1000 Patterns: Design through the Centuries

1000 Patterns

by Drusilla Cole

Designers are expected to wear many hats. They are supposed to know everything there is about fabrics, tile, paint and wood species. And while many professionals do become quite proficient with their materials of choice, it is impossible for one person to know everything. That is why good resources are invaluable. 1000 Patterns offers designers an insight into pattern styles.

Arranged into cultural and stylistic groupings, this book offers a wide array of different patterns. Author Drusilla Cole researched an incredible range of styles. While she presents us with traditional standards including Arts and Crafts, Rennaissance and Japan, the text also includes some surprising new categories ranging from Sub-Saharan, Caspian to Colonial North American.

Each page provides commentary and historical information about the designs. At a glance, readers will be able to understand the meaning behind mythological symbols such as the Chinese phoenix, the Japanese Crane and paisley. Geometric patterns ranging from the Greek key to the Navajo zig-zag to the Celtic knot are also featured. Both natural form and geometrics are equally featured.

Cuttings of pattern are arranged on an average of four to a page. Arranged like scrumptious appetizers on a serving tray, these morsels provide just a taste of a much bigger pattern. But the bite-sized version is just enough to give you the flavor of the style. The pages look like beautiful laid-out mood boards and can be copied and pasted into presentations with relative ease.

What is perhaps the strongest aspect of this book is that it offers patterns from unusual sources - the examples are not duplicated in other pattern books. Therefore, the book offers a unique perspective on the issue. In addition, the book is a manageable size and can be easily used, yet still provides a generous serving of pictures.