Embroiderers' Guild Bookshop - Inspiration

1980s Fashion Print NEW!
Marnie Fogg
Pub. Anova
Price £16.99 paperback
Fabric design in the 1980s could be both dazzingly ostentatious and subtly subversive. This fascinating sourcebook showcases the best of print from that decade of excess, from the breezy, surfing-influenced patterns used for sportswear to the more sophisticated appropriation of classical motifs and architectural detail, via vibrant florals and jungle prints, colourful geometric designs, and painterly, abstract swirls. With over 200 full-colour illustrations, including original artwork from designers as well as finished prints, 1980s Fashion Print is a wonderful overview of an intensely creative period for designers.

4000 Animal, Bird & Fish Motifs
McCullum, G
Pub. Batsford
Price £16.99 paperback
Following the huge success of 4000 Flower & Plant Motifs this book features 4000 authentic copyright-free designs taken from a wide range of historical and world sources, including prehistoric cave painting, ceramics from the ancient world, medieval illuminated books, Renaissance paintings and antique textiles. The high-quality black-and-white images can be traced, photocopied and enlarged for design work in any creative field.

4000 Plant & Flower Motifs
McCullum, G
Pub. Chrysalis
Price £16.99 paperback

500 Beaded Objects NEW!
Wilcox Wells, C (ed)
Pub. Lark Books
Price £16.95 paperback
This is just one of a fabulous new series of books from GMC. Celebrate the amazing evolution of beadwork from a simple craft to expressive art. Every stunning sculpture, vessel, figure, loomed and woven work, free-form installation and piece of jewellery shown in glorious colour photos is gallery-quality and thoroughly unique.

Arabic Geometrical Pattern & Design; 200 Plates
Bourgoin, J
Pub. Dover
Price £14.99 paperback

Art Forms from the Ocean NEW!
Ernst Haeckel
Pub. Prestel
Price £15.50 paperback
Following on from the very successful Art Forms in Nature. Art Forms from the Ocean, The Radiolarian Atlas of 1862 by Ernst Haeckel contains 35 colour plates of meticulous drawings of the forms of microscopic marine organisms, depicting variations and progressions in natural forms. A fantastic inspiration for all design work.

Beach Stones NEW!
Iselin, J & Carruthers, M W
Pub. Abrams
Price £9.99 hardback

Breakdown Printing now in paperback
Claire Benn & Leslie Morgan
Pub. Committed to Cloth
Price £9.50 paperback
New Dimensions for Texture and Colour

Celebration Transfers for Embroidery NEW!
Odile Bailloeul
Pub. Search Press
Price £12.99 paperback
This book provides festive patterns suitable for Christmas, Halloween, weddings, birthdays, Valentine's Day and more - the selection of patterns included will have something to suit everyone's taste and occasion. The designs can be adapted and used to create beautiful, original pieces, or they can be combined with borders and motifs for a unique look. In the first part of the book is a quick review of the main stitches used, and some useful tips and tricks, as well as embroidery suggestions - where to place the patterns in order to create a pleasing look, plus examples of suggested embroidery stitches. The transfer technique itself is quick and easy to follow - once the reader has chosen a pattern, they simply cut it out, place it on the fabric, set the iron on the cotton setting (no steam) and iron on the design. Amazing range of designs specifically for festivals and celebrations. The transfers are easy to use, and full instructions are provided in the book. The title provides expert guidance on embroidery stitches used, and laying out a design.

Celtic Spirals Handbook
Sturrock, S
Pub. Guild of Master Craftsman Publications
Price £9.95 paperback
This is the perfect practical guide to creating authentic Celtic designs, using Sheila Sturrock's tried and tested methods. More than 100 designs are included, with detailed templates combined with clear plotting instructions, from simple spirals to more complex and challenging designs.

Classic and Modern Fabrics - the complete illustrated sourcebook NEW!
Janet Wilson
Pub. Thames & Hudson
Price £42.00 hardback
PUBLICATION DATE - APRIL 2010. More than 600 fabrics and 700 colour illustrations - this is an authoritative, accessible, and definitive guide to all the textiles available today. From the earliest weaves uncovered by archaeologists to today's machine produced, scientifically advanced fabrics, textiles have had a profound influence on civilization. This encyclopaedia is a definitive reference guide to all the major types of fabric in circulation today, from abbot cloth to zibeline. In clear and engaging language, the author describes and illustrates more than 600 of the most important examples, from classic tweeds to state-of-the-art nano fabrics. Each entry includes a brief definition, informative notes on structure, and a list of uses. More than 700 color illustrations show a fabric's weave, texture, and other defining characteristics at a glance, and helpful diagrams demonstrate the structure of the most important types of textiles. The book concentrates on textiles in current use, but it also covers obscure or obsolete terms that one might come across - and that might still have something to teach today's designers, manufacturers, and textile historians. Janet Wilson is an associate lecturer at the London College of Fashion. She has worked as a textile designer and continues to design fabrics on a freelance basis.

