Forage & Stitch: Using Natural Materials in Textile Art

Fiber artist Hyde-Brown’s heavily illustrated book focuses on nature-inspired, nature-sourced textile projects. Her instructions and creative practice are based upon collecting and using local plants and sustainable fabrics. She begins her book with an overview of the importance of interacting with nature and responding to yearly rhythms. She then takes readers through the most frequently used supplies and tools that are necessary to complete the book’s featured projects. Each design is built around one or more specific techniques, such as natural dyeing, hand embroidery, free machine sewing, or fabric printing. The directions are clearly outlined in text and photography, but the final project leaves plenty of room for one’s own creativity and personalization. For example, instructions for a multi-technique project direct readers to make a photo transfer with trees, but the specific arrangement and composition is left to individual artists to customize. A final section on presentation and framing offers guidance on how to finish projects in order to share and display them.