The Art of Whimsical Stitching: Creative Stitch Techniques and Inspiring Projects

by Joanne Sharpe

Overview

Paint, Stitch, Play!

In The Art of Whimsical Stitching, bestselling author and teacher Joanne Sharpe shares her favorite, go-to methods for creating exuberant stitch art. If you're a sewer or quilter, you'll take your stitching in a new direction with paints, markers, and dyes. If you're a mixed-media artist, you'll learn to embellish your work with stitching.

Follow step-by-step instructions and photos demonstrating a dozen inspiring techniques, including collage, stenciling, free-motion stitching, fused applique lettering, needle felting, doodle machine and hand embroidery, and more! Then, transform your custom fabric into playful pillows and bags, art quilts, journals, and other fun and funk-tional projects. Joanne's whimsical artwork and a "sketchbook" of designs you can adapt for your own work round out this colorful, inspirational guide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781632502056
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/14/2016
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	897,856
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Joanne Sharpe is a renowned mixed-media artist and enthusiastic teacher with a passion for stitching, art journaling, lettering, doodling, and illustration. Joanne is the author of the bestselling book The Art of Whimsical Lettering (Krause Craft, 2014) and stars in the DVD Artful Lettering. Her playful art has been featured in the popular publications Cloth Paper Scissors, Studios, Somerset Art Journaling, and more. Joanne resides in Rochester, New York.

Editorial Reviews

"The projects are at the heart of the book, and Sharpe's energetic color choices are the uniting factor. Those open to free-form stitching will appreciate the freedom inherent in the improvisational techniques presented. While art quilters are the most likely audience for Sharpe's ideas, stitchers and mixed-media artists who incorporate fabric into their work may find this compilation inspiring." —Library Journal

"If you are as inspired by typography as we are, Joanne Sharpe needs to be on your radar. Fanciful, fresh, fun, and encouraging are the words that come to mind when looking at her new book." —Generation Q Magazine

From the Publisher

06/01/2016
Mixed-media artist Sharpe (The Art of Whimsical Lettering) demonstrates techniques for incorporating hand and machine stitching, including embroidery and quilting techniques, into a number of mixed-media projects. Hand-painted or hand-colored fabric is the basis of many of the offerings. A brief overview covers the diverse ways to add color to fabric, from dyeing to hand-coloring or drawing, with plenty of samples from Sharpe's work to illustrate the differences in style. This is followed by overviews of embroidery and quilting supplies and tools and basic color theory. The projects are at the heart of the book, and Sharpe's energetic color choices are the uniting factor. She uses mainly cotton or muslin, with other fibers or fabrics introduced in projects incorporating specialty techniques such as crazy quilting or needle felting. The style isn't for everyone—sewists who like precision will find Sharpe's loosey-goosey style crazy making—but those open to free-form stitching will appreciate the freedom inherent in the improvisational techniques presented. VERDICT While art quilters are the most likely audience for Sharpe's ideas, stitchers and mixed-media artists who incorporate fabric into their work may find this compilation inspiring.

Library Journal