Natural Style: Contemporary Soft Furnishings from Cotton, Linen, Silk and Wool [Hardcover]

Margot Richardson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1997

Many people prefer natural fabrics over synthetics, and know how to find what they're looking for in natural-fiber clothing. But when it comes to the fabrics used around the home, particularly for window treatments and upholstery, they feel they have to stick with manufactured textiles that are easier to clean and more durable. The good news is that the natural way is making a comeback into every room of the house! Get in on the back-to-nature movement with these proven projects for curtains, blinds, drapes, bed bedroom furnishings, table linens, and chair cushions, all made from cotton, linen, silk, wool, and wool blends. Informative charts show comparisons between natural and synthetic fibers as to their relative strength, absorbency, resilience, and texture, as well as the particular properties found only in natural fabrics that are impossible to copy in synthetics. Simple sewing techniques and patterns are clearly shown for every project, along with tips on how to treat each material, shortcuts for cutting, piping, and mitring methods, and instructions for making special accessories, such as self-cover buttons for cushions, ties for chairs, fringes for curtains, or padded quilt designs for bed linen.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Richardson, a freelance writer who specializes in sewing topics, details the advantages and disadvantages of using natural fabric for home decorating. The more than 25 projects for cushions, curtains, bedclothes, and table linens have clear, well-illustrated directions and include ability levels ranging from easy to advanced. Many of these projects are contained in other books such as Julia Bird & Pia Tryde's Country Fabric Style (reviewed above) or the newest book in the "Creating Your Home" series, Creative Finishing Touches with Fabric (Betterway, 1997). If more home furnishing how-to books are desired, however, this book is recommended.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Sterling Pub Co Inc (March 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0706375823
• ISBN-13: 978-0706375824
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,503,539 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fine review of natural textiles, May 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Natural Style: Contemporary Soft Furnishings from Cotton, Linen, Silk and Wool (Hardcover)

This book has a particularly fine and comprehensive review of the advantages and disadvantages of the various natural textiles, particularly as the cloth's qualities relate to use in home furnishings. Information on sun-resistance, soil-resistance, resistance to abrasion, absorbency, strength, and so on makes the first section of the book exceptionally useful. Without that first section, this would be a fairly standard book on making soft furnishings such as cushions, chair covers, curtains, blinds, table furnishings, etc. I would only suggest a section on sources for materials (for example, the author mentions 108" wide linen!) to elevate this book to a five-star treasure.