Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Illustrated by Belinda Downes

Textile illustrations bring the story to life in this unique version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Belinda Downes uses applique, embroidery and water color to create lovely illustrations for this adaption of the classic Grimms' fairy tale.

Belinda's illustrations are nicely detailed. She uses gauzy fabric to represent light coming from a lamp and for the glass coffin that Snow White lies in after eating the poisoned apple.  French knots are used for flowers, hair or a nail holding a picture up on the wall. Her work is layered with a wide array of fabrics embellished with embroidery and watercolor. There is also a sense of perspective in the illustrations that you don't always see with textile art. I especially like the illustration of Snow White sleeping on one of the Seven Dwarfs beds (see below). The beds are all lined up in a curving row, each with a different quilt. Slippers peek out under the beds and one long rug spans all the beds. 

 And just so you know -  the seven dwarf's names are Fred, Ted, Ike, Mike, Tim, Sim and Sachie in this version of Snow White, retold by Joan Aiken.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 

Adapted by Joan Aiken

Illustrated by Belinda Downes

Dorling Kindersley, 2002

Belinda Downes is a world renowned embroidery artist. She is one of England's most successful embroidery designers. Belinda has illustrated other books using applique/embroidery such as Baby Days: A Quilt of Rhymes and Pictures, The Starlight Princess, Every Little Angel's Handbook and The Twelve Dancing Princesses. A former artist-in-residence at Hampton Court Palace, Downes is an accomplished needlesmith whose work has been exhibited internationally.  According to Dorling Kindersley, "She is rapidly becoming one of the most collected children's book illustrators." Belinda lives in Bristol, England.