Customer Reviews

Stitch, Cloth, Paper & Paint: Mixed Media Ideas & Inspiration

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

 

 

I liked this book, but I didn't love it and would have been OK with just reading it once, instead of buying it to refer to again and again (which I doubt I will). It did cover a good list of supplies needed and how to use them. There was also a decent amount of instructions on how to do machine work, such as free motion embroidery and couching. However, I honestly couldn't tell the difference in some of the step-by-step photos the author included. I'm not sure what the photos were supposed to be showing, as everything was the same color (white) and looked the same to me.

Later on in the book there were clearer step-by-step photos, but they're really only useful if you want to know how this particular author created that particular piece of art. It's more of an "Oh, so that's how she did that" than a "Great, I can take these steps and apply them to my own work" thing. I wanted to find this book more useful and interesting, I really did, but it's more of a compendium on the author's work than a how-to book.

I bought this book sight unseen on the recommendation of a friend. I am now returning it to Amazon. I probably own or have perused most of the current books on embellishment, painting, dyeing, machine embroidery, etc. This one I think it almost totally useless. One portion of the book directs you in how to make a bookwrap. That section goes on and on and on for 20 pages...it's pretty boring, although there are lots of color pictures. I look primarily for techniques books - this to me is more a book where you do the projects in the book. Well, it sure wasn't my cup of tea, although it may be a treasure for someone else.

Angie Hughes is a gifted mixed media artist and here in her first book she shares her techniques for creating rich, textured colorful surfaces. There are three projects included in this book and each combines a variety of different techniques to produce a unique result. Start by learning Angie's technique for creating a stiffened interlining base that you'll add texture and color to with stitching and paint. Then use this base textile to create the projects included in this book. Learn how to create embellishments from paper clay, painted paper and chocolate foils along with techniques for couching, hand stitching and free motion machine stitching. Full color photographs illustrate the step by step instructions making it easy to re-create each project with success.

"Stitch, Cloth, Paper and Paint" could not have arrived at a better time for me personally. I was feeling somehow 'unfaithful' to my quilting roots by becoming so enamored with paper lately - this book happily combines all of the things I love working with.....cloth, paint and paper.



Angie Hughes is a name I have known - she writes often for a favorite magazine - Cloth, Paper Scissors. Her work is dynamic, colorful and terribly well executed. She describes herself as an embroiderer. The book opens with a thorough description (with photos) of the material selection that she utilizes most frequently - both what she calls 'base' fabrics and 'decorative'. Next up are great descriptions, that I especially appreciated, about paper and cardstock. A section that is chock full of information about her use of embellishments and paints is included as well. I really enjoy reading about Angie Hughes process - a section that is well illustrated and contains a full of description of her techniques for reparing the base fabric, and then layering tissues and other fabrics round out the first part of the book.



Other sections of the book - all equally well done include:

* machine stitching

* hand stitching

* adding paints

* making your own embellishments from many varied materials

Detailed instructions are provided for several really good projects that combine all of the techniques covered in the book. They include a "Sunflower" book wrap, fabulous "Indian Artifact" and one of my favorites a "Sundial Triptych" that I want to try making soon - and it somewhat unusual for me to want to make something directly from a process sort of book.

If you get the idea that I really liked this book, you are correct. It is worthy of the 5 stars I gave it and it is a book that I don't think any artist or mixed media aficionado would regret adding to their library.

This book wasn't very exciting to me at first. After I looked at it again and again, I finally tried some of the projects. Then I was hooked. Its fun to add paint to fabrics and sew some lines on it. I have found many new ideas for my left overs from other projects. I even use some of the pages I make from this book as backgrounds for scrapbooking. Very original ideas.

Wonderful book. Great use of colour and well explained. I have been able to purchase most things in Australia, which is good and often not possible with craft books being written in other countries. Would definately recommend it.

innovation abounds
great inspiration as well as good techniques
gets you out of the box
thoroughly enjoy having access to this book