"a tapestry ~ like a practice which intricately weaves together the various threads ...
596510
Moving in God's Direction provides insight into how and why we seek spiritual direction and in so doing, guides a directee in their heartfelt search as well as spiritual director in their important formation.  Mary Sharon stresses how dying to self is essential to our full maturation in Christ.  As a spiritual director in formation, I especially appreciate her candid language in describing the life of a director:  "a tapestry ~ like a practice which intricately weaves together the various threads of inquiry, study, prayer, and integrative reflection."
1004352
Rep Weave and Beyond is a joy to look at and read.  As a weaver of many years, this is at the top of my list of inspirational books.  First of all, it's visually beautiful, being filled with full-color photographs of the author's work, which is gorgeous.  Ms. Tallarovic lives in Arizona, and she draws inspiration for her elegant color ways from the hues of the southwest: ecru, gold, bronze, terra cotta, reds, greens, dusky purples, and turquoise.  She seems to be comfortable using both earth tones as well as more vibrant colors.  She has based many of her designs on Native American weavings and pottery patterns.  These are sensitive interpretations done with respect for the traditions she borrows from, and her incorporation of the patterns into a European weave structure works very well aesthetically.

Second, the book is filled with projects which are clearly explained down to the last minute detail, along with color photos of each finished piece.  The author lays a good foundation for these project recipes in the first section of the book, where she outlines her method of winding a warp, dressing the loom, tying on, weaving a heading, in short--all the preliminaries every weaver should know.  Beginner weavers should find the instructions manageable.

Ms. Tallarovic wrote this book for weavers who want to explore rep weave, but for whom the traditional Scandinavian technique might be out of reach.  Due to the very close warp setts used in the traditional version of this weave, getting a good shed on a jack loom can be a problem.  In addition, weaving rugs with setts of 90 ends per inch might be beyond the patience level of many  people.

To make rep weave more "weaver friendly," the author has spent years experimenting with using thicker threads at lower setts.  All of the projects in this book can be woven using Maysville cotton carpet warp, which comes in over 40 colors.  Using the Maysville cotton, her designs can be warped using setts of between 16 and 40 ends per inch.  These warps do not completely cover the weft, which ends up, as she notes, "producing a livelier, more dynamic surface."  From what I could see in the photographs, she is correct in that regard.

Also, as she uses printed fabric for many of her thick wefts, a layered effect happens when the block patterning of the warp threads floats over the printed pattern of the woven fabric strips.  A further innovation she has come up with is using many colors in the pattern warp, rather than the traditional two colors.

Perhaps what I like most about this book is seeing how someone can bring a traditional weave forward into the present.  Ms. Tallarovic has furthered the evolution of this ancient weaving form.  She has added to its visual excitement, made it more accessible to the average weaver, and shown how patient experimentation can add new life to a tried and true technique.  There are so many directions each individual weaver can go with this method of weaving once s/he has mastered what the author offers in the book.  I can envision using painted warps and/or hand-dyed or painted wefts.  I can also see using oriental papers as wefts as well.  That would be only a beginning.
2216470
The tapestry woven in seven complete,
End to beginning tied off and made neat.
Questions to answers and shadows to light,
Heroes and villains come out in plain sight.
4835848
Interesting read -- got to know a more about Japanese fabrics i own/seen  and how the masters make/dye these traditional and time-consuming work of art.  I could not follow the process which the author simply explained (shows how complicated the work is) LOL.  I most liked the patterns and diagrams the author has shared so anyone can experiment and make their own art piece.  I got this book to learn a bit of quilting the Japanese way (i don't do any quilting) in preparation for the other book by S.Pippen's  Paradise Stitched:  Sashiko & Applique Quilts -- and can't wait to read through that one as i am very interested in SASHIKO a very simple stitching which might inspire me to do.
2696849
Exquisite in detail, painstaking in craftsmanship, and blinding bright in color, the immense and glittering woolen with gold and silver thread tapestries collected by King Henry VIII were the most treasured and luxurious art form of the Tudor Era. While Hans Holbein the Younger was paid a mere 40 a year for his genius in portraiture, King Henry, eighth of his name, gladly paid thousands of pounds for each of his exhaustive inventory of tapestries, one and all telling the story of Henrys identification with historic, religious and mythical figures, one and all taking the breath away from his wives, mistresses, ministers, courtiers and subjects of his realm. Among those in awe of King Henry VIIIs tapestry collection was Joanna Stafford, lead protagonist of Nancy Bilyeaus third in a trilogy of brilliant novels The Tapestry.

