5 Books for the Needlearts Lover

This week, our Fall issue exploring the intersection of art and handicraft is here and in the PieceWork store. As a companion to the articles and projects inspired by art through the ages, we’ve prepared several book recommendations.

Passementerie: Handcrafting Contemporary Trimmings, Fringes, Tassels, and More, Elizabeth Ashdown, Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2024. Hardcover, 160 pages, $39.99. ISBN 9780764367182.

This hands-on introduction to making elaborate trimmings blends centuries-old techniques with contemporary flair. With an eye for detail and a deep respect for tradition, Ashdown guides you through the timeless art of ornamental trimmings, reimagined for the modern maker.

Narrative Textiles: Tell Your Story in Mixed Media and Stitch, Ailish Henderson, London: Batsford, 2024. Hardcover, 128 pages, £25. ISBN 9781849948821.

Narrative Textiles is a vibrant invitation to explore your own memories and identity by creating textile art pieces. Henderson encourages readers to incorporate personal memorabilia to tell their own stories in cloth and other media.

Bojagi: The Art of Korean Textiles, Youngmin Lee, London: Herbert Press, 2024. Paperback, 160 pages, $28. ISBN 9781789941838.

Discover the art of bojagi, Korean cloth wrapping, through step-by-step instructions on traditional bojagi techniques and learn the history and significance of the art form in Korean culture.

Cloth: 100 Artists: Contemporary & Heritage Techniques, Lena Corwin, New York: Abrams Books, 2025. Hardcover, 256 pages, $29.99. ISBN 9781419773266.

Textile designer Lena Corwin celebrates American fiber artistry, showcasing the work of 100 diverse artists inspired by traditional techniques such as weaving, quilting, dyeing, felting, and embroidery.

Opus Anglicanum, Tanya Bentham, Ramsbury, Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press, 2021. Paperback, 208 pages, $27.00. ISBN 9781785008962.

Opus Anglicanum, “English work,” was fine, highly valued needlework of Medieval England. Medievalist Tanya Bentham guides you through fourteen projects and explains how two simple stitches—split stitch and underside couching—worked in silk and gold thread created extraordinarily complex and sophisticated results worthy of popes and kings.

World Textiles, Mary Schoeser, New York: Thames and Hudson, 2023. Paperback, 288 pages, $24.95. ISBN 9780500204856.

Mary Schoeser’s groundbreaking book more than 20 years ago is now revised and updated to incorporate new research about textiles around the world, from prehistory to the present, exploring materials, techniques, symbolism, and cultural value.