Embellish Me: How to Print, Dye, and Decorate Your Fabric (English and English Edition)
*Starred Review* Persuading other designers to collaborate on a crafts book is unusual but certainly nothing new. What stands out in first-time editor-author Wisbrun’s collection is her joy with (and space devoted to) 10 designers, all of whom boast growing international renown. Each contributes not only a handful of step-by-step photographic how-to’s on her particular specialty but also spotlights her work in a four- to six-page gallery and submits to an interview. The 30-plus choices of embellishment techniques range from old (appliqué, dyeing, and embroidering) to new digital-like methods, such as cyanotype printing (a photographic process that uses sunlight to print an image). Nor are the initial stages of embellishment neglected: Wisbrun covers a wide span of tools and techniques as well as fundamental fabric abcs, while Maine artist Heather Dutton provides a good overview of how to design a pattern. A further bonus is a final chapter on “going pro,” complete with three perspectives cum interviews. --Barbara Jacobs