As established in Nancy Bilyeaus previous novels The Crown and The Chalice, Joanna Stafford, niece of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, was a prelate nun at Dartford Priory. Displaced like many clerical men and women in the era by the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Nancys third novel, The Tapestry, brilliantly continues to draw the reader into Joannas incredible life journey, and in doing so, crafts a downright bone-chilling thriller of a woman stalked, hunted by mysterious forces out to kill her  not only for what she had done, but also most pointedly for what she left undone. A clear shift from The Crown and The Chalice, both novels depicting Joanna Stafford chasing her destiny, The Tapestry instead takes the reader on a fast paced thrill ride of Joanna being chased, her very survival reliant on her courage, intuition and wits, as well as those of her cherished friends, some fictional, others familiar.

As the novel opens, Joanna Stafford immediately encounters a major dilemma. She receives a letter from Thomas Cromwell, Lord Privy Seal. Called to court to craft a tapestry for King Henry VIII himself, Joannas quiet and peaceful life is disrupted. Once she leaves her beloved town of Dartford, Joanne quickly becomes the quarry of her unknown enemies. Boom! Just like that, in less words mind you, the action filled plot unfolds. As also true in The Crown and The Chalice, the plot is nothing short of master class story telling, blending the lives of expertly developed fictional characters and well known historical figures. Descriptive detail is spot on historically accurate, demonstrating exhaustive research and an outstanding aptitude for the era. Far more so than the previous two novels, historical figures of the era, such as Hans Holbein, Thomas Culpepper, Henry Howard and others I will leave unsaid, step up to take center stage. Unforced and plot driven, Nancys characterizations of people so well known to many Tudorphiles do not disappoint.

Beyond the clear merits of all three novels, each read on its own a delightful journey, I personally enjoyed witnessing Nancy Bilyeaus craftsmanship as a novelist develop with each new work she completes. The Tapestry shows her enhanced attention to capturing the emotion and humanity of not only Joanna Stafford and her friends, but also the historical figures they encounter. Through this enhanced focus, Joanna now sees not only the evils of those she opposes, but also their personal challenges, weaknesses and basic human decency. This shows most pronounced in her characterizations of Thomas Cromwell and King Henry VIII, both written with the complexities they possessed  power and cruelty, brilliance and manipulation, empathy and compassion.

The Tapestry is truly an outstanding novel that deserves to break out as a blockbuster historical fiction New York Times best-seller read. Step aside and bend a knee, Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex. Lay down for a moment your novels, plays and mini-series success. Joanna Stafford is in the house.
815307
This book closely shows how those we probably would have noticed but not known can quickly and unintentionally become woven into the fabric of our lives.
4099952
Tangled Threads is the aptly named story of the threads that run through  Delia's, life as she journeys from her small textile town of "lintheads" in North Carolina through a life full of love and tragedy.  While she leaves the hills of NC behind her for a wider world, armed with determination and a love of music, there is a tangle in the threads of her life that will not release.  And, as if physically bound to Ruthann, the other player of this drama, by actual cords, Delia is drawn, after many long years, to a confrontation over the episode that marked their lives forever.
Sandy Hill writes powerfully and convincingly of the stages of a woman's life and the heartache that accompanies love and loss.  From the innocence of a youth hedged with ignorance and poverty to that strange country of age, she compels us with the story of Delia.  This is a story of a terrible wounds and how through strength one can bind them up.
1569435
Every person's life is a tapestry, composed of strong and intricate stitches that are like the people in your life.  Some fibers in the tapestry are strong and colorful; others flawed and easily unraveled.  All of the intriguing characters in this book are people that you probably already know.  It's easy to bond with Jen and her sewing circle, and to watch them link both their arms and hearts in love and friendship.  Kathy Weyer has woven a literary tapestry that will keep you warm and transfixed as you watch the colorful threads of each character come together and forge forever friendships. You will laugh, and you will cry, but you will not put this book down until you have read every last, delicious page.
3114832
There are 9 quilt patterns and 6 pillow coverings in Jen Kingwell's Quilt Lovely.  They are not ALL strictly applique, so don't let that put you off if that's not your thing. But they ARE all vivid, carefree, invigorating, uncommon, and retro-ish.  The look is really new even though there's a bit of tradition embedded within some very zesty fabric prints and colors.  You will become fearless with those "screamin' uglies" - the troublesome, wacky, and loud fabrics relegated to a bin under the guest bed.  In fact Quilt Lovely will have you deliberately searching for and collecting them.

