“Cas Holmes is one of those artists who leaves you with a lot of questions. I
was fortunate to spend a few days with her a few years back in several workshops
that changed the way I look at textile art. There is no confusion over
deciphering if her work is an art quilt. It isn’t. It is textile art, stitched
through layers of fabrics or paper, or cast off clothing or the discarded.
There is no worrying over the oft regulated stitched through three layers
surrounded by a definitive binding.” - Stitchress Stumbles
“It is not exactly a how-to but a wonderful European way of describing the
art of the lost—and found again. For British artist Holmes, being green is a
by-product of her textile (and paper) art; almost any object, found anywhere, is
cause for celebration—and inspiration. This very contemporary re-use of
materials takes a little getting used to. Plus, the author, determined to
persuade novices to do it themselves, includes very few detailed instructions;
rather, she simply lists combinations of surfaces and the use of different tools
and methods without specific suggestions. The section on joining layers, for
instance, features commercial wallpaper paste as well as later references to
hand and machine stitching. To a crafter’s delight, new terms and techniques
are explored in some depth; momigami, the Japanese form of kneaded paper,
contains streamlined instructions, as do sun printing, low-tech image transfer,
and decoupage. Each page is colored with inspiring images, such as “Candy
Colours” or plastic sherbet straws, just enough to whet any would-be artist’s
appetite. Charmingly idiosyncratic.” - Barbara Jacobs Booklist
