Felt to Stitch: Creative Felting for Textile Artists [Hardcover]

Sheila Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2007

Versatile and easy to make, felt provides an ideal base for surface embellishment. This inspirational guide explores the possibilities, from creating your own from scratch, to selecting unusual dye combinations, and producing three-dimensional pieces. Using the sample projects that illustrate the main techniques, both beginning and advanced fiber artists will soon be experimenting with color, line, shape, pattern, and texture. Special sections on Japanese Shibori (knotting and dyeing the surface) and Nuno (combining felt with other materials to create rich and exciting fabric surfaces) make this a must-have for all fiber artists.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sheila Smith is an experienced feltmaker who teaches in the UK and around the world, most recently in Australia and New Zealand. Former Chair of the International Feltmakers' Association, she writes regularly for textile and embroidery magazines, including World of Embroidery, Beautiful Stitches, Sewing World and Workbox. She lives in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, UK.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Batsford (February 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 071349008X
• ISBN-13: 978-0713490084
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #259,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

126 of 127 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's All Here!, April 11, 2007

By 

fiber farmer (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Felt to Stitch: Creative Felting for Textile Artists (Hardcover)

I bought this book to use with developmentally disabled adults. These adults live on a ranch, helping care for several fiber producing animals. This book is part of a cottage industry proposal that the staff and I are working on and I couldn't be more pleased. The pictures are vivid (appealing to my imagination) and the presentation is logical and orderly (appealing to the teacher/student part of me).

The directions are simple and straight forward. The projects are adaptable for all levels of cognitive functioning and motor skills, and provide absolutely beautiful results. From making flat felt as a raw material to three dimensional objects, from surface designs to combining felt and fabric, as well as jewelry, this book covers the basics and gives lots of creative ideas for projects. The results that my "students" came up with were lovely, and as always with felt, nearly impossible to duplicate.

The experiences we used from this book were satisfying for those who love texture (wet/dry, bubble wrap, different types of fibers, raw fleece/fulled fabric). They were also satisfying for those who are visually stimulated, as color is well used throughout each project. The surface design ideas were usable by all, regardless of functioning level, because many different options are presented (paint sticks, stitching, stencilling, block printing, beadwork, cobweb, needle felting). The skills required are repetitive and not technical, the materials are easily found and readily available, and the actual individual tasks of going from raw fleece to finished product are varied, interesting and appeal to short-moderate attention spans. The working process provided a wonderful atmosphere for cooperation and conversation, as each adult helped or received help from their peers and shared the excitement as their project began to take shape. We now have finished items that my students can use, sell, or wear and they know which animal gave its fleece to them to make it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is fascinated by fiber and feels intimidated by the current "fiber artist" trend. Nearly anybody can make felt and be delighted with the results. This book is an excellent guide to finding the different ways to make and use felt, and is suited for the beginner and the seasoned alike. Excellent!

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, April 9, 2007

By 

Maren P "More books please" (Southwest Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Felt to Stitch: Creative Felting for Textile Artists (Hardcover)

Well thought out, great instructions. Has directions on decorative felting I haven't found in other books. Ms Smith obviously knows what she is doing. Would highly recommend this to someone looking for different ideas.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Felt to Stitch by Sheila Smith, August 7, 2007

By 

Ellen Glenn "creativity explorer" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Felt to Stitch: Creative Felting for Textile Artists (Hardcover)

I have devoured this book from front to back. It is truly a beautiful book with excellent information and gorgeous pictures.It is very well written with easy to understand instructions for those new to felting as I am.
There are a few projects; again easy to understand and the book encourages the felter to explore their own creativity and generally have a ball!!
Congratulations Sheila Smith on a book which will easily become one of my treasured possessions.