The Art of Manipulating Fabric

This is my favorite book of all time. I have learned so many techniques. I lost it in a couple of long distant moves and promptly bought it again. If you're into any kind of fabric work then you really need this publication. The illustrations and directions really are an inspiration to try new techniques and incorporate them in my work.Many of the methods taught were used in historical clothing. If you're into recreating clothing for the Renaissance Faire, this publication will give you plenty of ideas.

I love that this book shows each example done on white fabric. I find it more inspiring to be able to use my imagination to project the types of colors that I love onto the techniques in the book. The other books I have about fabric manipulation have that ‘rainbow mud’ color scheme that is so common in textile art - and it just screams at me from every page in a way that I find distracting and obnoxious. Bu contrast, This book is a very peaceful place to rest my eyes.I wish that I had this book when I was in my 20’s and sewing a lot of period inspired costumes - it would have helped me identify what I was looking at on the reference costumes I was using for inspiration.The book is less for people who want to do a more abstract style of textile art and more for people who want an overview of many different types of sewing techniques that can add 3 dimensional decoration to garments, tablecloths, curtains ect. As another reviewer mentioned it does not get into fabric dying or painting - its strictly about shaping. It does not have patterns or full project instructions.What I love about it is all of the samples that the author made and photographed in order to help the viewer compare different options. For example it shows what happens to ruffles when you use a satin stitch edge vs a double fold hem vs a pinked edge.My only regret is that I didnt have it 20 years ago - but I think it would have been a bit beyond my ability to comprehend at that time. Happy to have it now!

This really is a book about how to perform miracles with fabric! I disagree with Gingercook that this is not a book for novices or beginning seamstresses. I am just learning to use my Viking Topaz 30, taking lessons at the best sewing shop in Las Vegas, but I LOVE this book and, as others have said, cannot put it down! I have found ANSWERS to every question you could possibly have concerning getting fabric to do what you want it to do. I want to make a ruffle skirt for my 4 year old grand-daughter, but I want to make one with ruffles that stand out and "float" - not just hang there. Maybe other people know about Circular Flounce and cutting the ruffle pieces (as it shows on page 67) from a CIRCLE OF FABRIC - the strip closest to the center of the circle has tremendous flare, the next strip not so much and the third strip (which is cut farthest from the center of the circle has very little flare. The diagrams in this book are the best I have ever seen and they are on every page, helping you to understand, totally, how to do each step. It explains GRAINLINE BALANCE ON PAGE 70, with diagrams. Sorry but I had never heard of grainline balance, but I will never forget it now! I had never heard of a GODET, now I can't wait to try to make one and the SQUARE GODET shown on page 84 is one of the most beautiful things I have seen. Just take a large hankerchief (or large square of fabric) hold it by one of the 4 corners and let the fabric drape by itself. The drawing on page 84 shows this with 4 folds ending in a handkerchief edge. I can't wait to try to make one. I am taking this book to my instructors so they can teach me how to make a godet (go-day).I have never seen so many different drapery pleats. I especially like the CARTRIDGE PLEAT. Colette not only shows you all the different pleats, but she also shows you how to change them and make them look completely different.This book is an INSPIRATION, but it is not a book about which fabric to choose to make the miracles happen. It is about being able to make these miracles happen with ALL KINDS OF FABRIC.I'm taking classes in Heirloom sewing and this book shows how to do many of the Heirloom techniques and shows it with diagrams, making it easy to understand how to do all those intricate, gorgeous Shark's Teeth, Slashed Tucks, Keyhole Tucks, etc. The book also includes a chapter on Quilting and one on Stuffed Quilting & Applique, teaching you things that almost make you drool - because they are pieces of art and belong in a museum.I purchased this book on a whim while I was deciding whether or not to purchase the Colette Sewing Handbook by Sarai Mitnick and I ended up buying both of them.EVERY PERSON WHO SEWS OR WHO IS THINKING OF SEWING SHOULD OWN THIS BOOK. It is an inspirational book and a book of HOW TO PERFORM MIRACLES with fabric!

I have purchased more than one of these. It is inspirational to thumb through and gives clear direction in how to work with fabric. A permanent fixture in my library.

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.