An exploration of the corset as a motif for textile artists, with practical tips and examples. Used for the last 400 years to contort the female body into a variety of fashionable silhouettes, the corset has become a fascinating and hugely popular motif for modern textile artists who wish to represent the female body using the largely feminine traditions of textile and stitch. Beginning with a step-by-step guide to constructing a simple fabric corset, the book goes on to explore more contemporary and experimental approaches to construction, from using unusual materials such as lace, metal, paper and found fibres to up-cycling or repurposing existing garments to make a statement. This practical guide is full of exercises for creating intimate garments and wearable art in two- and three-dimensions and is packed with inspiring work and installations by other contemporary artists.

'Laura is a masterful writer, her deliciously gothic stories so skilfully woven that you can't get them out of your head even if you wanted to' Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars 'The Corset is a contender for my Book of the Year. Beautifully written, intricately plotted, a masterpiece' Sarah Hilary Is prisoner Ruth Butterham mad or a murderer? Victim or villain? Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor and awaiting trial for murder. When Dorothea's charitable work leads her to Oakgate Prison, she finds herself drawn to Ruth, a teenage seamstress – and self-confessed murderess – who nurses a dark and uncanny secret. A secret that is leading her straight to the gallows. As Ruth reveals her disturbing past to Dorothea, the fates of these two women entwine, and with every revelation, a new layer of doubt is cast... Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer? *Laura Purcell's spine-chilling new novel, The Whispering Muse is out now*