Take Silk: A Guide to Silk 'Paper' for the Creative Fibre Artist (Milner Craft Series)

Issue 46, Summer 2006

Judith Pinnell's 'colour throughout' book on the art of silk 'paper' making is a real inspiration. This 'paper' is a substrate that has the characteristics of both paper and felt.

Judith's book starts with an introduction, followed by a short history of silk, before launching into the practicalities of silk 'paper' making. She lists all the materials and equipment you will need before giving the excellent, stage by stage instructions, accompanied by photographs, you will need to complete your substrate.

This is followed by lots of ideas for using the 'paper', including moulding, sculpting, texturing and embellishing. There is also a useful section on Tips and Troubleshooting. The Projects section includes the making of bowls, boxes, masks, purses and small bags, with diagrams where appropriate, and photos of the finished articles and others with different designs.

I think silk 'paper' would be of great interest to embroiderers, but with a little imagination I am sure others could find many uses for this material, and have fun in the making and use of it.

Apr 06

This is a new book by an Australian author who lived in the UK for 29 years and has completed City and Guilds courses here. She writes very clearly and the book is well illustrated with techniques and photographs of finished products. Included are snippets of historical information about the history of silk making and a gallery of other artists. Judith explains how she develops her silk embroideries and gives very useful advice about the discoveries she has made covering both techniques and equipment essential for work in this media. This book would be useful both for someone starting to work in this area and to a more advanced stitcher. Her ideas are usually carried out using the sewing machine, but could also be developed by hand stitching.

Judith Pinnell was born and educated in Australia. She lived in the UK for 29 years where she obtained a City and Guilds Diploma in Embroidery and attended various courses in textile dyeing. Returning to Perth in 1983 she embarked on a 'journey of discovery' by becoming involved in machine embroidery. She began teaching in Perth, rural Western Australia and interstate, concentrating mainly on machine embroidery, and developing an all-consuming love for colour and texture. Seven years ago she 'discovered' silk paper and the rest, as they say, is history.