harrithredza: Level: Skilled

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Thursday, February 5, 2009

Folk Vests: 25 Knitting Patterns & Tales from Around the World

Folk Vests: 25 Knitting Patterns & Tales from Around the World (Folk Knitting series)

From Library Journal
Vests have long been a favorite garment of knitters because they are fun to make, comfortable to wear, and easier to knit than garments with sleeves that must be carefully fitted to the wearer. Oberle is a knitwear designer and popular workshop teacher whose designs often appear in popular knitting magazines such as Interweave Knits. This book, like her earlier Folk Shawls, is a compilation of patterns based on the folk wear traditions of Europe (Scotland, Germany, Ireland, Scandinavia, Switzerland, and England), Asia (Nepal, Japan, and China), Africa, and the Americas. The 25 vest patterns each include background information about textile traditions of the country or region, a full-page photo of the garment, a materials list, and complete instructions. Avid knitters will have difficulty deciding which of these elegant vests to knit first: the beautiful Sari Silk Vest from Nepal, the "Many Buttoned Vest" in the German tradition, or the African-inspired Kasai Vest with its wealth of Fair Isle motifs. Warmly recommended for textile collections and public libraries.

Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Mosaic Techniques & Traditions: Projects & Designs from Around the World

Mosaic Techniques & Traditions: Projects & Designs from Around the World

From Booklist
Readers interested in learning about the history, technology, and aesthetics of mosaics will find that King's beautifully and comprehensively illustrated volume is an excellent source of both practical information and artistic inspiration. She details the evolution of mosaics from their first manifestations around 3000 B.C.E. in Mesopotamia to the present; chronicles the breathtaking mosaics of Europe, Africa, and the Americas; and surveys the many materials used in their construction, from broken tiles to gold. The basic process has remained the same over the centuries, and King offers detailed how-to instructions in the second, and largest, portion of the book, providing specific information for the budding artisan on materials and tools, techniques, and designs. Project ideas take up the final third of this fresh and useful book, with five projects of varying difficulty derived from three geographical areas. Full of photographs both of finished mosaics and the steps required for their crafting, King's book will inform, instruct, and delight craft lovers. Lauren Roberts

Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Navajo Weaving Way: The Path from Fleece to Rug

From Library Journal
The publisher has performed a real service in making available the work of Bennett, whose books on Navajo weaving and tradition have been out of print for some time. In 1968, as young woman, Bennett moved to the Navajo reservation in Arizona planning a two-year stay to learn traditional Navajo weaving and spinning techniques. She remained for eight years, learned to weave under the tutelage of Tiana Bighorse, and began a life-long fascination with the Navajo way of life. This volume is a reworking of Bennett's Working with the Wool (1971), The Weaver's Pathway (1974), and Designing with the Wool (1979), combining material from these earlier books with new information on Navajo spinning and dyeing techniques. Recommended for scholarly decorative arts holdings as well as public how-to collections.

Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
Navajo Weaving Way is a compilation of Nol Bennett's earlier, out-of-print books on Navajo rug-weaving traditions: Working with the Wool, Designing with the Wool, and The Weaver's Pathway. This book augments the information in Bennett's previous works with all-new chapters on spinning, carding, and dyeing techniques. Illustrations include photographs by John Running of Navajo women carding, spinning, and weaving, along with detailed line drawings depicting specific techniques.

Art Doll Adventures: Exploring Projects and Processes through Cultural Traditions

Product Description

Doll-making inspired by cultural icons

Finding meaning in your art is one thing; doing it for the fun of the creation is another. How do they go together? Making dolls inspired by cultural icons brings new meaning to your work and helps you connect with larger universal truths. Doll makers are very conscious of and interested in the history of the human/female figure and cultural icons, and often use them as starting points for their designs. Spirit dolls, African icons, goddess figures, and Hopi katichinas are all popular forms.

Using history as a starting point, Lisa-Li Hertzi has created five exciting doll projects, inspired by five very different cultural and historical icons/figures. Through the projects, she explores the creative process, the meaning and significance of each figure, and teaches techniques that doll makers are currently experimenting with: journaling, collage, mixed media, and found objects. Each doll is presented as a step-by-step project with complete instructions, and is followed by a gallery featuring interpretations by leading doll artists of the same cultural figure. Fantastic full color illustrations and patterns by the author are included.

About the Author

Lisa-Li Hertzi is a professional illustrator, graphic designer, and artist, and runs the art department for Squadra Inc. USA. She is known for her eclectic line of cloth doll patterns, ranging from the Boulder Goddess which is based very roughly on the Venus of Willendorf, to Lilly, a Feisty cowgirl to the EarthSky Man, who was inspired by a raft trip down the Colorado River. She is a popular teacher, using both her patterns and classes to explore art, science, history, the figure, color, and more.