Embellish Me: How to Print, Dye, and Decorate Your Fabric

by Laurie Wisbrun

Embellish Me is the ultimate guide to achieving the perfect surface finish for your fabric-based projects. Comprehensive step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed illustrations that illuminate an extensive range of fabric alteration and embellishment techniques. Learn tie-dyeing, bleaching, and shibori; block, silk-screen, and digital printing; and beading, embroidery, and appliqué. This information-rich guide will equip you with all the information you need to apply these techniques to any number of fabric projects, from tote bags and clothes to cushion covers, lampshades, toys, and home furnishings. Galleries throughout the book will inspire you to engage with these techniques, showing how they have been applied to fabric and providing a valuable starting point for your craft.

Divided into three sections, Embellish Me begins with essential information on tools and materials, as well as a comprehensive chapter on pattern design, which covers computer-rendered patterns in addition to hand-drawn designs. The second section is organized by technique, covering bleaching, dyeing, and printing, as well as more complex embellishing techniques such as embroidery, needle punching, and foil embossing. Each chapter concludes with an artist interview, giving you insight into the working practices of contemporary fabric crafters, and providing further inspiration for your own projects. The third section rounds out the book with instructions for crafters who want to take their fabric designs to the next level, and offers in-depth advice on important issues such as how aspiring crafters can best market and sell their own designs.

Genres: Crafts, Sewing, Art

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 30, 2012

Reviews

[Andrea McDowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to fill your head with cool ideas of things to try, this is a great book. If you want a beautifully put-together treasure trove of great project photographs, interesting interviews, and introductions to various kinds of embellishment techniques for fabrics, this is a fabulous book.

If you are looking for serious instruction in any of the techniques contained in this book, chances are you will be at least somewhat unsatisfied. Speaking as a lifelong embroiderer, for instance, the embroidery section--spanning a couple of pages--spent more time on instructions for transferring patterns to fabric than the actual embroidery. Transferring patterns is very important, yes, but so is the difference between a running stitch, a back stitch, a french knot, satin stitch, split stitch, and chain stitch. Yet oddly, instructions on different kinds of stitches are not there.

So a 5/5 for brainstorming and inspiration. A 2/5 for technique and skills-instruction. It has given me some wonderful ideas for dyeing fabrics and making my own patterned fabric, but I'm thinking I'll need further details from other sources on the actual execution.

[Davenport Public Library Iowa]

If you’re anything like me, you spend an exorbitant amount of time on Pinterest pinning projects that you’ll never finish (who am I kidding, never even start). Of course you have all the best intentions to create that mason jar vase or handmade soaps, but last time you created something it should have ended up on Pinterest Fail. And while many of my own Pinterest mishaps are purely the result of my impatience or inability to follow directions correctly, some are simply because I’m following the directions of another novice that lacks an editor.

Austin-based fabric designer, Laurie Wisbrun‘s book Embellish Me removes that amateur obstacle. A professional fabric designer, Wisbrun brings expertise to the world of DIY. As a visual person, I found Wisbrun’s step-by-step photography easy to follow and the directions complete. The instructions make clear the tools and materials that will be needed for each project, and the interviews with other professional fabric artists were interesting and it was a treat to see their lovely works.

With a mix of instruction, ideas, and artist introductions — this is a book for crafting rookies and experts alike.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little bit of everything in the fabric embellishing dept., would make a nice primer, giving the opportunity for an interested novice to try multiple techniques. Well done.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main title is misleading. The subtitle is more accurate: "How to print, dye, and decorate your fabric"
My favorite part of the book were the instructions on how to design and print fabric.

[Marilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice to look at but too time consuming to do.