The instructions, though, are a bit daunting.  This may be due to the prolific use of templates and partial seams throughout the book.  The templates often need to be reversed and piecers will need a huge amount of stick-to-it-iveness for several quilts. Take, for example, "Daisy Do', which is the quilt featured on the cover.  It is 62"x68", uses 9 different templates, and requires cutting over 1,000 pieces.

"Glitter" is a striking and resplendent quilt that is scrappy to the nth degree.  At 66.5"x73", it has hundreds of different fabrics.  It is based on the simple 9-patch block, but Kingwell makes it trickier by adding 4 partial seams to each of the 152 blocks.  Fortunately, the projects can be downsized easily to adapt to shorter attention spans.  Plus, the pillow projects provide ample opportunity to test drive the extraordinary techniques and effects here.

The photographs are gorgeous, but the matte paper does no favors for the projects.  It's a testament to their inherent radiance that the quilts still practically sing and levitate from each page.  Even the decidedly subdued pillow "Home Run" does this, despite Kingwell's uncharacteristic use of serene  taupes and quiet creams.  Gloss makes everything better - don't publishers and printers know this yet about us quilters??

Of this fabric craft, Jen Kingwell says "My soul is fed."

To that I say, and quote: "I'll have what she's having."
165141
Interesting to study family dynamics after doing individual charts.....to continue the story of that soul......finding the common thread of that tapestry
490545
This book is a course in tapestry weaving, each chapter filled with exercises in a particular technique together with tips and discussion as well as a section on designing for tapestry. Highly recommended as an essential item for the tapestry weavers toolkit.
4818021
Title: Design

Author:  G. Lloyd Helm

Format:  Soft cover

Publisher:  Publish America

Like a tapestry created by the weavers at the House of Ransis, many threads are woven to tell the tale of Javi Holis, a collection of Mandala designs and a 600 year history of "The Design".

Design couples a biblical-themed history with a touch of science fiction.  Helm combines the two genres, which could be conflicting, and achieves this pairing with ease.  Other readers of Design may not make the connection between Design and the biblical thread, but this adds to the story - the theme can be interpreted by the reader.

The age old argument of there being a God - or not - and how and why one believes or disbelieves in such a Designer or Creator, runs through the novel's pages as does the recurrent good versus evil issue.  These topics rise above the mundane argumentative state, however, by the locations, the novel's actors and the time span the story covers.

Design isn't difficult to read or follow, but it did take me much concentration and thought to follow the story.  (Remember all the threads of a tapestry?  They must be kept straight.).  Just as a weaver of tapestries must be careful to trace the design of his work, I found I must be careful not to read too much into the book and just follow where the story leads.

There are brief descriptions of the settings in each instance, but the words are adequate to transport the reader to the surrounding area, whether in the barren mountains or in the streets of the Tapestry Plaza.  The characters are believable and distinct.  I find "Garith," his wife "Merta," and their slave, "Alvis" especially interesting.  Garith, a notary public buys the slave, Alvis.  Garith, his wife, Merta and the slave, are unknowingly caught up in the fight for, and the preservation of, the Book of the Design.  Alvis turns out to be much more than a slave which adds depth to the story.  Throughout their journey Garith and Merta in particular evolve, mature and change before the reader's eyes.  This transformation of the characters makes for fascinating reading.

