Color, texture, pattern: this inspirational and informative guide makes balancing these three principles simple, so stitchers can produce innovative and clever effects. A section on design shows how to combine different color palettes, mix repeating patterns, vary fabric weights, and scatter faux fur or cozy knits throughout a room for a stunning result. The more than 20 projects for every level-- from a devore lampshade with black fringe to a romantic satin silk quilted bedcover-- maximize the decorative potential of fabric. Designer case studies illustrate a broad range of styles, including Tricia Guild's bold palette of colors on richly textured velvets and Rachel Ashwell's blending of quintessential English faded florals with flea market finds.

Former magazine editor, now author (Wall Effects, 2003), Ebben has created an up-to-the-moment interior project-cum-tutorial that is simple and design-worthy for any skill level and any home style. Wisely, she features 10 creative talents who will appeal to a wide variety of tastes, including Timorous Beasties as a bold imagist, Cath Kidston as an updated kitsch artist, and Anne Kyyro Quinn as a new Scandinavian three-dimensional spinner. These profiles are prefaced with a lush and photogenic introduction to the use of textiles, complete with ideas and sample treatments. The 22 home projects follow; most are relatively easy to fashion (given a nodding acquaintanceship with stitching and a sewing machine), and all feature simple directions amplified by photographs.