Colourful World
Gallienne, A G
Pub. Thames & Hudson
Price £15.99 paperback
From Mali to Peru, from China to Norway, this book captures all the colours of the world created and used by human beings to brighten their lives.

Embroiderers & Quilters Sourcebook NEW!
Thompson, A
Pub. Batsford
Price £20.00 paperback
This wonderful book contains more than 1000 photographs of textiles and embroidery from the 17th to the 21st century and from all over the world. Visually stunning, this is a unique sourcebook for inspiration and reference for all types of embroiderers, stitchers and quilters. Many techniques are covered, including quilting, machine and hand embroidery, appliquebeadwork, goldwork, counted thread, stumpwork, applied work, mirror work, cross stitch, trapunto, smocking, tassels, and whitework. This is an essential addition to the library of anyone interested in embroidery or quilting.

Ideas For Textiles From The Celtic Heritage NEW!
Howell, Barbara
Pub. Gwasg Carrreg Gwalch
Price £7.95 paperback
Barbara Howell describes herself as 'an embroiderer who makes quilts' and is known for her adventurous use of stitching and fabrics. One of her inspirations is Celtic imagery and this passion is explored in the varied and exciting projects that include bags, quilts, cushions and wall hangings. Celtic design has always been very a striking source of inspiration for embroiderers and quilters. This book provides a wonderful starting point.

In the Blink of an Eye
John Brackenbury
Pub. David & Charles
Price £14.99 hardback
Discover a fascinating world of fragile, invisible forces, fleeting moments and alternative views.

Islamic Designs
Wilson, E
Pub. British Museum Press
Price £9.99 paperback

Jane Austen Fashion : Fashion and Needlework in the Works of Jane Austen
Byrde, Penelope
Pub. Excellent Press
Price £12.95 hardback

Kaleidoscope: ideas & projects to spark your creativity
Suzanne Simanaitis
Pub. David & Charles
Price £14.99 paperback
This book opens new doors of creativity by helping you explore stories, exercises and instructive projects.

Leaves and Pods NEW!
Iselin, J & Hannibal, ME
Pub. Abrams
Price £9.99 hardback
Photographer Josie Iselin uses a flatbed scanner to produce these wonderful and amazingly detailed images of a number of leaves and pods, which she collects over various seasons and from around the world. As well as being a useful sourcebook this book is as beautiful and objects as the beauty of the leaves and pods it so majectically displays.

Medieval Tiles
van Lemmen, H
Pub. Shire Publications
Price £4.50 paperback

Pattern Design A Period Design Sourcebook NEW!
Sian Evans
Pub. Anova
Price £20.00 hardback
This has got to be one of the world's best collections of period designs brought together as an invaluable resource for designers of all kinds, from fabric, textile, wallpaper, stained glass, to graphic and fashion designers. This collection of over 300 designs covers wallpaper, textiles, furnishings, costume, tiles and ceramics. The designs range from medieval through renaissance and the 19th century right up to the 1950's. This is a truly beautiful book!

Peruvian Textile Designs NEW!
Caraway, C
Pub. Stemmer House Publishing
Price £5.50 paperback

Pewter Plus
Sandy Griffiths
Pub. David & Charles
Price £12.99 paperback
Explore the possibilities of working with pewter - a soft, easily moulded metal that can be crafted and embellished to form incredible results.

Photographing Flowers
Bishop, S
Pub. Guild of Master Craftsman
Price £22.95 hardback
Although essentially a photographic book, stitchers and designers will be able to use the wonderful images as a source of inspiration. The colours and textures in Sue Bishop's stunning photographs just lend themselves to being the starting points for design and embroidery work.

Polysymetrics
Olive, J
Pub. Tarquin
Price £4.25 paperback

Pugin's Ecclesiastical Ornament NEW!
Pub. Dover
Price £15.00 paperback

Rigmaroles & Ragamuffins NEW!
Elinor Kapp
Pub. word4word
Price £9.99 paperback
This book offers a collection of textile-related words and phrases that have entered into our everyday conciousness through spoken and written English. An ideal book for those who love textiles as well as those who love words and stories.

