Designing with Pattern by Jan Messent
Reviewed by Debbie Stiehler

Originally Published Winter 2001

Crochet Design, 1992

The first thing I noticed about this book was the wonderful cover. It is resplendent with color and interesting designs created with placement and machine stitching on fabric. Ms. Messent begins her hand-printed book with a glossary of terms relating to the design process. She discusses how pattern provokes responses, such as conflict, tension, action, movement, etc.

Ms. Messent then discusses using an informal pattern, such as a section of a drawing, and adapting it by tracing it, cutting it into pieces, and reorganizing them to make a totally different pattern. She also discusses overlapping and isolating specific areas of a pattern.

Another section of this book encourages you to open your mind to design sources around you. She introduces folded paper cuttings, woven paper strips, grids, circles and asymmetrical grid work as bases for the design process.

This book of only 40 pages is not an in-depth study of design but rather a fun filled workbook that will give "food for thought" about seeing design possibilities around you.