Essential craft books for makers: My most loved craft books for handmaking and textile arts
- Ruth Woods
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
The craft books that inspired me.
For a while I've wanted to share some of my favourite craft books. I don’t collect books for the sake of it. These are books I’ve returned to, learned from and been deeply inspired by. Many of them remind me that beauty doesn’t come from perfection and that making can be slow, personal and full of meaning.
Slow Stitch by Clare Wellesley-Smith
Teaching how to embrace imperfection in hand stitching
This book was genuinely pivotal for me. After buying it and reading it from cover to cover, I had a real shift in how I felt about my own work. Up until then, I’d always had a bit of a hang-up about my hand stitching not being neat enough. This book showed me that it didn’t need to be.
The work included is so beautiful, personal and expressive that I completely fell in love with it. I especially loved how Clare included the artists alongside their work. It made the whole book feel human and generous.
It’s probably the only craft book I’ve ever read all the way through. It’s easy to read, inspiring and genuinely lovely. It gave me permission to embrace imperfection and trust my hands.
Fibre Basketry: Homegrown and Handmade
An essential basketry reference book
This is a very special book. It isn’t widely available and can usually only be ordered directly through the makers. It’s about to celebrate 40 years in print which says everything about its value.
The book is produced by the South Australian Basketry group, who have continued to publish it themselves. In the basketry world, it’s often referred to as “the Bible”. It covers a wide range of plant materials and demonstrates many different techniques.
This is one of the books I’ve learned the most from. I still refer to it regularly and it’s been an essential part of my basketry journey.
Wild Colour by Jenny Dean
Essential reading for natural dye enthusiasts
I found this book incredibly helpful reference manual. It’s essentially a dictionary of plant dyes, showing what colours different plants produce and how to work with them.
It’s a beautiful book, but also a very practical one. I use it as a reference rather than something to read straight through. Jenny Dean is widely recognised as an expert in natural dyeing and she’s been sharing her knowledge through books for decades. This one easily earns its place on the shelf.
If slow, hand-based making speaks to you
I share more about slow stitching, natural materials and thoughtful processes in my workshops and courses. You can explore them here.
Second Skin by India Flint
India Flint - pioneering eco dye and eco print techniques
This is a large, beautiful book filled with extraordinary photographs of eco dyeing. India Flint was one of the first people to really develop and bring eco print dyeing into wider awareness.
She ran workshops, sharing her process openly and as a result eco printing has become much more accessible. There are now many books and courses on the subject, but her work feels foundational.
This particular book may now be out of print, although she has another wonderful title Eco Print with a green cover. Her books are always inspiring and deeply grounded in place and process.
Essential Sashiko
A visual dictionary of sashiko stitching patterns
This is an excellent reference book. It’s essentially a dictionary of sashiko stitches making it incredibly useful if you want to add interest and detail to your work.
You can browse through find a stitch that resonates and apply it straight away. It’s the kind of book that’s perfect to keep on your shelf and reach for when you need inspiration or a specific stitch.
Quilt Alchemy by Sarah Larson Buscaglia
Natural dyeing in modern quilting
This is a beautiful book. Sarah walks through the process of creating simple, exquisite quilts but what really sets it apart is the inclusion of fabric dyeing.
I loved that she explains how to dye your own fabric specifically for quilt making. The quilts themselves are subtle, not overly complicated but incredibly elegant. The photography is also exquisite and gives a strong sense of a natural, considered way of living and making.
It feels calm, thoughtful and deeply connected to natural materials.
Pattern Magic
Japanese pattern cutting as sculptural design
This is a Japanese book and is written entirely in Japanese but that doesn’t stop it from being fascinating. With my background in pattern cutting and design, this book completely captivated me.
The patterns turn garments into sculptural forms in a way I hadn’t seen before. The shapes are extraordinary and the patterns themselves are included in the book.
I haven’t tried to make any of them. This is a book that I simply look at the garments in awe and think, “How does that even work?” It’s incredibly inspiring and completely unique.
These books have stayed with me because they don’t just teach techniques. They encourage curiosity, patience and trust in the making process. If you’re drawn to slow craft, natural materials and thoughtful making, these are books worth spending time with.
These are mine. What are yours?