Connecting Design to Stitch….and a giveaway

Sandra Meech‘s Connecting Design to Stitch is newly published . . . and powerful. Part guide and part design class, the suggested lessons and projects offer exercises in refining and focusing design skills.

The examples and lessons all the way through feel like a design class and a visit to a museum at the same time. Meech reads like a docent talking about her favorite works through aisles and rooms of sophisticated works.

What’s most appealing about this book? For me, the use  - and influences of – other mediums is really refreshing. The first design class is to make a bound signature book and to begin to fill it with design elements dealing with different compositions straightaway.

I leaned in to the book with acrylic paint, collage, and stamp techniques and used some pieces from the Artful Fiber mixed pack as pages.

Especially fun is practicing with the Rule of Thirds – a composition tool that has long been used by photographers and fine artists. I now use this “rule” with my own photos as well as my layouts for art quilts. Stepping away from fabric and textiles to practice on pages in a book helped me look at my own works and gave me a few tools to choose from to design pieces with more confidence.

Meech calls this a “guide to design and composition for contemporary stitched-textile artist and maker.” I don’t know that I’d call myself a contemporary artist, but I am taking myself and my works more seriously  - and more confidently – after reading it.

What I’d really love to do is go through this book and its exercises with a group of creative people. If you are in a guild, or are looking to refine your design skills with a few pals, I’d highly recommend it. I think this would be a blast to work through these pages with a group . . . and it would certainly take the term “book club” to a whole new level.

This book feels like a trip to a museum and a design class in one.

Let’s give a copy of this essential design guide away. One lucky person will win a copy of Connecting Design to Stitch to have for their very own (it’s true!). To enter, leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite design tip.

Deadline to enter is Sunday, July 1, 2012. One comment will be drawn at random to win…the winner will be contacted via email and listed here as an update to this post. Good luck to artists and makers all!

7/2/12 UPDATE:  Kat Scott is our winner – congratulations!