At the beginning of the year, I checked this book out from the library and it was so interesting I didn't want to give it back!
Because I tend to move every 2-3 years, and books can get really heavy, I've learned to be picky about the books I buy. If it is a reference book I might want to keep for many years, I pre-screen it by checking it out from the library first (if possible). The Art of Manipulating Fabric is definitely one I am going to buy soon.
The book has so many different techniques for pleats, folds, tucks and other surface treatments. I didn't get the chance to really go through it thoroughly, but I do remember it had lots of black and white photos showing the finished technique and plenty of text descriptions.
The two methods I did try out were shell tucks and pin tucks. The shell tucks I didn't quite get down, but pin tucks are easy. This book is what inspired me to make this pin tuck clutch:
