A few days passed. Today in the mail, totally unexpected, was this Christmas gift:
Not Islamic, but still fascinating and exactly the kind of resource I was looking for. From the book:
"These geometric patterns radiate symmetry and order. Drawing the patterns is not just a question of mechanically copying the work of someone else square by square, but of understanding the underlying structure. These patterns are built up from simple elements which seem to 'grow' and develop in an almost organic or living way." Perfect.
As I looked through it tonight I realized that some of these designs would be great inspiration for the mathematical paper weaving I've been exploring, and other designs would be perfect for the non-quilting paper patterns activity I developed this summer.
And, to top it all off, when I looked the book up I found that there are other books by the same author on the topics of geometric patterns from tile and brickwork, churches and cathedrals, patchwork quilts AND Islamic art and architecture which, it turns out, was heavily influenced by the geometric designs of the ancient Greeks and Romans. So, really, if you think about it, the very most perfect book appeared at the very most perfect time.
This looks like an awesome find. We have seen several mosaics in our European travels and made them with small tiles and paper for school. I'm pinning this awesome recommendation and sharing it on my Facebook page for future reference.
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