On Books...
I have had many people mention that they can look at photos, clip art, or pictures and cannot quite seem to picture how the quilled shapes would fall into place for a project.
You have been there too, I would guess: sitting at your table with a whole pile of pretty colored paper, glue and pins ready to go and not a single idea to help it come together.
Fortunately, there are many books out there for those who need a little nudge in the inspiration department. I find that doing a small project from a book pattern or even just making a whole bunch of coils can work much the same as writing a word over and over if you happen to get writer's block.
Don't get me wrong; some of the most beautiful quilling patterns you will ever see are the ones that are published, and I have to admit there are some books that I really enjoy for the variety of patterns they offer.... some of the photos in the gallery are a dead giveaway of that. =)
So, my favorite quilling book of all time? The Craft of Paper Quilling by Malinda Johnson. It was the first book I ever bought, and I have made everything in it at least twice. It goes from basic steps right to miniatures, from gift tags to chess boards (which, by the way, doesn't take as long as you would imagine). The projects are easy to follow - and like I said before, are gorgeous when you're finished. Definitely worth the investment.
Next up, Quilling Techniques and Inspiration by Jane Jenkins. Again, lovely book. My favorite patterns in it are the 'Victorian Fan', and the 'Foxgloves'. Actually , the foxglove pattern was the entire reason I bought the book...what a great idea for using graduated paper; it hadn't occurred to me beforehand. Not only that, this book goes over many different quilling techniques that Ms. Johnson's book does not, henceforth making it a great addition to your collection.
The third one I am going to mention is Twirled Paper by Jaqueline Lee. This book is a great idea for beginners. The paper that comes with it is good quality and there is enough to do just about all the projects in the book. Not only that, it has a small bottle of glue, a slotted tool and wiggly eyes to help the quilled critters come to life. It is geared toward children, but it's a fabulous gift for someone who's never tried quilling.
One more thing... if you do make designs from pictures, there's a place you should check out: Dover Publishing. Sign up for their weekly emails; the majority of the clipart and pictures from the book previews are royalty free and great to use for patterns for your projects.
posted by Niki at
5:02 AM
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