cover
Exciting ways to stitch, dissolve & distort fabric, both before and after stitching. Explains water-soluble materials, films, papers, and fabrics. Explains how to distort fabric by melting, stitching, using mesh & embossing tools. Easy to follow instructions. |
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THE NEW TEXTILES TRENDS AND TRADITIONS
Chloa Colchester - $62.99 Soft Cover 192 Pages
This colorful and extensive survey, Colchester offers a wealth of visual images and an informative narrative on the evolution of high fashion, fine art, and craft textiles in the late 20th century. She explores the relationship between art textiles and fine art and the use of technology in textile design. Using examples from renowned international artists to illustrate her points, she explains the technological advances of the new "intelligent" fabrics and contemplates the "increasing convergence between craft and design." Also valuable is the section that includes biographical sketches of artists, publications, and a glossary. The lavish photographs are a visual treat for the art/craft/design enthusiast seeking inspiration in the fiber arts and for interior design students. |
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THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO NATURAL DYEING
Eva Lambert - $35.95 Soft cover 144 pages
Techniques and recipes for dyeing fabrics, fibres and yarns at home. Step-by-step sequences explain techniques for collecting and preparing your own dyestuffs, colour matching, and methods both solid and semi-solid dyeing. Whether you are looking to start from scratch or pick up some new, expert skills, this comprehensive guide will give you everything you need to start getting creative - the natural way. Using natural dyes to create your own unique fabrics, yarn and fibre is simple and affordable. |
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MEMORY ON CLOTH
Yoshiko Wada $60.00 Hard cover 212 pages
A sequel to the best-selling "Shibori", this text provides a modern perspective on shaped-resist dyeing techniques in textile design. Japan's top fashion designers are examined, including Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake and a 96-page section features the work of 24 international artists.
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COLOUR STYLE
Pam Allen & Ann Budd $40.00 Soft cover 143 pages
Innovative to Traditional, 17 Inspired Designs to Knit. Color work is a popular form of knitting for projects of all types and complexity. Knitting is more fun when two or more colors are used and gives the knitter an opportunity to learn new techniques. From simple repeating stripes to intricate Fair Isle patterns, two or more colors can add life and dimension to garments and accessories."Color Style” offers step-by-step instructions and features classic and innovative use of traditional color techniques by top knitwear designers. From an easy-to-knit pullover that alternates narrow stripes of solid and variegated yarns to a multicolored Fair Isle cardigan worked with steeks, readers will find loads of practical projects and inspiration from fifteen top knitwear designers. The Design Notebook chapter details the fundamental ways to incorporate color into knitting and learn the secrets to successful Fair Isle, intarsia, and slip stitch or how different techniques can be used in combination for outstanding results. Even if you're a beginning knitter, "Color Style" shows easy ways to achieve colorful effects in your knitting. |
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SILK PAPER FOR TEXTILE ARTISTS
Sarah Lawrence $40.00 Soft cover 128 pages
Step by step demonstration of basic methods for creating this luminous fabric. In four chapters, Sarah shows how the resulting silk paper can be embellished and adapted by the use of dyes, natural and manmade ingredients and simple techniques such as cutting and layering, embroidery and more.
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SWEET NEEDLE FELTS
Jenn Docherty - $25.99 Soft cover 127 pages
25 projects to Wear, Give & Hug. Jen Docherty is a felt artist who makes one of a kind needle felted creations. This book is filled to the brim with little projects you will want to give to a friend, wear or from an attachment to. |
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THE ART OF FELT
FRANCOISE TELLIER-LOUMAGNE - $75.00 Soft cover 312 pages
Inspirational designs, textures and surfaces. In the same format as Francoise Tellier-Loumagne's "The Art of Knitting" and "The Art of Embroidery" comes this inventive and creative overview of felt and feltmaking that, with the aid of more than 300 photographs, encourages readers to be inspired by the sky. The book includes basic techniques that can be used to create felted fabrics from scratch, such as needle-felting and tufting, along with imaginative ways with readymade felt. It is sure to appeal to all craftspeople, textile designers and students. Offers an overview of felt and feltmaking with the aid of more than 300 photographs. This book includes basic techniques that can be used to create felted fabrics from scratch, such as needle-felting and tufting, along with imaginative ways with readymade felt. It is suitable for craftspeople, textile designers and students. |
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1000 ARTISAN TEXTILES CONTEMPORARY FIBRE ART, QUILTS AND WEARABLES
Sandra Salamony & Gina Brown - $35.00 Soft cover 320 pages
This stunning gallery style volume includes some of the finest examples of contemporary textiule and fibre art being made today. The collection includes wearable art, fashion accessories, soft furnishings, tapestries & quilts. A wide variety of techniques are featured including hand and machine embroidery, decrocative stiching, batik, dyeing, fabric painting, applique, felt, weaving and all kinds of surface decoration. |
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