Some make our hearts and hands sing, some get the job done without much fanfare, and some cause nothing but frustration and disappointment. The gorgeous pair of socks that emerged from their first bath twice as long as when they went in. The delicate baby sweater that started pilling before it even came off the needles. The stunning colorwork scarf that you can't wear because the yarn feels like sandpaper against your neck. If only there were a way to read a skein and know how it would behave and what it wanted to become before you invested your time, energy, and money in it. Now there is! With The Knitter's Book of Yarn, you'll learn how to unleash your inner yarn whisperer.In these pages, Clara Parkes provides in-depth insight into a vast selection of yarns, giving you the inside stories behind the most common fiber types, preparations, spins, and ply combinations used by large-scale manufacturers and importers, medium-sized companies, boutique dye shops, community spinneries, and old-fashioned sheep farms. And, because we learn best by doing, Parkes went to some of the most creative and inquisitive design minds of the knitting world to provide a wide assortment of patterns created to highlight the qualities (and minimize the drawbacks) of specific types of yarns.The Knitter's Book of Yarn will teach you everything you need to know about yarn: How it's made, who makes it, how it gets to you, and what it longs to become. The next time you pick up a skein, you won't have to wonder what to do with it. You'll just know-the way any yarn whisperer would.

    Charmed Knits offers dozens of patterns for items that evoke the mystique of Harry Potter - a Wizard Robe, an Invisibility Shawl, a Quidditch Sweater, Ron's Ragg Raglan, a Clock Blanket, Harry Christmas Ornaments, and more. Easy-to-follow patterns, color photos of the finished projects, and illustrations of special stitch patterns and design elements make it easy for all knitters - from beginners to those at Mrs. Weasley's level - to work knitting magic. Charmed Knits whisks you away on a wonderful journey. Along the way, you can pick patterns inspired by the Weasleys, stock up at Diagon Alley, show your house colors, conjure up gifts, or create pieces to help you feel at home in the magical world of Harry Potter.

    Whether you’re a writer, a scrapbooker, a political activist, or a postcard collector, let book artist Esther K. Smith be your guide as you discover your inner bookbinder. Using foolproof illustrations and step-by-step instructions, Smith reveals her time-tested techniques in a fun, easy-to-understand way.

    The explosion of user-created content on blogs and social networking sites moved Time magazine to name "You" their 2006 person of the year. But while we may be spending a lot more time in virtual worlds, we have not lost the urge to make our physical world more meaningful. By leaving art and ideas in public places, you can affect someone's day, change their mood or their mind and maybe even change the world in the process! The Guerilla Art Kit shows how small artistic acts can start a revolution. Keri Smith, noted author of Living Out Loud and the blog Wish Jar Journal, uses her unique drawing and handwriting style to help anyone find and release their inner artist or activist. This visually exciting activity book full of step-by-step exercises, cut-out projects, sticker ideas, and more, has both fun assignments and handy tips to help you unleash your creative energy into the streets, where you can really make an impact. From the quick exercises; leaving books for strangers to find, chalking quotes on the sidewalk, to the more involved; making a "wish tree," guerilla gardening, or making your own stencils, The Guerilla Art Kit contains everything you need to put your message out into the world.

    Featuring 25 beautiful and timeless sock patterns for every occasion in a range of techniques, traditions, and designs, many of these patterns have become unavailable as original issues of Interweave Knits went out of print, but are available once again in this inspired collection. Highlights include a tutorial for knitting socks on two circular needles, instructions for making resoleable socks, and six completely new designs for those avid knitters who may have every issue of Interweave Knits magazine.

    Maybe traditional soapmaking appeals to you, but you figure that working with lye is too difficult or dangerous. Or maybe you're already doing it, but outmoded ideas and methods are complicating the process and slowing you down. No matter which of these fits you, you'll find -Smart Soapmaking- practical, helpful, and refreshing. Written by a former professional soapmaker, this book explodes the myths about soapmaking and shows you how to make luxurious soap from scratch with the least fuss and bother. With both customary and metric measurements, plus a list of suppliers in five countries, -Smart Soapmaking- is the first truly international book on the craft! ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Anne L. Watson is the first author to have introduced modern techniques of home soapmaking and lotionmaking to book readers. She has made soap under the company name Soap Tree, and before her retirement from professional life, she was a historic preservation architecture consultant. Anne and her husband, Aaron Shepard, live in Friday Harbor, Washington. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// ******RECOMMENDED BY THE HANDCRAFTED SOAP & COSMETIC GUILD****** -Should become THE book for soapmaking. . . . It's about time someone wrote a book like this. Most are idealistic and inaccurate. This book has a wonderful common sense approach that is SO long overdue. . . . I can recommend it with 100% confidence.- -- Susan Kennedy, Oregon Trail Soaps, Rogue River, Oregon -Smart it is . . . . A simple, no-nonsense book that cuts through the curmudgery of stifling soap bibles like no other.- -- Shellie Humphries, Harstine Island, Washington -Way overdue. . . . A gift of common sense caution, proven methods, tried-and-true shortcuts, and some excellent recipes as well, for both the professional/experienced soapmaker and the eager beginner.- -- Deb Petersen, Shepherd's Soap Co., Shelton, Washington -A great book for beginners, with clear and easy instructions.- -- Anne-Marie Faiola, Bramble Berry Inc., Bellingham, Washington -I learned more from Smart Soapmaking than from any other soaping book, and I have read quite a few. . . . It's written with the average person in mind, not a chemistry major. Directions are very simple and easy to understand. It really takes the mystery out of making soap.- -- Jackie Pack, Stuart, Virginia -Groundbreaking . . . . Anne L. Watson [is the] universally respected and loved author/crafter/curator of this lost art for thousands of aspiring soapers . . . . Unquestionably the best book with which to begin. To be precise, it's probably the most accessible, most reader-friendly, and most immediately useful container of information a first-time soapmaker could hope to find.- -- Wishing Willow (blog)

