It’s a question asked by many budding textile artists: how can I be more creative? You’ve got a few ideas and know some techniques, but you’re not sure how to get started or make your work hang together. This book shows you how. It explains the creative process from the very beginning: where to find inspiration and how to harness those ideas; how to gather source material; how to pull together what you have. The authors then take you on a journey to develop a design. Learn how to put elements together to make a cohesive whole and develop a theme, learning established design rules along the way. Part Three, Moving into Stitch, gives you a range of techniques and easy experiments with which to turn your design into stitched-textile work. From choosing what fabrics to use, to layering, creating texture and adding embellishment, it covers the key techniques to try. This is a terrific book for those starting out in textiles who really do want to be as creative as they can possibly be.

Author Information
Julia Triston is a practising textile artist/designer and lecturer in stitch, design and surface decoration. She makes, exhibits and sells her work widely, and is renowned for the quirky use of subject, colour and embellishment in her textile- art work. She is the creator of the Bra-ra dress. Based in her studio in the heart of Durham, Julia leads her own workshop programme, and runs City and Guilds and masterclasses through StitchBusiness with Tracy A Franklin.

Rachel Lombard is an award-winning textile artist and designer. Living in County Durham, Rachel runs her own business creating functional, tactile and decorative artworks. She also runs a programme of talks and workshops. Rachel is the internal verifier for StitchBusiness City and Guilds courses and has written for Stitch, Classic Stitches and Flair magazines. She exhibits her work and is an active member of Fusion and InterfaceArts. About the Author Julia Triston is a professional artist, designer and lecturer in stitched textiles and contemporary art and design techniques. She has established a vibrant studio in the heart of Durham City where she teaches and creates her distinctive artwork. Julia has over 20 years experience teaching in the creative industries, leading and delivering academic courses at all levels. Julia is co-director of StitchBusiness, an award-winning international stitch school specializing in City & Guilds courses and masterclasses in design, embroidery and stitched textiles. Julia is the creator of the Bra-ra dress and is known for the quirky use of raw materials, colour and embellishment in her textile work. Her work has been extensively documented and published in written and broadcast media. She exhibits and sells her work widely, and is an active member of the prestigious Prism textile group. Rachel Lombard is an award-winning professional textile artist and designer who lives and works in County Durham. She has taught art, design and stitch techniques at FE colleges and community classes and is the internal verifier for all StitchBusiness City & Guilds courses. Rachel shares her passion for contemporary design and stitch through a programme of inspiring talks and workshops. Her artwork reflects her abiding interest in the creation and expression of individual, personal identity. Working predominantly with everyday and recycled papers, she uses colour, print and stitch to produce exciting, tactile surfaces and three-dimensional and functional items. Stitch, Classic Stitches and Flair magazines have all featured her work. Rachel exhibits and sells her artwork and is an active member of Fusion and Interface Arts.