‘Subtle, compendious and rich’ – James McConnachie, The Sunday Times
‘Dazzling … Finlay’s adventures, vividly recounted, make enthralling reading … This book is equally an inspiration and an education’ – Bel Mooney, Daily Mail
‘A gorgeous adventure through the history of cloth’ -Stylist
Bestselling author Victoria Finlay spins us round the globe in a vibrant exploration of cloth through the ages. She beats the inner bark of trees into cloth in Papua New Guinea, fails to handspin cotton in Guatemala, visits tweed weavers at their homes in Harris, and has lessons in patchwork-making in Gee’s Bend, Alabama. And through it all she uncovers the hidden histories of fabric: how and why people have made it, worn it, invented it and made symbols of it
Interlaced with Victoria’s own story of grief and recovery, Fabric is a lush patchwork of travel, history, memoir and culture – an unforgettable look into how we have made fabric, and how it has made us.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 528
Imprint: Profile Books UK
Publication date: 03/11/2022
Fabric
By Victoria Finlay
Review by Mida
Equal part autobiography and history, Fabric follows one woman’s journey to discover the secrets and the history of the materials we are surrounded with daily but often take for granted.
Covering the history, manufacture, origins and traditional uses of rare and enigmatic fabrics, this book is a love letter to textiles. The images scattered throughout are a wonderful addition, shining further light on the love and artistry each unique material possesses.
This unique book is unlike anything I’ve read, perfect for anyone who has ever expressed an interest in textiles, or the history buff wanting to learn about a forgotten part of our past.
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