The author, G. Lloyd Helm describes himself as a, ". . . philosopher who believes science fiction stories should be more than a diversion."  His beliefs and thoughts are well illustrated in his novel, Design.  I'm rereading the story as I write and many readers may find doing the same, helpful.  There is a lot to absorb, but it is well worth the time to do so.
3486361
Its like a giant puzzle, scattered around. And you have to put the puzzle back together. This is how Sheikh Arastu describes the process of writing the book. Reading through the narrative that he wove from the myriad references of scripture and narration, I was transfixed by the beauty of the parables that he retells. Though Ive heard bits and pieces of every story throughout my childhood, I have never seen a comprehensive account of the lives of the prophets as related by Islams Immaculate guides. Throughout the book, Sheikh Arastu emphasizes on the theological underpinnings that guided his assessment of his sources, as well as the morals and lessons that are derived from each tale. He supplements his writing with discussion of Biblical and archeological narratives of these great men and women of antiquity. All in all, Sheikh Arastu weaves a riveting narrative of these age-old tales that will captivate any reader.
3801579
I'm a long-time fan of Patricia Kristoffersen's doily patterns.  They're definitely challenging, but the end result is always worth the time, attention, and effort it takes to successfully complete one.

This book of seven patterns, first published in 2000, contains some of her "lacier" work.  The designs are not quite as dense as some of her other patterns, but they're nonetheless clearly in a similar style.  You get some pineapple designs (1. Bewitching, 4. Fascinating), lovely layered stitches (2. Enchanting, 5. Captivating, 6. Beguiling), and some lighter looks (3. Spellbinding, 7. Enthralling).  The instructions are very clear and make sense, although it might take a few readings to "sink in."  My experience with PK patterns is that I'll read a row, and think "What the heck is she telling me to do here???" -- then after reading through it a few more times, and following it step by step for a repeat or two, suddenly its "AHA! I get it now."

All call for size 10 crochet cotton, and range in size from 12.5" to 24" in diameter.  None of these are impossible, but I would recommend them only to those with a considerable amount of experience doing thread crochet who are familiar with a variety of stitches (advanced-intermediate to advanced at least).  Like I said, challenging, but totally worth it for the beautiful results.

This booklet is out of print, but it shows up occasionally here, so watch for it.  It's definitely worth adding to your collection.
2859754
In the late 1980s, the authors began collecting antique Lao textiles and ultimately realized that the art, culture and history of these textiles were being lost. The Group for the Promotion of Art and Traditional Textiles was formed to document Lao textiles, weaving, and dyeing techniques.

The group first organized an exhibition and seminar, then held a workshop to improve the dyeing and weaving techniques of weavers from six provinces. This book records the information and techniques taught in the those workshops, and compiles myths and legends concerning the designs and fabric use from contributors throughout the country. Finally, it inventories and describes the origin and local weaving terminology of the dominant motifs.

This dual translation (English and Lao) 146-page hardcover is printed on glossy paper and includes an essay by Kiyoko Yasui, an expert in Hmong culture, which provides important details of Hmong women's clothing.
4642852
I enjoyed the continuing construction of the tapestry of Mexico's history. There are so many mainstreaming sentiments being woven together ,spanning time and space of two cultures opposed and harmonized. We are tempted to believe that one culture overcomes and consumes the other but often both are transformed and inextricably joined. I look forward to even more to come.
2061249
For centuries, India has been renowned for the richness and diversity of its embroidered textiles. Embroidery is part of the Indian way of life, and is in evidence everywhere: on clothes, adorning animals, in temples, homes and other buildings. In this book, Anne Morrell explores the many traditions of Indian embroidery, and its many techniques. She builds up a fascinating picture of the evolution in India, exploring the local traditions that make the work of each area unique, and looking at the way in which innovative stitches and designs have been added to those traditionally used to create new techniques and creative possibilities. She discusses the many different stitches and techniques in detail, including quilting, pattern-darning, counted-thread work, whitework, the enrichment of embroidery with mirrors, gold, silver and other metals, and applique and patchwork. many of the historical and contemporary embroideries illustrated are accompanied by clear worked samples showing exactly how the different stitches can be achieved and then used to create exciting effects. A final section includes twenty individual stitches and the method of working them, so that the techniques explored throughout the book can be put into practice. This is an invaluable working guide for anyone interested in drawing on the wealth of Indian embroidery techniques for use in their own embroideries or in the study of ethnic textiles. Anne Morrell was born in Madras and has long been interested in the embroidered textiles of India. She was a lecturer at Goldsmiths' College in London before moving to the Manchester Metropolitan University, where she became a Principal Lecturer in the Department of Textiles and Fashion. In 1992 she was appointed Professor. She is the author of a number of books and articles on embroidery, [...] under the names Anne Butler or Anne Morrell. She has held exhibitions of her work in many different countries.