An invaluable reference for anyone who works with textiles or draws on them for sources of design or furnishings, Soft Surfaces shows how hundreds of varieties of fabric look up close and in interior and exterior applications.

An invaluable reference for anyone who works with textiles or draws on them for sources of design or furnishings, Soft Surfaces shows how hundreds of varieties of fabric look up close and in interior and exterior applications.

Modeled on the successful Surfaces (1996), this new collection of over 1,200 high-quality color photographs groups fabric by structure, surface treatment, style, and application, including window treatments, upholstery, awnings, tents, and floor coverings. Chosen by a designer for designers, these pictures show specific materials, ranging from historical textiles to the latest in contemporary design, ready to be used in your designs, presentations, or comps, as backgrounds, or for general visual information. Like Surfaces, the book is tailored to research needs in scope and focus, offering examples for architects, interior designers, theatrical and film designers, illustrators, and graphic designers, as well as those who work in the textile field.

Interviews with outstanding design professionals describe how they use textiles in their work. A glossary of technical terms offers a vocabulary for professional communication; a list of sources provides information on suppliers, and a comprehensive index of subject matter and materials makes it easy to find just the image you need.

Acknowledgments 8 · Introduction 9

Notes on Fabric by MarypaulYates 11

BASIC WEAVES

General Views 14 · Plain Weaves 18

Checks & Plaids 24 · Dobby Patterns 25

Metallics 26 · Ribbed Fabric 28 · Sheers 30

Pleats 32 · Moires 33 · Tufted Fabric 34

Tapestry 35 · Twill Weaves 40

Satin Weaves 43 · Jacquard Patterns 46

PRINTED,PAINTED,DYED FABRIC

General Views 104 · Floral Prints 107

Paisley 118 · Pictorial Motifs 119

Animal Motifs 122 · Figurative Motifs 125

Conversational Prints 126

Geometrics& Stripes 128 · Glazed Fabric 129

Painted Fabric 130 · Dyed Fabric 133

BROCADE,DAMASK DOUBLE CLOTH

GeneraIViews 52 · Double Cloth 56

Matelass· 60 · Damask 62

Brocade 70

Lampas & Brocatelle 79

NEEDLEWORK

GeneraIViews 138 · Embroidery 140

Appliqu· 157 · Quilting 159

Needlepoint 167

Beading and Featherwork 170

PILE WEAVES

GeneralViews 84 · Cut Pile 87

Looped Pile 95 · Printed Pile 99

Embossed Velvet 102

LACE,KNITS CROCHET,TRIM

General Views 172 · Lace 174

Crochet, Knits, & Net 181

Trim 186

RUGS & CARPETS

General Views 192

Flat-woven Rugs & Carpets 195

Braided, Shirred, & Hooked Rugs 208

Pile Rugs & Carpets 212

NONWOVENS

GeneraIViews 224 · Assorted Nonwovens 229

Leather 231 · Paper 234   

Felt 236 · Nonwoven Net 237

Laminated & Coated Fabric 238

Vinyl & Plastic 241

FURNISHINGS & STRUCTURES

General Views 248

Thatched & Bamboo Roofs 254

Furniture 255 · Wall Coverings 265

Curtains & Drapery 266 · Flags & Banners 277

Umbrellas 278 · Sails 279

Awnings 280 · Structures 286

WORKING PAPERS

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, artists 291

Robert Bitter, textile manufacturer 294

SuzanneTick, designer and consultant 297

Nicholas Goldsmith, architect 300

Patsy Orlovsky, preservation administrator 304

Santo Loquasto, theater and film designer 306

Glossary 310

Annotated Bibliography & Research Sources 320

Fabric Sources 324

Photo Credits 326

Index 327

About the CD-ROM 336