It is rather a matter of confidence. You need to be confident in what you are doing and in how to figure out what to do if things aren't going quite right. Understanding why you do certain things and why they turn out the way they do increases confidence and leads to successful crocheting. This book answers some of the most common questions crocheters have, and anticipates some questions you didn't know you had. The Crochet Answer Book will lead you down the road to gaining the confidence that makes for good crocheting.

    As an industry pioneer with over ten years experience as a teacher, writer and scrapbooker, Stacy is committed to empowering others. The Big Picture, Stacy's fourth book shares ideas, inspiration and solutions for all scrapbookers, regardless of their style or expertise.

    make crocheting one of today's hottest hobbies. This VISUAL guide makes it easy to pick up a hook and a ball of yarn and get stitching, with clear, step-by-step presentations of techniques accompanied by detailed color photos that show readers exactly what to do. The book's more than 20 patterns-everything from blankets to mittens to a man's necktie-appeal to hip, modern crocheters.

    It's the only current, comprehensive guide to working with cabochons--a flat piece of rock or mineral--and it covers all the basics, along with a range of new creative techniques and hot trends. Find out which tools and materials to use, which beads work best, and how to wrap them round the stones. Craft turned, pointed, twisted, brick stitch, ruffled, or scalloped edges, or add decorative fringe. For something dramatic, combine more than one cabochon in a single piece. Or, instead of natural stone, use dichroic glass or other found objects. Make a glittering brooch, funky bracelets, a wearable art necklace, and other showstoppers.

    You begin with the essential knit and purl stitches and advance to bobbles, cables, lace, and fancy color work. With fun, innovative patterns from top knitting designer Sharon Turner, you'll be creating masterpieces in no time!Concise two-page lessons show you all the steps to a skill and are ideal for quick review* Each skill or techniqueis defined and described * Detailed color photos demonstrate each step* Step-by-step instructions accompany each photo* Helpful tips provide additional guidance

    The book comes with complete step-by-step photography and instructions for creating an Amineko of your very own and personalizing this cute cat with different facial expressions, clothing, and even bedding. Hundreds of color photographs tell the adorable tales, and mischief, that Amineko and his friends find themselves in, with complete instructions for knitting adventures of your own.

    Thirty projects range from the simple to the challenging, from patchwork slippers and aprons to tote bags and pillows to her beloved quilt patterns, offering something for every level of quilter. Schmidt reviews the fundamentals of quilting and provides easy-to-follow instructions, patterns, sewing tips, and an artful approach to design basics. With engaging wisdom and beautiful step-by-step color photography throughout, Denyse Schmidt Quilts will inspire beginning and skilled crafters alike to embrace this age-old tradition with a new and modern twist.

    In her follow-up to Creative Sketches for Scrapbooking, which has sold nearly 60,000 copies, Becky shares innovative ideas that will make this an essential resource for all scrapbookers. Plus, Becky's world-famous sketches have been improved, with photo sizes listed right on the sketches! Cut down your planning time and spend more time creating well designed layouts, faster. Includes: 56 new scrapbook sketches by Becky 225 sketch-to-page ideas Organized by number of photos per sketch for the ultimate easy-to-use scrapbooking guide

    Crafters with a sense of humor, a taste for the weird, wacky, and way-out, and a hunger for the outrageous will find themselves captured by this wildly creative menagerie of sock monsters.Possessed of irresistible charm, these creatures offer all the inspiration anyone needs to transform cast-off socks into wickedly funny toys. There's Claude with his perplexed expression and tiny tail that stands at full attention. Jordan's always on the prowl; he's got three eyes, so nothing escapes him. And there's something really odd about Estelle. Maybe it's her silly conical head balanced precariously on four tiny feet--or perhaps it's just that she's always sticking out her bright red tongue. Great instructions and charming illustrations make it easy to bring these unique personalities to life. A Selection of the Crafters Choice Book Club.

    Once you have mastered the basic baby dolls, you can progress to a more ambitious limbed or jointed doll.

