“In the dance between control and serendipity, the wise artist discovers when to lead and when to follow. Explore these pages, techniques and enjoy the unfolding of your own art cloth path.”

This quote from Jane Dunnewold’s latest opus Art Cloth neatly sums up the spirit of the book. In clear, direct language, Jane guides the reader through the fundamentals of workspace, tools and materials and the concept of building up layers contributing to the intricacy, beauty and interest of the fabric. Then she discusses techniques and processes including:

• Adding colour: Fiber- Reactive Dyes and Textile Paints
• Removing colour:Discharge Methods
• Making Tools: Stamps and stencils
• Print & Pattern: Water-Based Resists
• Metallics: Foiling and Leafing

It’s the kind of book that you can read from cover to cover or dip into relevant chapters. It’s a fantastic resource and great value at less than A$35 from The Book Depository (free postage!); US$35 from Jane’s website; and US$17.79 from Amazon. (Or you can leave a comment on Gerrie’s blog and go into a draw to win her giveway copy.)

I found these paints on sale in Sydney yesterday and look forward to putting some art cloth techniques into practice. As Jane wisely says: “Making reigns supreme“.