More Big Girl Knits: 25 Designs Full of Color and Texture for Curvy Women

Gustie L. Herrigel

Zen in the Art of Flower Arrangement: The Classic Account of the Meaning and Symbolism of the Japanese Art of Ikebana

Japanese masters have developed the techniques of ikebana over centuries and, while many different styles have evolved, they all share the same fundamental principles. The art embodies aesthetic considerations, knowledge of the natural forms of plants, and a profound understanding of the space around them. This book explains these principles by describing the lessons learned from master arranger Bokuyo Takeda and the underlying Zen symbolism in the art of ikebana. Readers will learn that training in ikebana is a process of achieving spiritual enlightenment and that the craft of arranging flowers is a form of meditation. These lessons provide a perfect escape from the stresses of everyday life and the incomparable satisfaction of creating beauty in the home.

Nancy Arthur Hoskins

The Coptic Tapestry Albums and the Archeaologiest of Antinoe, Albert Gayet

Vibrant tapestries of beribboned birds, cantering centaurs, and Dionysian dancers, woven in Coptic Egypt more than a thousand years ago, were artfully arranged in a handsome pair of albums in 1913. Some of the fabrics are shown in unique collage compositions. Sandals, spindles, and a mysterious lock of hair are assembled in a shallow box at the back of one album. Many textiles in this important collection, housed at the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington, were once joined by warp and weft with those from the Musée du Louvre and other major museums.Nancy Hoskins deftly interweaves the creation of the textiles in the Greco-Roman city of Antinoé, Egypt, with their discovery by the charismatic French archaeologist Albert Gayet (1856-1916). Gayet staged stunning exhibitions of the pieces in Paris at the turn of the century and ultimately gave them to museums or sold them. One collector, Henry Bryon, had his 144 fabrics bound into the two albums featured here.The album pages and covers are illustrated in glowing color, along with archival photographs from Gayet's expeditions. The style, structure, and iconography of each tapestry, tabby, and tablet-woven textile are ...

Margaret B. Krohn, Phyllis W. Schwebke

How to Sew Leather, Suede, Fur

The perfect guide for sewers looking to increase and strengthen their skills, this book provides drawings, photographs, and step-by-step instructions for creating new pieces out of suede, leather, and fur. With over 250 drawings and photographs included, this complete guide for home sewers includes all the instructions needed to make leather jackers, mink coats, shirts, vests, stoles, capes, and more! How to Sew Leather, Suede, Fur shares practical and detailed insight on the techniques of sewing with skins and furs. From pre-sewing operations to finishing touches, this book provides illustrated instructions for every step in created luxurious garments.