Click Here To Purchase From Amazon Creative Recycling in Embroidery

Author: Val Homes

Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co.

ISBN: 0-7134-8986-3

When I saw the title to this book I found myself intrigued by it and I have to say I was not disappointed when I got it in hand and finally got to look through it.  Val Homes’ book is a great how-to/jumping off point for creating your own textile fine art piece. This is another example of the “green” art books that I have found in the recent months. Holmes voice in the introduction helps alleviate any fears you may have of finding a better use for that project that just didn’t quite work out like you had originally planned. I think each of us who have created something within the textile realm have some items that come to mind fitting that description. As your progress along in the book, Homes discusses ways to work with fiber waste - found animal hair and synthetic fusible fibers, such as Christmas tinsel, just to name the more exotic options.  She then progresses to fabric, embroidery, paper and organic, plastic, wood metal and mineral, books and packaging and also recycling images itself.

What I like about this book is that it’s not so much a step by step how to, but more of a how to do this process and here’s some ideas to get you started. To me this is much more of a artist reference book than most other artist reference books that I have come across thus so far. You have the combination of  “how to” to get your started that leads you to “here’s some other ideas that build on what you just learned, now take it an run.”

What came to mind when I first saw this book was, hey, here’s something that will help me figure out what to do with these small scraps of luscious fabric I can’t bear to throw away, and this book delivers and then some.