Customer Reviews

Stitch Alchemy

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Perhaps I am the only one who didn't think this book is fantastic. It is high on presentation, but short on substance. Here are specific reasons why I was disappointed.

First, I think the book is mis-titled. A few pages are devoted to a single method of combining paper and cloth: glue them together! Later we have a suggestion to sew more fabric on.

The bulk of the book is a compendium of various ways to apply color with many mediums. While there are lots and lots shown, I saw nothing original. This might appeal to a novice, but the skimpy directions for using the media would probably be frustrating.

And while there is a colorful example of each (such as sprayed on ink, rubbed on oilpaintsticks, stenciled acrylic, etc.), in my opinion they were rarely artfully done. Many were just a mess, which does not inspire me.

There were pages on inspiration which were largely brief quotes from various people. Matching a sentence to the name of the author is supposed to be an inspirational exercise?

Stitch Alchemy has an attractive cover, is colorful and includes some fun things like paper beads. Maybe I just own too many books on the subject, but I can't justify more than two stars for a book that is mixed-media "lite." Borrow this one from the library. Interweave has many magazine issues and other books more worthy of your dollars.

This book is chock-a-block FULL of amazing mixed media techniques. I like the way Kelli incorporates techniques as well as projects to demonstrate the use of paper cloth. It's a great reference book and what you learn can be applied to other art besides paper cloth. Beginner or old pro artists will appreciate having this book in their personal library. Frankly I think that this book deserves 6 stars, it's THAT good! I'm off to the store to pick up some white paint pens... read the book to find out why. :-) Thanks for the inspiration Kelli!
Normajean Brevik, [...]

This book is loaded with lots of pictures and ideas as well as suggestions for being more creative. It describes methods of gluing light weight paper on fabric and then decorating it for use in mixed media art.

The book covers many painting techniques such as stamping, inking, glazing and others. The projects at the end of the book look like lots of fun. Making the cloth paper is easy and you can create lots of pieces for projects in the future.

I LOVE this book! The first thing I did was take it to the local office supply store that has printing/copying services. For $4. they cut off the glued binding and replaced it with a spiral binding. Then the book was perfect! Too many "how to" books show you a picture, tell you what supplies were used to create the look but then skip the "how to" part! In this book, the photography is beautiful and the instructions complete and easy to follow. There are many techniques I will use in other mixed-media projects. I am going to save many hours of class time and many dollars in not having to purchase several resources to accomplish all that is in this one book. I agree with one of the other reviewers, if it had been possible I would have rated this with more than five stars. What a treasure!

The night this book arrived, I wound up at the hospital with my daughter in anaphylactic shock. There is not a better place for one to get intimately acquainted with a book than the local ER. In the long hours after knowing she would be ok and actually going home, this book provided us with something to do - an excellent way to divert our attention, giving us something fun to focus on. Oh - and it definitely provided me with a link to sanity.

My daughter, who just turned 10, is a mixed media artist in training - but you can just call her the Princess. She loves all things mixed media, which I'm sure has nothing to do with her extreme immersion in the subject area since birth. Just because I eat, breathe, and dream art, does not mean she was destined to do the same. The great thing about Stitch Alchemy? It appeals to a wide audience - she and I both truly enjoyed it.

There are several books on the market with [many] similar techniques, but what sets this book apart is the creatively unique way Kelli lays things out. Although I own many books on fabric, fiber, painting, polymer clay, art journaling, mixed media, etc - I feel there are several new and fun projects in this book to tackle. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book - there are many wonderful close-ups full of extreme color and Kelli's great attention to detail. Next to each picture are thorough instructions, giving you the feeling that Kelli is standing next to you, anxiously leading you by the hand. You can't help but feel her creative excitement as she pulls you from one fun project to the next. For example, the whimsical Love Dolls on page 91 are begging to be made with your own style and flair.

