WOWbook 04
If you have ever wondered about how to put depth and soul into your work then Wendy Dolans book will show you her technique for doing so.
Wendy encourages you to gather together all those odds and ends of fabrics, natural and synthetic, and experiment to find out how they work together, and the differing ways they accept, or reject, other media.
The first chapters are very informative about materials, equipment, machine supplies and some basic items. Inspiration and colour use is followed by an in-depth look at free machining with some great 'Wendy Tips'. She really does know her sewing machines!
Wendy encourages you to play with colour by mixing, layering and mindfulness of your base layer fabrics. Following these first instructions you could spend quite some time just experimenting with the amazing effects to which she opens your eyes. In the second part of the book, Wendy takes you through some of her workshops, step-by-step. Flowers, architecture and landscapes are produced with such character from the layers and applications of media that you cannot fail to be drawn to them.
Though nothing quite replaces a physical workshop, this book comes as close as you could to spending a few days with Wendy herself. The instructions are easy to follow with plenty of information clearly explained. Novice and more experienced stitchers will find plenty to learn.
Be Creative With Workbox
Explore Wendy Dolan's artistic process, from layering fabric textures to painting and embellishing with stitching. This beautiful book contains six step-by-step projects, on the themes of architecture, landscapes, and flowers. Each chapter features an inspiring gallery of Wendy's work, and the final chapter offers inspiration for creating stunning three-dimensional items.
scrapbooking.com
This book is eye candy with instructions! Browse through the pages and youll feel like youve visited a gallery with textile artist Wendy Dolans work on display. Then start at the beginning and youll find yourself building the skills to create projects with her carefully explained techniques. Some of the projects are quite time consuming, but the instructions are so well done that a confident beginner will be able to achieve magical results. Mixed media mavens will want to incorporate the techniques into original art work. Art journaling fans can add stitching, layering and painting to their pages. Quilters will benefit from this book, too. The mix of freehand machine embroidery and hand stitching is what makes it all so enticing. The hybrid allows for the speed of a machine combined with that special something (dimension, detail) that only hand stitching can add
The Craft Stamper
January 2016
Filled with exciting hand and machine techniques Layer, Paint and Stitch gently eases you into the world of mixed media textile art. This fabulous book outlines experimental techniques and materials to use to develop tonal colour variations, tactile textures and complex stitch details, resulting in one-off mixed media artworks. Wendy Dolan first introduces you to a range of tools and techniques, including freehand machine embroidery, hand stitching, printing and painting and then puts them into practice with a range of diverse, step-by-step projects. Any mixed media artist with a love for textiles will be thrilled to discover her gorgeous combinations of textures and colours. This beautiful book is absolutely jam packed with inspiration and designs for future art pieces, its a great investment and perfect for when you want to try something new and push the boundaries of mixed media even further.
East Kent Embroiderer's Guild
This latest volume in The Textile Artist series, from the renowned Wendy Dolan, does not disappoint. Comprehensive information relating to materials, yarns and methods are presented together with highly detailed coloured photos, encouraging the reader to try any of the six beautiful textile art projects offered. Wendy uses layers of natural-coloured fabrics to create backgrounds which are then dyed and painted, before finally being embellished with hand and machine stitching. This inspirational book is highly recommended for stitchers of all abilities.
Wendy Dolans book is the latest in 'The Textile Artist' series from Search Press, which
explores the work of some of the best textile artists working today. Wendys book 'Layer,
Paint and Stitch' focuses on stitch, both by machine and hand. Anyone who has seen and
admired Wendys work will see this book as a fantastic opportunity to learn from her
techniques and see how she creates such wonderfully textured pieces.
Attention is given at the start to the materials you will use, colour and inspiration but with
some further detail on freehand machine stitching, a welcome addition. The hand stitches
used are fairly common but presented as parts of stitched pieces of work, so that you can
see the effects of different stitch sizes, colours and combinations. Under the 'Design' section,
a variety of approaches are covered, such as montage, paper collage and drawing - all give
an insight into how you can work in this style. What really struck me about Wendys
approach was the amount of work that was done from the back of the piece. In order to use
Cable Stitch, the bobbin thread needs to be seen and so there is a lot of working blind from
behind.
The Projects are divided into four Flowers, Architecture, Landscapes and Three
Dimensional Inspiration. All offer several projects and a Gallery of work at the end. It is in
these projects that you appreciate the different processes that are described earlier and see
how they come together. I loved the collaged backgrounds which are stitched and then
painted, with further heavier stitching on top to create Summer Meadow. The architectural
pieces too were fascinating, from the methods Wendy uses to transfer the design from
behind whilst framing the motifs perfectly from the front, to the use of colour and texture to
create a richly stitched surface.
This book contains a range of stitching (changing the emphasis from vertical to horizontal
stitching). Painting the fabric in different areas brings colour, but creates atmosphere and
shading which is very effective, particularly in the architectural pieces. To finish, there are
some amazing three-dimensional pieces and some amazing Urban Landscape structures.
Wendys approach is fascinating and this makes it a very rich book for the art of textiles.
Machine Knitting Monthly
September 2015
Renowned textile artist Wendy Dolan shares her techniques, ideas and inspirations. There are six projects to create, along with galleries of her beautiful work. She truly offers some exciting ideas and inspiration encouraging us to explore, create and develop our own ideas.
Karen Platt Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk/crafts
July 2015
Part of the Textile Artist series by the publisher and probably the best so far. Take a look at Wendy Dolan's work and enjoy exploring themes, techniques and her artwork. Six projects to follow with step-by-step instructions. Wendy's work includes landscapes, a lace dress and 3-D work. Techniques include machine and hand stitching, colouring fabric and more. Fabulous colour photos and stunning work combine to make a book that any textile artist would love to own. It's like having a workshop all to yourself with a wonderful tutor. Highly recommended.