    Common problems are solved and suggestions given on choosing and storing equipment, starting and finishing and the use of hoops and frames. More experienced embroiderers will find inspiration and ideas for further experimentation and suggestions for using embroidery on clothing, accessories and in the home.

    Unfinished pictures and intriguing prompts foster children's powers of visualization, and at nearly 400 pages, this book provides plenty of room to stretch the imagination.

    Through the projects and features, children (and many adults as well) learn the delights of making woven projects and at the same time develop a connection with weavers throughout the world and through the millennia - not only is weaving an utterly contemporary activity around the world, but its origins have been traced, through story,

    Using simple shapes, lines, and a sense of humor, this book explains why complicated doesn't make it good-and why that matters. Mark Gonyea opens up the world of design and makes it accessible to young artists and non-artists alike.A Children's Book-of-the-Month Club SelectionA JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION

    This book shows novice and expert quilters alike new ways of planning, designing, and constructing contemporary quilts. The Modern Quilt Workshop takes you through every step of making a quilt, encouraging you and challenging you along the way. YouÆll learn basic principles of quilt design, as well as new technical skills that will make your quilts more beautiful, more durable, and more fun to make.Never before published, these breathtaking patterns were created to help you learn specific design and technical skills. Want to learn how to piece circles flawlessly? Need to fine-tune your color choices? Confused about how to choose quilting patterns? Follow the step-by-step diagrams and youÆll be mastering new design concepts and innovative techniques with each new project.Each of the 15 quilt projects shows the level of difficulty, lists the skills youÆll learn, and shows how each quilt might look in different color combinations.Design tips in each chapter teach you what to look for in fabrics, or options for how to quilt the quilt.Measurements and yardage requirements are provided for 4 sizes, from baby quilts to bed quilts.Cutting templates, and tips for using them, are included.A thorough section on quilt construction and assembly helps even the first-time quilter learn the basics of cutting, piecing, aligning seams, thread color selection, choosing batting, quilting, and binding. Beginning quilters will love the simple, yet sophisticated, patterns that can turn a pile of cotton fabric into a work of art. Advanced quilters will hone technical and design skills, as well as master new techniques, such as improvisational piecing and working with sophisticated color palettes.Whether you wish to create a treasured family heirloom or a beautiful gift for a friend, these unique patterns will inspire you to try something new.

    Jane Nicholas, a leading modern embroiderer, has researched stumpwork for more than 20 years to create this dazzling compendium of its intricate techniques and colorful 3-dimensional effects. Beginning with detailed instructions on different ways of creating raised padded shapes, she goes on to offer a virtual cornucopia of nature-based designs--flowers, fruits, birds, animals, and insects--arranged in delightfully realistic patterns and interspersed with charming quotations. Elegant, useful, and inspiring, her book is a must-have for all dedicated embroiderers.

    With this guide, weavers of all skill levels, using any type of loom, can explore woven shibori. Unlike traditional shibori, which uses stitches placed by needle on commercial cloth in the dyeing process, the "stitches" used in this new process are woven directly into the cloth, thus becoming part of the cloth's construction. After sections on the history of shibori and its many cultural variants, the chapters move on to thorough instructions in a range of weaving applications, from plain twills to laces. Examples, tips, and safety guides for the dyeing process are included, opening up a world of creative possibilities for weavers, textile, and fiber artists.

    The projects include bunnies, geese, hens, lambs and other springtime characters. Also included are applique and patchwork Easter cards, hearts, egg cosies, bags, and tea cosies.

    The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery is the only book currently on the market that provides fascinating tips and creative ideas solely focused on this new form of art. An in-depth discussion manipulation techniques is supplied, making this an essential handbook for all artists and crafters looking for creative ways to alter and enhance various types of imagery in new and traditional ways, and then to integrate this altered art into their work.

