My book…

Crikey, I've only gone and written a book. One with properly photographed images, professionally illustrated artworks, a whole editorial and design team behind it, and, a bona fide publisher to take care of stuff like production, packaging, sales, marketing and distribution—phew!

My book is called Stitch, Fabric & Thread, it's published by Search Press and as advertisers like to say, 'is in all good bookshops now'. In a nutshell, the book is about play and experimentation—a kind of foundation course for would be creative stitchers that they can do at home. It's about as far away as can be from the type of book that promises the reader 30 exact replicas of projects contained herein if they follow instructions to the letter. Rather, the book is a starting point, and hopefully (if I've done my job right) a springboard for the reader's own ideas.

For anyone who knows me, or has read this blog in the past, you can expect to see features on Dorset Buttons…

An example of a Behind the Stitches feature spread.

Penny mats…

A typical chapter opener

Layering…

The first of a two spread techniques article on layering fabrics

The book also looks at other ways to approach sewing, for example, how to work with, and think about negative space…

A typical techniques spread

As well as looking beyond shop bought patterns and kits to everyday inspiration such as graphic posters, and then incorporating unusual materials like brightly coloured, elasticated yachting cord to realise your ideas…

Another techniques spread

It was a lot of work, but then I knew it would be and fully embraced that (as I kept telling myself when my fingertips developed callouses from endless days, and late nights of hand stitching). What was surprising, considering I have worked on illustrated books for the last twenty years, is that I couldn't go with my usual approach to design and preference for an economy of material on the page. If I had, it would have made life easier, and lessened my workload but felt it would have short changed the reader if I'd stuck to my long held motto of less is more. Instead each spread became a 'mind-dump' of ideas, tips and snippets that simply had to be shared. Hopefully, this has made for a richer book even if does mean any reader with even the weakest detective powers (weaker than say Inspector Couseau's) can easily build a comprehensive identikit of my entire life. I stop short of giving my national insurance number, blood group, and there's no author photo (cripes, no!) but there's a lot of personal stuff in there—all relevant to sewing of course. Speaking of which, it does feel rather strange to have my surname so clearly visible at the top of this post and sidebar, when for the last five years I've just been 'Elizabeth'.

It's been over two years since I first signed the contract, and writing it fulfils a long held ambition, although greedy creature that I am, I now want to do another. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment and sore fingers!

Elizabeth,
x.