The Textile Artist: Layer, Paint and Stitch: Create Textile Art Using Freehand Machine Embroidery and Hand Stitching

(Paperback)

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Description

This beautiful book guides the reader through Wendys inventive style of work: from piecing and patching fabrics and creating textures to painting and embellishing with hand and machine stitching. This book contains a wealth of inspiration for any textile artist, showing them how to create gorgeous, textured pieces of art and then, in the final chapter, offering inspiration for how to transform these pieces into three-dimensional items such as cushion covers, notebooks, 3-d vessels, and even a wedding dress, which Wendy made for her daughter. The book contains six beautiful step-by-step projects, broken down into three chapters: Architecture, Landscapes and Flowers, and at the end of each section there is an inspiring gallery of Wendys work.

Reviews

Explore Wendy Dolan's artistic process, from layering fabric textures to painting and embellishing with stitching. This beautiful book contains six step-by-step projects, on the themes of architecture, landscapes, and flowers. Each chapter features an inspiring gallery of Wendy's work, and the final chapter offers inspiration for creating stunning three-dimensional items.

* Be Creative With Workbox *

If you have ever wondered about how to put depth and soul into your work then Wendy Dolans book will show you her technique for doing so.

Wendy encourages you to gather together all those odds and ends of fabrics, natural and synthetic, and experiment to find out how they work together, and the differing ways they accept, or reject, other media.

The first chapters are very informative about materials, equipment, machine supplies and some basic items. Inspiration and colour use is followed by an in-depth look at free machining with some great 'Wendy Tips'. She really does know her sewing machines!

Wendy encourages you to play with colour by mixing, layering and mindfulness of your base layer fabrics. Following these first instructions you could spend quite some time just experimenting with the amazing effects to which she opens your eyes. In the second part of the book, Wendy takes you through some of her workshops, step-by-step. Flowers, architecture and landscapes are produced with such character from the layers and applications of media that you cannot fail to be drawn to them.

Though nothing quite replaces a physical workshop, this book comes as close as you could to spending a few days with Wendy herself. The instructions are easy to follow with plenty of information clearly explained. Novice and more experienced stitchers will find plenty to learn.

* WOWbook 04 *

This book is eye candy with instructions! Browse through the pages and youll feel like youve visited a gallery with textile artist Wendy Dolans work on display. Then start at the beginning and youll find yourself building the skills to create projects with her carefully explained techniques. Some of the projects are quite time consuming, but the instructions are so well done that a confident beginner will be able to achieve magical results. Mixed media mavens will want to incorporate the techniques into original art work. Art journaling fans can add stitching, layering and painting to their pages. Quilters will benefit from this book, too. The mix of freehand machine embroidery and hand stitching is what makes it all so enticing. The hybrid allows for the speed of a machine combined with that special something (dimension, detail) that only hand stitching can add

* scrapbooking.com *

January 2016

Filled with exciting hand and machine techniques Layer, Paint and Stitch gently eases you into the world of mixed media textile art. This fabulous book outlines experimental techniques and materials to use to develop tonal colour variations, tactile textures and complex stitch details, resulting in one-off mixed media artworks. Wendy Dolan first introduces you to a range of tools and techniques, including freehand machine embroidery, hand stitching, printing and painting and then puts them into practice with a range of diverse, step-by-step projects. Any mixed media artist with a love for textiles will be thrilled to discover her gorgeous combinations of textures and colours. This beautiful book is absolutely jam packed with inspiration and designs for future art pieces, its a great investment and perfect for when you want to try something new and push the boundaries of mixed media even further.

* The Craft Stamper *

September 2015

Renowned textile artist Wendy Dolan shares her techniques, ideas and inspirations. There are six projects to create, along with galleries of her beautiful work. She truly offers some exciting ideas and inspiration encouraging us to explore, create and develop our own ideas.

* Machine Knitting Monthly *

Wendy Dolans book is the latest in 'The Textile Artist' series from Search Press, which

explores the work of some of the best textile artists working today. Wendys book 'Layer,

Paint and Stitch' focuses on stitch, both by machine and hand. Anyone who has seen and

admired Wendys work will see this book as a fantastic opportunity to learn from her

techniques and see how she creates such wonderfully textured pieces.

Attention is given at the start to the materials you will use, colour and inspiration but with

some further detail on freehand machine stitching, a welcome addition. The hand stitches

used are fairly common but presented as parts of stitched pieces of work, so that you can

see the effects of different stitch sizes, colours and combinations. Under the 'Design' section,

a variety of approaches are covered, such as montage, paper collage and drawing - all give

an insight into how you can work in this style. What really struck me about Wendys

approach was the amount of work that was done from the back of the piece. In order to use

Cable Stitch, the bobbin thread needs to be seen and so there is a lot of working blind from

behind.

The Projects are divided into four Flowers, Architecture, Landscapes and Three

Dimensional Inspiration. All offer several projects and a Gallery of work at the end. It is in

these projects that you appreciate the different processes that are described earlier and see

how they come together. I loved the collaged backgrounds which are stitched and then

painted, with further heavier stitching on top to create Summer Meadow. The architectural

pieces too were fascinating, from the methods Wendy uses to transfer the design from

behind whilst framing the motifs perfectly from the front, to the use of colour and texture to

create a richly stitched surface.

This book contains a range of stitching (changing the emphasis from vertical to horizontal

stitching). Painting the fabric in different areas brings colour, but creates atmosphere and

shading which is very effective, particularly in the architectural pieces. To finish, there are

some amazing three-dimensional pieces and some amazing Urban Landscape structures.

Wendys approach is fascinating and this makes it a very rich book for the art of textiles.

This latest volume in The Textile Artist series, from the renowned Wendy Dolan, does not disappoint. Comprehensive information relating to materials, yarns and methods are presented together with highly detailed coloured photos, encouraging the reader to try any of the six beautiful textile art projects offered. Wendy uses layers of natural-coloured fabrics to create backgrounds which are then dyed and painted, before finally being embellished with hand and machine stitching. This inspirational book is highly recommended for stitchers of all abilities.

* East Kent Embroiderer's Guild *

July 2015

Part of the Textile Artist series by the publisher and probably the best so far. Take a look at Wendy Dolan's work and enjoy exploring themes, techniques and her artwork. Six projects to follow with step-by-step instructions. Wendy's work includes landscapes, a lace dress and 3-D work. Techniques include machine and hand stitching, colouring fabric and more. Fabulous colour photos and stunning work combine to make a book that any textile artist would love to own. It's like having a workshop all to yourself with a wonderful tutor. Highly recommended.

* Karen Platt Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk/crafts *

Author Bio

Wendy Dolan is a Fellow of The Society of Designer Craftsmen, The Sussex Guild of Designers and Makers, The Embroiderers Guild and is on the Crafts Council Makers Index.

Specialising in Freehand Machine Embroidery and related creative stitching techniques, she offers a range of courses, lectures and workshops.

Living close to the South Downs, the landscape provides a constant source of inspiration for my stitched textile designs. My current theme, A Sense of Place records memorable journeys and locations, using fabric, stitch and texture. Architectural structures, textures, and patterns also provide a wealth of ideas which I enjoy exploring.