    When Fox & Geese & Fences: A Collection of Traditional Maine Mittens was published a generation ago, it was an instant success, and nary a knitter above the age of thirty has not heard of it. It was followed by a secon

    Author Sharilyn Miller shares her enthusiasm, experience and expertise to make this book a must-have for jewelry-makers of all skill levels. So, whether you're beginning your first bracelet or your hundredth, you're sure to find inspiration.Bead on a Wire features a comprehensive introductory section and more than 20 step-by-step projects. With in-depth, clearly-illustrated instructions, you'll learn how to:Construct jewelry without soldering tools or other intimidating equipmentFashion beautiful earrings, bracelets, necklaces and fibulas not readily found in storesStock your "jewelry toolkit" with only the necessary toolsMake jump rings, links, clasps and other basic jewelry components to keep on hand for future projectsCreate project variations and new designs with your own one-of-a-kind lookNever again will you have to hunt for the perfect necklace to match your new outfit. Now, with Bead on a Wire, you can create jewelry that suits your style, fits your wardrobe and reflects your personality.

    The stunning and gorgeous color palettes that artist Margie Deeb is known for adorn each piece. Includes loom building instructions, finishing split loom necklace instructions, and peyote, brick, and looming instructions.

    Twenty-four superb projects offer practice-makes-perfect work on every kind of embroidery, from cross-stitching and huck-weaving, crewel and needlelace to smocking and bargello. The finished products? An array of skill-displaying samplers, a Victorian brooch cushion, glittering Shisha bag, silk ribbon floral pane, Hardanger tablemat, and more, in a portfolio of beautiful handiwork. A must-have reference for beginners and experienced alike.

    Over 40 popular breeds of dog and cat alone give the stitcher plenty of choice, whether they want a detailed portrait or a nose-to-tail likeness. Additional themed alphabets, fitting sentiments and cute motifs reflect the humorous side of being a cat or dog lover. Other pets are also represented, from the tiniest mice and goldfish to wide-eyed reptiles, mischievous ferrets and familiar farmyard friends. Advice is given on changing thread colour to match your subject, and many chart keys feature alternative colour combinations. Gift and keepsake ideas suggest how to display your prized pet's pictures

    All the activities appear on colorful, illustrated spreads with an engaging cast of kid characters who show how the science fun is done. Most of the experiments use ordinary household materials, and they provide some cool visual and tactile effects.

    All the high-quality, beautifully drafted pictures can easily be enlarged and photocopied, and the organization makes it easy to find just what's wanted. The choice is simply astounding. Pore through Egyptian, Greek, Romanesque, Byzantine, Folk, Medieval, Islamic, Chinese, Japanese, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco motifs, blossoming in profusion on the pages. In addition to floral favorites, such as lilies, roses, and tulips, other featured plants include vegetables, a cornucopia of fruits, and trees, from firs to palms. An introductory design class helps readers make the most of this bounty.

    Summer after summer, children and adults alike make valiant efforts to infuse their sandy structures with such inspiration, but the results are generally disappointing. With "Sandcastles Made Simple", Lucinda sandy feet Wierenga, a renowned sand sculptor, puts a permanent end to less-than-perfect beach creations. She provides the ultimate step-by-step guide to building impressive sandcastles, and shows that with a few simple tools and a basic understanding of sand, building dream castles can be easy. The book features instructions for each of the elements, base, staircase, roof, balcony, and more, that can be combined to fashion one-of-a-kind castles. Also included are two projects designed specifically for younger children. Like a shovel and pail, "Sandcastles Made Simple" is an on-the-beach necessity.

    Examines history, methods and practicalities involved.

    The unique modular forms can be used as home accents or decorative display pieces, and the book also includes projects such greetings cards, gift tags and decorations that can be made with finished origami pieces. It has a useful practical section on choosing the right paper, and also explains all the standard symbols. Paper crafters everywhere will want to try these exciting new origami techniques and this book will make an invaluable reference work for all folders, whether complete beginners, or intermediate and advanced artists. Fully illustrated in colour, Miniature Origami will enable readers, whatever their level of skill, to fold almost any miniature design, traditional or contemporary. The emphasis is on creativity, encouraging the reader to combine and extend existing techniques to produce new origami works.

