Put out by "motherpie & applehood press," Fabric is much less of a zine than a one-shot, beautifully-rendered artist's book. The covers are stamped individually and sewn to fused fabric pages, embellished with buttons and fabric-safe ink. Inside, the writer tells of her obsession with fabric and fibers, moving from making clothing through art, and on into paper-arts (which, she stresses, is just another kind of fiber).

This quarter-sized book also gives the rules for working with fabric, and several quotes from fabric collectors. For its size, it's actually pretty inspiring.

My one beef with the thing, which I stress is quite minor, is that the sewn binding isn't anchored well, and the paper covers are tearing away a bit from the fabric interior. Without keeping it in a plastic cover, I fear that it'll degrade entirely, leaving me with a wonderful cover that's separated from a wonderful fabric-and-words collage.

As with most artzines lately, there is no contact information other than an e-mail address (muriel@weyrkeep.com). Even with the construction issues, this zine is worth the cover price simply for the unique innovation of the fused fabric pages. Keeping it around can definitely spur your own creation in the right direction.

[ by Elizabeth Badurina ]
Rambles: 7 December 2002