About the Book
Over the course of her long and creative career, quilting expert Sylvia Critcher has established her own unique process for combining raised quilt and stitch techniques to create wonderful effects. Sylvia's method features a variety of quilting and raised embroidery techniques including trapunto, Italian quilting, le boutis, French-style cording and English quilting. The book will guide you through the history and context of these traditional techniques and show you how to combine them with the necessary stitches to create Sylvia's distinctive style of work.
This book will show you exactly how Sylvia creates her richly textured surfaces by following a simple step-by-step pincushion project from start to finish. The process is broken down into key stages, and clear illustrations are given to guide the reader through the process. All the instructions and templates needed to create nine further contemporary projects are given: a ring pillow, chair cushion, bag, needlecase, lap quilt, runner, table centre, wall hanging and full-size quilt. All the templates required are given at actual size in a handy pull-out section. The book also contains a helpful section on ‘developing designs’ and a gallery of beautiful pieces to inspire.
Table of Contents:
Introduction 6
Foreword 8
Basic techniques 10
Trapunto 12
Italian quilting 13
French-style cording 14
English quilting 15
Le Boutis 16
Getting started 18
Equipment 18
Fabrics 20
Threads and yarns 22
Embellishments 23
Stitches 24
Attaching embellishments 31
Creating the three-dimensional quilting 32
Using the design 34
Transferring the design 35
Layering and tacking (basting) 35
Stitching the outlines 36
Stitching the additional lines 37
Stuffing 38
Cording 39
Adding wadding (batting) 40
Final quilting 41
Making up 41
The projects 44
Moonflower needlecase 46
In a Twist bucket bag 52
Out of India pillow 58
Blue Dahlia quilt 64
Celtic Lotus wall hanging 72
Acanthus Entwined table runner 78
Ivory Splendour sampler quilt 84
Festive Cheer table centre 100
Winter Snow table runner 106
Developing designs 120
Be inspired by... 124
Index and glossary 144
About the Author :
Sylvia trained at Goldsmiths College in Fine Art & Textiles with Constance Howard as her tutor and inspiration. She has taught Life drawing, fabric printing, painting & sculpture, embroidery, patchwork & quilting plus a wide range of related textile subjects for many years.
Since 1997 Sylvia has been a National judge and in January 2001 she was appointed as Judge Co-ordinator for Grosvenor Shows Ltd. This has included standardising the Judging procedure for all their events in the UK & to date Sylvia is contracted by Grosvenor Shows to manage the judging at all their competitive events.
As well as creating projects, and writing articles for National magazines, Sylvia was Project Co-ordinator for ‘Fabrications’ magazine from 2004 - 2012.
Having created a revival for corded & stuffed work – combining traditional techniques with a contemporary twist - she has demonstrated this at National quilt events since 1997 and holds mini-workshops as an invited ‘Quilt expert’ at all the major quilt shows and Quilt Fairs throughout the UK.
Review :
I was so surprised when I received this book, there were an amazing number of full scale patterns enclosed with it, making it so usable. After reading through it I couldn't wait to get started. The instruction are clear and easy to follow even if you have never quilted before
A really good book for both beginners and the more experienced stitcher. It is both instructional and inspirational. The instructions are very clear and the pictures are large enough to make everything easy to follow, and it is so handy to have all those full size templates secure at the back of the book.
Beautifully detailed, techniques well explained and illustrated. Loved the full size templates in the back of the book, much easier than resizing on a photocopier. What a clever lady. Not for the impatient sewer as even the easiest project will take a while to complete. I have only attempted kits which I purchased abroad, cannot wait to thread my needle.
I'm VERY impressed with this book.
These techniques while they seem for the experienced quilter, I being a novice feel like I can accomplish the projects under Sylva Critcher's detailed guidance. Explanations, how to techniques and materials list are very detailed for each project. The templates and especially the photographs are beautiful and detailed. Even better, dimensions are in metric and standard measurements. Hats off to Sylvia Critcher for her lovely instructional and Search Press for publishing her fabulous book!
Raised, or three-dimensional, quilting goes back to the Middle Ages, but these techniques are now used
mainly by quilting specialists and fiber artists. The author is an expert in textile projects and has revised
and simplified these old techniques for today’s hand quilters. She begins by clearly explaining in words
and pictures the techniques of trapunto, Italian quilting, le boutis, French style cording, and English
quilting and then discussing the needed tools, fabrics, threads, yarns, and embellishments. Through very
clear diagrams and photos, she shows how to make each of the hand stitches for the different techniques
and how to use them. The book has nine projects, including a needle case, various bags, pillows, quilts, a
wall hanging, and a table runner. This book will appeal to hand quilters, fabric artists, and advanced
quilters who want to add new techniques to their quilting.
Lovely book, very clear instructions on 5 different types of raised quilting, Trapunto, Italian, Le Boutis, French style cording and English quilting. A section on different types of stitching is also very welcome. This book also has full size templates in the back pocket so no trying to figure out the photocopier. With 9 separate projects and further section on developing designs and further inspiration this is a perfect book for anyone wishing to take up this wonderful type of needlework. I can see some wonderful family heirlooms being produced with help from this book.
Great book. Clear and lovely pictures inspire you. It has basic techniques, getting started as well as projects to make and templates. The instructions look easy to follow.
This book has definite kerb appeal . It's been written with much expertise. Sylvia Critcher is a national judge with many strings to her bow . The photos in the book are clear, covering basic techniques to more intricate designs. 10 stunning projects that will suit all abilities . At the back of the book there are full sized templates, no having to increase the size on a printer. Well worth the money. The hours that must have gone into making these projects........ I think if your a quilter and you love hand stitching this is a book you need!
Slyvia has mastered her own unique style of three-dimensional quilting and revived it for the 21st century, using a combination of old techniques and new materials. In this gorgeous book, Sylvia explains the traditional techniques that had almost died out, including Italian quilting, Trapunto, French Boutis, and English quilting, and how she combines them all into richly textured contemporary designs. There are 10 stunning step-by-step projects for you to make, from pincushions, to bags, cushions and bed quilts, plus a useful full sized template sheets in a pull out section at the back. Inspiring!
Slyvia Critcher has put her years of experience in demonstrating and teaching quilting techniques into this absolute gem of a book. It starts with an overview of the basic techniques including Trapunto, Italian Quilting, Le Boutis, French-style Cording and English Quilting and then goes on to talk about equipment. Following this is a guide to stiching and embellishments. I really enjoyed looking through this section as if shows lots of the creative possibilities of hand quilting. There is a comprehensive chapter on how to create raised effects through quilting which is then followed by nine projects, so you can try out all the techniques you have read about. The back of the book has a handy pocket to keep the full-size pattern sheets safe and pristine when you aren't using them. Once you are all fired up to get stitching there is a section on developing designs followed by a gallery of work. For the last year I have had Eirian Short's 1979 book on quilting on my bedside table. It is one of my favourite books that concentrates solely on quilting and it reminds me of that there are more ways to quilt than my default mode which is to sew straight lines on the sewing machine. With the publication of Slyvia's new book it now has a companion 37 years its junior.
Excellent book, especially for a novice on the subject. The author, Sylvia Critcher is obviously an expert on quilting. Very clear instructions and super templates at the back of the book.
