Stitch, Fabric & Thread An inspirational guide for creative stitchers

Experiment with stitch, fabric and thread to create your own unique textiles.

This inventive book is a treasure trove of over 40 inspiring practical exercises, a rich and creative exploration of fabric and stitch, and a fascinating all-round read. Elizabeth Healey's approach to sewing is that it should be fun, and not like a chore or an exam we need to excel in. Her aim is to simply encourage you to pick up a needle and thread and get sewing!

The exercises draw inspiration from around the world: create corded works of art inspired by Milton Glaser's iconic Bob Dylan poster; create bold embroidered African masks; layer up and cut away to create Mola applique; use bleach and fabric paint to create Aboriginal dreamtime lizards; create knotted works of art inspired by ancient Mayan counting systems; embroider varsity cross-stitch letters or try out decorative Japanese book binding. Alternatively, try a host of other techniques such as quilting, printing, dyeing, couching tumbled crockery, creating pleats and puckers and needlelace.

Packed with stitch galleries and bursting with slow sewing ideas, the book also contains 'behind the stitches' features: illuminating insights into sewing movements such as Boro textiles, Gee's Bend quilting and Dorset buttons.

Elizabeth Healey originally trained as a typographer and graphic designer at the London College of Printing, after which she worked in various design groups before defecting to the world of illustrated books. While working at Quarto Publishing (on both live titles and new ideas), she completed a degree, then an MA, in English at Birkbeck College. For as long as she can remember, she has made things – usually with yarn or cloth, but sometimes with paper and clay. She is particularly interested in utility stitching and tries to use recycled textiles wherever possible, in a way that looks, fresh, modern and urban rather than old and fusty. Elizabeth has contributed articles to the following magazines: Knitting, Making, Crafty, and Felt Matters. You can see examples of her work on her blog (elizabethsquarters.blogspot.co.uk) and also on her flickr page (flickr.com/photos/74396583@N02).

Introduction 6
Before the stitches 8
Tools: everything or nothing 10
How a sewing machine works 12
The importance of sketchbooks 13
What is thread? 14
What is fabric? 16
Colour 20
Behind the stitches: The quilters of Gees Bend 22
Altered images 24
Toning it down 26
Humble stitches 28
Straight ahead: running stitches 30
Exploring straight stitches 32
Lovely jubbly 36
Pojagi patchwork 38
Intentionally random 40
Kantha fishes 42
Behind the stitches: Boro textiles 44
Visible mending 46
A leaf out of my book 48
Type matters 50
Varsity letters 52
African mask 54
Colourful cords 56
String theory 58
In the loop: chain and blanket stitches 60
Exploring blanket and chain stitches 62
Japanese binding 66
Behind the stitches: Saving your pennies 70
Penny wall hanging 72
Fluxus & mail art 74
Stitched memories 76
Silhouette-a-hula 78
Stitching on knits 80
Texture: introduction to raised stitches 82
Exploring raised stitches 84
Mini quilt 88
Drawing with Stitch 90
Dreamtime lizard 92
Seamless repetition 94
Talking knots 96
Natural dyes 98
Behind the stitches: The rise and fall of Buttony 100
Making buttons 102
More than stitches 104
Shibori 106
Pleats, folds and pinches 108
Texture and illusion 112
Worn and loved 114
Behind the stitches: Mola reverse appliqué 116
Mola: chicken or egg? 118
Chunky rouleaux 122
Drawn thread 124
Behind the stitches: Marriage quilts 126
Trapunto Graffiti 128
Gathered Circles of Joy 130
Behind the stitches: Not to be sniffed at 132
A Christening gift 134
Mirror, mirror 136
Mudlarking 138
Fibonacci flower 140
The poor sewers embellisher 142
Paisley Park 144
The stitches 146
Templates 152
Glossary 158
Further Reading 159
Index 160