A shy girl with no family, Maria knows she's lucky to have landed in the sewing room of the royal household. Before World War I casts its shadow, she catches the eye of the Prince of Wales, a glamorous and intense gentleman. But her life takes a far darker turn, and soon all she has left is a fantastical story about her time at Buckingham Palace. Decades later, Caroline Meadows discovers a beautiful quilt in her mother's attic. When she can't figure out the meaning of the message embroidered into its lining, she embarks on a quest to reveal its mystery, a puzzle that only seems to grow more important to her own heart. As Caroline pieces together the secret history of the quilt, she comes closer and closer to the truth about Maria. Page-turning and heartbreaking, The Forgotten Seamstress weaves together past and present in an unforgettable journey. This free ebook preview includes the first four chapters.

    In Tudor, England, when Mary, Queen of Scots, was under house arrest, her needlework carried her messages to the outside world. From the political propaganda of the Bayeux Tapestry, World War I soldiers coping with PTSD, and the maps sewn by schoolgirls in the New World, to the AIDS quilt, Hmong story clothes, and pink pussyhats, women and men have used the language of sewing to make their voices heard, even in the most desperate of circumstances. Threads of Life is a chronicle of identity, protest, memory, power, and politics told through the stories of needlework. Clare Hunter, master of the craft, threads her own narrative as she takes us over centuries and across continents—from medieval France to contemporary Mexico and the United States, and from a POW camp in Singapore to a family attic in Scotland—to celebrate the age-old, universal, and underexplored beauty and power of sewing. Threads of Life is an evocative and moving book about the need we have to tell our story.

    The results - like non-identical twins - are inextricably linked, yet intriguingly different. With practical step-by-step instructions, a comprehensive basics section and glorious photographs, this is a book to make your fingers tingle with sheer inspiration."

    From screen printing to collagraphy to sun printing, the techniques are shown with step-by-step photographs and can be done without printing presses or special papers. A variety of projects are included to demonstrate a wide range of possible creations, such as fabric-arts books, hand-printed calendars, wall-art collages, aprons, holiday books, greeting cards, and more. For further inspiration beyond the projects, a gallery of completed works by the author and other artists make up the final portion of this resource.

    Despite her arthritis, Mary, an elderly grandmother, is determined to make one final quilt in order to pass along her spiritual legacy to her family and friends.

    This showcase of cutting-edge contemporary art from across the globe features galleries of collage by 30 practitioners, from the surreal landscapes of Beth Hoeckel to Fabien Souche's humorous appropriations of pop culture. Each artist has also created a new piece especially for this book—all using the same original image, but with results as wildly diverse as the medium of collage itself. This collection is visual inspiration for art lovers and an appreciation of the transformation of old into new.

    A world-class designer and extraordinarily skilled quilter, Jinny Beyer demonstrates everything from threading a needle to piecing perfect points. Beginning with the basic running stitch, quilters quickly move on to joining two, then four patches, making stars and compasses, setting in pieces, and stitching curves. With each new skill, quilters are invited to begin the next section of a quilt designed especially for beginners—encouraging a “sew-as-you-learn” approach with each of the 10 quilting projects. The quilting stitch is simply and clearly explained, and detailed photographs illustrate how neat, even lines of stitching are achieved.

    .Alternate colorways included with each project show you how swapping out fabrics can change the look of the same block. .Learn how to cut, piece, applique, machine quilt, bind, and finish. .Pick up helpful tips and tricks to stay organized and master the methods. Try a fresh, relaxed approach to making quilts with this new "go-to" book. The bright aesthetic and clear, simple instructions guide beginners and intermediates alike through the entire process of creating fun and useful quilts that they'll be proud to call their own."

    Life is not always extraordinary in all its details, but it is the sum of those ordinary events that add up to extraordinary lives. The journal is no different.With Journal Fodder 365, the Journal Fodder Junkies will lead you on a year-long adventure in drawing and writing, in painting and collage, and in the flotsam and jetsam of your daily experiences. You will uncover simple strategies to make the visual journal a part of your life and you'll discover new techniques for refining your personal narrative in an authentic and unique voice.Inside You'll Find:12 themed chapters, ranging from Personal Mythologies and Histories to Connections and Relationships to Symbolically Speaking and beyondDozens of step-by-step demonstrations for painting, drawing, writing, and collage techniques12 suggested excursions for you and your journal12 exploded views showing real-life applications of the lessons and promptsLet your journal be a living, breathing document of your life, a personally meaningful and relevant artifact.

    It grows imperceptibly at first, but soon takes over your sewing room, and, if you’re not careful, your life. Joan Ford is a quilt designer who recognized a need to clear the clutter among her fellow quilters and came up with a fun and effective way to deal with it. Enter ScrapTherapy™, Ford’s feel-good method for organizing the mounds of fabric — from yards and fat quarters to skinny scraps — and turning them into quilts and a wide array of accessories. In this innovative book, Ford offers step-by-step instructions for cutting a fabric stash down to size — quite literally — and provides 20 original patterns for quilts, pillows, table runners, and more.

    Featuring fabrics that you know and love, Tula offers 20 patterns with her signature flair for color, design and original style. Between 10 amazing quilts and 10 extra-cool companion projects, you'll be inspired to play with fabric, color and design in a way like never before!Step inside to find: 10 large quilt patterns, perfect for the bedroom or snuggling on the couch.10 accessory sewing projects, like an embroidered lampshade and a fabric cuckoo clock, to make your everyday life extraordinary.Tips from Tula on choosing and combining fabrics, selecting a quilting motif, and even sketching your own fabric and pattern designs.Step-by-step illustrations (hand-drawn by Tula herself) and super-simple sewing techniques for successful quilt making. Come on in to Tula's house for the ultimate in sewing, style and fabric innovation!

    The satisfaction of seeing your finished quilt spread out on your bead or draped over the back of your couch will make every hour of stitching worth it ten times over!! A well-made quilt can last for a life time, while serving to not only warm your bed at night, but to brighten up your home with colors, patterns, and beauty. In this book, you will learn how to create striking and unique quilting pieces. Making quilts is easy, fun, and maybe even addicting. Even the smallest patchwork idea can quickly to become a big, full, colorful projects Start making your own quilts today, and open up a world of color, creativity, and personal expression that you may not have even knew existed. Included in this book are 10 beautiful quilt projects, so you can kick-start the learning process! These projects include pictures and a detailed step by step method to assist beginner's in their quest to master the art! Here is a preview of what you will learn… The proper way to think through the quilting process, before starting a project The materials and tools needed to complete a quilting project How to combine colors and techniques to create beautiful patterns Finishing techniques that will make you look like a pro 10 original projects to practice all that is taught in this book Download your copy today!

    

    It contains all of the 225 patterns of the historic Jane Stickle 1863 quilt as well as a series of letters to Jane about life and times in the nineteenth century, with emphasis on the Civil War and the women's movement. Among the patterns and letters you will find a dozen quilts from the 1990's, all inspired by Jane's supreme example of quilt-making artistry in 1863.

    In Quilting with a Modern Slant, Rachel May introduces you to more than 70 modern quilters who have developed their own styles, methods, and aesthetics. Their ideas, their quilts, and their tips, tutorials, and techniques will inspire you to try something new and follow your own creativity wherever it leads.