The Art of Fabric Books: Innovative Ways to Use Fabric in Scrapbooks, Altered Books & More [Paperback]

Jan Bode Smiley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2005

Jazz up your scrapbooks with fabrics and findings, or create your own beautifully altered books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: C&T Publishing; 1st edition (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571202811
• ISBN-13: 978-1571202819
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,028 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not quite what I expected, March 30, 2005

By 

Diana (Denton, TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art of Fabric Books: Innovative Ways to Use Fabric in Scrapbooks, Altered Books & More (Paperback)

I have several books on making books and altered books, and I was excited to see one devoted to fabric books. I subscribe to Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine and was looking for some construction ideas on putting the books together. This book has 5 techiques: a tag book, a book put together with twill tape and buckles, folded fabric book, altering a board book and a book constructed using the cover of a another book. The latter 3 use the same construction methods used in paper books; I can't quite envision using buckles on the back cover of a book and there were no surprises in the tag book (covering a paper tag with fabric.)

There are pages upon pages of photos of finished works. The pictures often are taken in such close detail that it is hard to see the overall construction of the page or the book as a whole. Some of the work is truly beautiful but other pages are primitive, awkward and simply not of the caliber that is found in my "book" books.

There are some interesting pocket patterns and ways of using pockets. None of the fabric techniques are original, i.e., binding the edges with bias tape or stitching/zigzagging around the edges. Unless you are a sewing novice looking for ways to incorporate fabric into altered books, I would recommend that you go with some of the other books out there, Making and Keeping Creative Journals, Creating Handmade Books or my favorite, Making Journals by Hand, and adapt the techniques to fabric on your own. I would not have bought this book had I seen it before I purchased it.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabric Artistry--cover to cover!, February 13, 2005

By 

Toni Ratzlaff (Lake George, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Fabric Books: Innovative Ways to Use Fabric in Scrapbooks, Altered Books & More (Paperback)

This book was worth waiting for! It is beautiful. The photos are clear with so many examples of each technique. It has inspired me. I love the textures of fabric and include them in most of my art. This book has such diversity, combining fabric, paper, sewing notions, and other materials to create amazing books. The "tips" tags are good for quick information. Book artists everyone should have this book!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring, March 8, 2005

By 

artkat (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Fabric Books: Innovative Ways to Use Fabric in Scrapbooks, Altered Books & More (Paperback)

I wish that I had received this book before I started my latest project - a fabric altered book round robin. It covers techniques, projects and an inspiring gallery section. Some of the books illustrated are completely made from fabric, while others use ordinary books that have been decorated with fabric and sewing supplies and techniques.
The photos are clear and well labelled. Instructions are set out clearly and easy to follow. After reading this book I have a list of techniques and designs to try out. This is a worthwhile addition to your altered book library.