narrative textiles

Author: Ailish Henderson
128 pages

A quirky and engaging book about creating stories in stitch, from an up-and-coming young textile artist.

Bring your personal story to life in colorful, vibrant textile art.

In this gorgeous book, Ailish Henderson explains her working methods and how you can harness them in your own work to create unique, deeply personal textile art pieces. She encourages you to draw on your own personal memorabilia to create work that is meaningful to you—the intention is to capture a moment in time, a memory to treasure, a look on a face, a glance of love from a pet.

Along with work from the author, the book also showcases work from textile artists such as Mandy Pattullo, Bridget Harvey, Jenni Dutton, and the hugely popular Mr. X Stitch (Jamie Chalmers). It includes:

- Materials: where to source cloth, using found and recycled materials, curating vintage fabric, incorporating precious family pieces in your work.
- Processes: finding inspiration, creating mood boards, keeping sketchbooks, developing work from drawings, capturing character.
- Techniques: Screen printing, hand and machine stitching, appliqué, mixed-media collage.
- Subject matter: the narrative line, self-portraits, family snapshots, history, identity, travel, favorite animals, even famous faces.