The Art of Manipulating Fabric
by Colette Wolff
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Book Reviews of The Art of Manipulating Fabric
Book Review: inspiring
Summary: 5 Stars
As one reviewer notes, this book focuses on "old fashioned" methods like shirring, trapunto, pleating, etc. but the originality and creativity of the examples are an inspiring display of how traditional methods can be used to create a really dramatic, unique look. Wolff demonstrates many ways to manipulate the large scale texture of the fabric, and the result is NOT something for the timid dressmaker. In fact, many of the examples seem to be from quilts and home-decoration.
(It must have taken her a couple years just to make the hundreds of beautiful muslin samples, which are clearly photographed in black and white! ) I also think these techniques would be great for handbags, high-drama evening wear, and clothing for people who love texture (like me).
Many of her amazing techniques are labor intensive, often hand-sewn, but worth it, I think!
Book Review: How many ways can you sculpt a piece of fabric?
Summary: 5 Stars
Amazing! Colette Wolff has presented innumerable techniques in which simple fabric may be gathered, shirred, ruffled, flounced, given godets, pleats, smocked, tucked, corded, quilted, and stuffed, and how one may use these provocative and remarkable methods of sculpting fabric using combinations of the above.In using simple white cotton muslin, Colette presents to the student a visualization of precisely what one may expect of the diverse manipulations of fabric. A seamstress may take a plain piece of fabric and transform it into a work of art. This book is for the student who desires to go beyond simple seams. Each section is explained comprehensively and given a distinct black and white photo so that one may ascertain the accuracy of one's project.
A must-have for the serious seamstress interested in artistic needlework. Happy sewing!
Book Review: Just plain amazing !!
Summary: 5 Stars
First let me say that I am a simple quiltmaker. But I am a fantastic dreamer! This author has taken all of my dreams and made them come true. I cannot believe the things she does with the most common of fabrics. She sews designs and stuffs them with batting, then creates a wonderful picture with them. She pleats and ruches, too. Welting, cording, smocking, and tucking, are only a few of the lessons in her repertoire. The best way I know to describe her work is to say it's extremely varied in all areas of manipulation and is unlimited in its use. Clothing and quilts become things of great beauty when created using her methods. I recommend this book for all those who are the least bit interested in working with fabric. There are no brightly colored pictures, however. They are just not necessary here.Book Review: packed full of information
Summary: 4 Stars
This is quite an old-fashioned style of book. No glossy photos or eye candy, lots of detailed line drawings and a wide range of techniques. As such, it takes a bit more time to get into than most of the quilt books I own. However, its strong point is that you can see from the diagrams what you need to do for a range of pleats, gathers, folds and other textured surfaces. You do also need to read the accompanying text, and the layout makes that a challenge at times, searching back through dense paragraphs for the correct link to the drawing.
I will use it as a reference book. It is pretty comprehensive. What would make it more user-friendly would be firstly, some nice gallery pictures of quilts or garments using those techniques, and secondly, a simpler page layout and typeface.
Book Review: More of an encyclopedia than a how-to book.
Summary: 3 Stars
First of all, this is definetely a book for experienced sewers. The book assumes you know how to do basic and intermediate sewing, and also assumes that you are familiar with many technical terms that are not listed in the book. If you are an experienced sewer, then that should be OK.
My main issue with this book is that there is SO much information in it that it seems to be running out of room to list it all. Pages are laid out in four column formats only with black and white photos, mostly just of the finished products. It lists so much information, in fact, that I think it's more accurate to call this book an encyclopedia or a compendium on all the different techniques listed. It's really not a how-to book at all, unless you already know what you're doing.