Sanderson - The Essence of English Decoration NEW!
Mary Schoeser
Pub. Thames & Hudson
Price £18.95 paperback
PUBLICATION DATE MARCH 2010. Picture the interior of the quintessential English home - whether the chintz parlour of a Victorian terrace, a postwar urban flat, or the majestic blue drawing room of Buckingham Palace - and you inevitably picture Sanderson. For 150 years Sanderson has been at the vanguard of every significant movement in European decorative arts, from Arts and Crafts and Art Deco to 1980s country-house style to the vibrant interiors of the twenty-first century, shaping a distinctive style of English decoration beloved throughout the world. Granted unprecedented access to the Sanderson archives, Mary Schoeser relates the history of the company from its founding to the present day. A preface by renowned British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes and an introduction by Whitworth curator Christine Woods celebrate the importance of the "Sanderson style" in modern British decoration and design. With over 200 patterns specially selected from the Sanderson archives and reproduced in full colour, this book is a font of inspiration for decorators, designers, graphic artists, and collectors.

Secrets of Rusty Things
Michael de Meng
Pub. North Light Books
Price £14.99 paperback
A transformation of long-forgotten objects into engaging works of art inspired by ancient myths and metaphors.

Silk NEW!
Mary Schoeser
Pub. Yale University Press
Price £29.99 hardback

Surfaces and Textures - a visual sourcebook NEW!
Polly O'Neil
Pub. A&C Black
Price £19.99 paperback
This collection of amazing images has been gathered by the author over the last 10 years, providing a wealth of visual imagery for ideas and inspiration. These photographs show surfaces and textures of everything from rust and lichen to skips and old sails. Every surface tells a story and these beautiful images provide a visual sourcebook for artists from all areas of the Visual Arts.

The Art & Embroidery of Jane Hall: Reflections of Nature
Jane Hall
Pub. Search Press
Price £19.99 hardback
In a combination of art, photography and prose, the author mixes her work as a textile artist with the world that inspired it.

The Arts and Crafts Movement NEW!
Rosalind P Blakesley
Pub. Phaidon
Price £39.95 hardback
A book for makers, historians and anyone interesed in beautiful objects.

The Elements of Design
Oei, L and De Kegel, C
Pub. Thames & Hudson
Price £16.95 paperback
Colour, texture, form and shape are the basis of this sourcebook, with page after page of photographs showing how our environment can be defined in terms of basic elements, including dots, lines, planes and circles. Beautiful and seductive, this book goes beneath the surface in the search for design inspiration.

The Gardener's Wise Words and Country Ways
Ruth Binney
Pub. David & Charles
Price £9.99 paperback
The wisdom and sayings of generations are gathered together in this fascinating celebration of traditional gardening techniques.

The Language of Flowers NEW!
Marina Heilmeyer
Pub. Prestel
Price £15.50 hardback
Flowers play a vital role as vehicles of expression. The fascinating history of the symbolism of flowers is presented and explained here in all its facets with entertaining texts and details of beautiful works of art. Thirty-five beautiful depictions of flowers taken from the Renaissance and Baroque periods are reproduced as full-page, full colour illustrations accompanied by descriptive texts.

The Magic Mirror M C Escher
Ernst, B
Pub. Tarquin
Price £7.95 paperback

The Ultimate Book of Optical Illusions
A Seckel
Pub. Sterling
Price £9.99 paperback

Tray Dyeing
Leslie Morgan & Claire Benn
Pub. Committed to Cloth
Price £16.00 paperback
Exploring colour, texture and special effects. This Book contains a DVD.

V&A Pattern - Indian Florals NEW!
Rosemary Crill
Pub. V&A Publications
Price £7.99 hardback & CD
A stylish and accessible new design series - includes a free CD of high-resolution images and removable belly band

V&A Pattern - The Fifties NEW!
Sue Pritchard
Pub. V&A Publications
Price £7.99 hardback & CD
A stylish and accessible new design series - includes a free CD of high-resolution images and removable belly band

V&A Pattern - William Morris NEW!
Linda Parry
Pub. V&A Publications
Price £7.99 hardback & CD
A stylish and accessible new design series - includes a free CD of high-resolution images and removable belly band.

V&A Patterns - Digital Pioneers NEW!
Honor Beddard & Douglas Dodds
Pub. V&A Publications
Price £7.99 hardback & CD
A stylish and accessible new design series - includes a free CD of high-resolution images and removable belly band

Zen and the Art of Needlecraft NEW!
Sandra Detrixhe
Pub. Adams Media
Price £9.99 paperback
Exploring the links between needlecraft, spirituality and creativity.