No comments about Shoes in Vogue Since 1910.

No comments about Visionaire No. 40: Roses (Visionaire).

1 comments about Textile Design (Practical Craft Books).

1. This is a great book that shows you how to create unique textile patterns. It geared for those who have an interest in fabric design, and takes the process from original artwork creation through printing for mass production.

   The book starts with a brief history and information on the business of textile design. Next it covers tools and supplies as well as where to find reference materials. Over twenty design styles are then explored including floral, patchwork, damask, conversational, chintz, landscape, geometric, ethnic and art deco to name a few.

   Methods of design and layout follow. There are no projects, but rather step-by-step guidelines to creating any pattern, including types such as all-over, free-flowing, border, landscape and stripe. Working with color is also discussed. This includes using a color chart, mixing and matching colors, making colored grounds and painting a blotch. Then in preparation for printing you are shown how to put almost any type of design in repeat.

   The basics of several design techniques are covered as well. Some include batik, bleaching, flower shading, spattering, India ink woodblock, and photocopy techniques.

   The book wraps up with a discussion of the role of computers in textile design and an explanation of the printing process. This is a nice cross between an art book and a textbook with great color photo examples throughout and sound technical instruction.

1 comments about Four Colonial Girls Sticker Paper Dolls.

1. This paper doll book is easy to use. All the outfits are stickers that can be re-used. All the dolls are on the inside back cover. They range in size from 4 and ½ in. to 5 and ½ in. Each doll has four outfits with accessories. The stickers and dolls are glossy with beautiful colors. The inside front cover briefly describes the character and age of each girl. The back cover tells us that the costumes are 18th-century. I would have liked to have the actual years of the costumes. The costumes are described as "simple frocks with dainty floral prints for everyday wear, crisp aprons with scalloped edges and trimmed borders, lovely dresses with bows and attractively draped skirts for special occasions, as well as cloaks with matching hoods, capes, purses, headgear, and other personal items." I would like to have seen a note next to each outfit saying when it would be worn. It's hard to tell, in some cases, whether a dress is an everyday one or a special occasion dress. While there are cutting lines so you can cut a rectangle for each doll, I don't recommend it. Because of the wide skirts, some outfits extend over the cutting line. Since the backs of the outfits are sticky, you can easily ruin the stickers if they come in contact with other surfaces. Sometimes the underclothes each doll wears will show through the outfit you place on the doll. This happens with light or white clothing. The peeling cuts for the costumes are excellently done. When you take them off the page, you get the whole outfit. Many sticker books leave up to a quarter-inch of the design behind when you use them; this one doesn't. Overall, I liked this set of paper dolls.

No comments about Southeast Asian Textiles: Indonesia's Exquisite Diversity.

No comments about Textile Art of Okinawa.

1 comments about Celtic Dance Costumes Iron-on Transfer Patterns.

1. When I ordered this book, I was afraid that a lot of the designs would be from the "Celtic animals" and "Celtic Iron on Transfers". Fortunately, they're all unique. They are all larger than the the designs in the other books.

No comments about Portraits and Masks: Burial Customs in Roman Egypt (Egyptian).

No comments about Scottish Clans and Tartans (Souvenir Guide) (Souvenir Guide).

2 comments about The Vest Book: Create and Customize Your Own Vests Using Embroidery, Fabric Painting, Beadwork, Applique, and a Host of Other Techniques.

1. I have had this book for a couple of years, and have made several vests with these ideas. This is an excellent source to get the creative juices flowing. I refer back to it regularly.



2. This book is full of creative ideas and will inspire you to try new techniques, as well as trigger your own creativity. Creating vests can be a fun and fairly quick way to try these new techniques. I love this book!