I wrote a post on some of my favourite books last year but I wanted to write a new post with some of the books I’ve been inspired by recently. Books can be expensive so I try to use my local library, charity shops and second hand bookshops to look for books first. Leeds has a great specialist art library and North Yorkshire Libraries have a great range of books which you can request from across the county.

Poetic Cloth – Hannah Lamb

Hannah is Yorkshire based textile artist who creates stunning work inspired by museums and heritage sites. Her book Poetic Cloth has amazing pictures and a range of techniques that you can try in your own work. I really like how Hannah combines different fabrics and techniques in her work.

Stitch Stories – Cas Holmes

Cas Holmes is a Kent based artist who creates textiles that tell a story. I was lucky enough to meet Cas at The Knitting & Stitching Show in Harrogate a few years ago. I really love the way her work combines different fabrics and techniques. The book has a great range of techniques that you can try and showcases the work of other inspiring artists.

You can find out more about the wonderful books published by Batsford on their website.

Shopping Second Hand

I love looking for inspiration in vintage books, I have quite a few 60s and 70s books in my collection. Some of the work might look less contemporary but the techniques are great. I love how the stitch glossaries show the stitch diagram and a picture of the finished piece of stitching. Try browsing your local charity shop to see what interesting books you can pick up.

The books pictured are:

Embroidery Stitches by Barbara Snook

Stitches: New Approaches by Jan Beany

The Batsford Encyclopaedia of Embroidery Stitches by Anne Butler

Batsford Books images courtesy of amazon.com