    Materials range from the most precious metals and gems to paper and plastic, and the varied techniques include forging, casting, weaving, and and surface embellishments. Among the featured creators: Abrasha, who contributes a Royal Pachinko Ball Bracelet; Sharon Portelance, who called her work Wrist Corsage: Ever Present; and Felieke Van Der Leest's amusingly named Hare O'Harix and His 6 Carrots. Whether you're an expert jeweler, a collector, a student, or simply someone who loves beautiful objects, these one-of-kind pieces will astound you.

    From table runners to pillows to bed size quilts to framed art-you're sure to find a project or two that meet your needs.Quilts to love...Enjoy this marvelous collection of favorite quilts from the pages of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. Color options, optional sizing charts, and all-new projects expand on the original quilts.Charming Keepsakes!THese are quilts you'll be inspired to make for your home, family, and friends. So pick a favorite, gather some fabric, and start quilting.

    Available in a huge array of colors, shapes and sizes, they are beautiful, adaptable, and easy to work with. These practical projects show how you can add detail, texture, color and originality to garments and accessories by incorporating beads into your knitting, crochet and needlework. Learn traditional and contemporary techniques such as bead weaving, stringing, wirework and strand-knotting, and even find out how to make your own beads.

    Readers will find gorgeous designs that can be made with all sorts of materials — glass beads, gemstones, pearls, crystals, metals, and more — in styles that range from classic to creative. Best of all, these fast, fun fashions require little more than stringing, crimping, and, in some cases, simple wirework. With 101 projects, Easy Beading is sure to inspire.

    The chapters walk the aspiring craftsperson step-by-step through the entire process, from where and how to shop for wire and beads, to choosing the right kind and gauge of wire, and what tools of the trade they need to borrow or buy. No background is assumed; skills build upon each other as the book progresses. The basic jewelry components, such as loops, jump rings, findings, and connectors, are covered in turn. These lessons are then put to use with a selection of six projects, from jewelry to more unusual uses for metal embellishments such as greeting cards. Filled with lessons, tips, and resources from start to finish, this manual is a primer for the true beginner.

    Creative Albums includes 25 out of the box ways to capture your most meaningful memories. And best of all, you can finish most of the albums in an afternoon or over a weekend. Each project includes: Clear hot-to instructions, step-by-step photos, color photos of album covers and pages, & complete list of supplies and tools needed to finish your projects.

    Each on the 25 projects includes: Clear, how-to instructions; Step-by-step photos; Full color photos of projects; Complete list of supplies and tools needed.

    Some of these flowers serve as eye-catching ornaments; others are sublimely practical, such as napkin rings and tiebacks. Follow the well-illustrated instructions to craft wildflowers, roses, daisies, tulips, anemones, and hydrangeas. For each one, there’s a “What You Need to Know” and “What You Will Learn” box as guidance. The dazzling items include Black Tie Candleholders, Forsythia Urn, Lamp Shade, Tulip Tin, Clay Pot Critters, and Mistletoe Ball.A Selection of the Crafters Choice Book Club.

    With step-by-step illustrations, it explains the materials required and the processes involved to create reproductions of a range of pieces. The book covers traditional techniques as well as today’s more advanced technical methods.

    Whether you have 2 hours or 2 days, this wonderful resource allows you to choose the perfect present and start stitching straight away. 101 gift ideas include those for babies and children, wedding celebrations and anniversaries, special days to remember, celebrations throughout the calender and Christmas. Each themed spread' features inspirational photographs of the gift ideas using a selection of the cross stitch designs from the easy-to-use colour charts pictured opposite. The additional motifs provided allow you to vary the gift ideas for each lucky recipient. With a comprehensive guide to making up the projects from commercially available products, and simple-to-stitch ideas too, you will never be short of a gift idea no matter how little time you have before the big day!