Stitch Alchemy is bursting with ideas - this is truly a "point-and-try" book. You can close your eyes, flip to a page, and try a technique. Do that several times and there is no doubt you'll end up with a distinct project. A basic discussion of materials begins this gem, and includes pictures of the supplies so juicy, you can't believe the pages aren't sticky. Instructions and advice follow, before the main program takes the stage: an arsenal of techniques, creative ideas, in-depth instructions, and amazing inspiration fill up the remaining pages. If you don't like one technique, choose one of the other 14,739,284 other choices. (Ok, so 14,739,284 is a random figure plucked from my head...the actual number is probably closer to 21,928,411. Sorry for the discrepancy.)

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It isn't something you need to read from beginning to end - as long as you have a grasp on the materials, flip through the book and pick out what appeals most at the moment. This is the perfect book to throw in your bag and look at while you're waiting for appointments, to read as the kids go to soccer practice, or gawk at while spending an eternity at the ER. (I'm guessing.) This book will make you relish waiting - and you will actually want to drive the carpool to dance class - so you can spend time investigating all the fun encompassed in the 135 pages. Once you've thoroughly gone through everything and the binding is bent and broken, follow reviewer Katie B's advice and get it spiral bound. You'll be far too busy contemplating all the inspiration and ideas, to hold this book open while you sew, paint, draw, glue, and bead with the reckless abandon of an artistic mad woman.

This is a great book. It's so full...so bursting with ideas, you might just need to put a lock on it to keep it from continually popping open, knocking everything off the table around it.

Terrific book with super ideas for how to use your fabric paper in projects. I have only done fabric paper once and can see this book will be a super springboard for future projects. It is so fun!

In Stitch Alchemy I have a favorite page for my visual pleasure and that is page 104. For me this page represents the "Bountiful Inspiration pick-me-up" (chapter title on pg 105) that fills the whole book. I see the words, "inspire, paint, weave, speak", and quotes by Charles Dickens and Charles Baudelaire which are truly inspiring. I suggest that if you are considering this book, and you like mixed-media art, just go for it.
It is most enjoyable. Thank you for reading my review.
little fish<><

This book is very different from the other mixed media, art journaling, and fiber art books I own. Kelli's technique for making paper-fabric is easy and basic, but what I really liked was all the inspiration provided in her mini-workshops for each supply mentioned and the fact that it is all in one book. This book inspired me to try things I hadn't considered before - like using walnut ink on my fiber art pieces. It truly is a potpourri of ideas and a jumping off point for trying new techniques.

I have so many ideas just from flipping through the book, and I can't wait to get started. This isn't a hold-your-hand-through-the-process sort of art book -- more like general guidelines and lots of inspiration. If you are looking for a book that's going to give your detailed step-by-step instructions on how to make each project, this isn't the book for you. If you are a seasoned arts-and-crafts "dabbler" looking for new techniques to punch up your art work, give this one a try. Be willing to experiment and enjoy the process. You'll probably have a lot of the materials already on hand in your studio; you won't need to buy much (or, possibly, anything) to get started - you can experiment with the stitch paper technique using what you already have and add more as you progress. I'm a definite crafty dabbler and I have everything in my house already to make my first batch of stitch paper, which I will be starting tomorrow. I think if you look at this book as a launching pad for creative explorations, you'll be happy with your purchase. I know I'll be referring to this book again and again. Can't wait to explore!

I bought this book after briefly flipping through it. When I brought it home and read it, not only did I realize that I had never even heard of mixed media techniques using paper and cloth, but I was also really inspired to add mixed media to my repertoire.
The book is filled with beautiful pictures and clear instructions. After learning how to make the basis of the paper-cloth, the next pages are filled with dozens of techniques to add colour and texture.
A few pages that tell you how to find inspiration are sprinkled throughout the book.

Most of the projects in the book didn't really interest me, but each one gives me an idea of what I can do with the techniques I have learned from the book.

As a complete beginner in mixed-media, I absolutely loved this book. I would recommend it to any beginner in the world of mixed media, and I think that there a lot of amazing techniques that a more advanced artist would enjoy too.