    Lark’s Cover to Cover has been a bestseller for more than ten years, and this new and provocative on-the-page gallery, richly illustrated with hundreds of breathtaking photographs, will appeal to that same large and discerning audience. They’ll appreciate the artistry of a finely tooled leather cover, embellished with traditional gold-leaf lettering; the intricacy of an exotic Ethiopian binding with a show-stopping open spine; and others that resemble mysterious puzzle boxes, or that curl, hang, and swirl. The sublimely talented contributors all put their finest work on display: Jeanne Germani’s Cloudspeak showcases her own handmade papers, made from such varied materials as recycled denim, thistle, and other plant matter. Chris Bivin’s codex-style volume features curious, tiny, found objects. One of Laura Wait’s untitled pieces utilizes a handsome raised-cord binding to connect a pair of stained-cedar covers with abstract aluminum letterforms attached.The entire collection is juried by the esteemed Steve Miller.

    Includes meaningful ways to use your existing & future photos. Has creative ideas for preserving precious details of your life. Includes tips for finding inspiration in each day!

    She stretches her supplies, thrives on design shortcuts, and scrapbooks when her kids are asleep. In Real.Life.Scrapbooking, she shares simple, beautiful pages about her small-town life, plus easy layout solutions that you can use right way including building blocks for easy pages and simple schemes. you'll walk away from Rebecca's book with tons of tips and inspiring ideas to try--but more importantly, you'll learn to appreciate your own extra-ordinary life.

    The Book A lively how to and why to sew tutorial that marries attitude and instruction while teaching everything you need to know:How to find the right machine, and become one with itEssential skills, from winding a bobbin to sewing a dart to customizing a patternPreparing a workspaceThe Ten Fabric CommandmentsLaying out and cutting patternsWith step-by-step instructions and full-color photographs and illustrations throughoutThe ProjectsCuddle-Up CardiganTender is the NightieFoxy BoxersCanine Couture CoatCape ModPower TieTokyo Tie BagLucky Scrap ScarfNaughty Secretary SkirtFouncy Tank TopKnockout KnickersAnd more!The Patterns Includes ten original patterns—an $80.00 retail value—rated from One Spool (easy) to Three Spools (advanced Beginner) and designed to build skills.

    Like new - immediate UK dispatch

    Using designs borrowed from a rich decorative arts heritage, and often incorporating traditional kimono fabrics, Japanese quilters have developed a distinctive style based on unusual motifs and striking color combinations. With Japanese Quilted Blocks to Mix and Match, any quilter can create exquisite and unique works of patchwork art in the Japanese tradition.The book presents more than 125 different block patterns, each with complete instructions and a color photograph, representing a variety of pattern sources: kamon (family crests), Hakone yosegi (parquetry) and traditional textiles, such as kasuri weave. Each 9-inch block includes a full cutting guide and fabric palette; suggestions for use, either mixing and matching or adapting to an all-over design; and icons indicating techniques and skill level. The blocks on each spread are related in design and technique.In addition to the Block Directory, Japanese Quilted Blocks to Mix and Match features an Inspiration Gallery, showcasing examples of finished quilts from leading quilters. Using these examples, author Susan Briscoe explores such topics as color ideas from traditional Japanese textiles and quilts, motifs, and recommendations for combining fabric patterns and block designs. An extensive section on technique, as well as several pages about the fabrics themselves and a listing of suppliers and organizations make this volume as practical and informative as it is beautiful.

    It then offers a comprehensive alphabetical listing of all the abbreviations, words, phrases and symbols typically encountered in patterns.

    A follow up to the Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, this book - designed for use by both first-time and long-time quilters - features 30 patchwork and quilted projects organized according to the amount of time it takes to complete them: less than 2 hours, 2 to 4 hours, 4 to 8 hours, 8 to 12 hours and 12 hours or more.

    challenges designed to really get you to think about your life, your art, yourself. In this book, the authors showcase some of the best challenges from their site along with over 25 new challenges to get your creative juices flowing. And the layouts inspired by the Dares, created by the authors and their amazing contributing artists, are the perfect jumpstart to get you thinking about your scrapbooking in a whole new way.

    The result is a most powerful combination: a carefully structured design with the organic freedom of the unpredictable. One of the richest textile traditions in the world, shibori has been used in Japan, Africa, India and South America for centuries to create vibrant color, bold patterns, and intricate motifs. In recent years, a resurgence of the art has revealed its full potential. Janice Gunner's book is aimed at quilters, embroiderers and textile artists who want to master the techniques of shibori and to find ways of using the fabric for a range of textile applications. The book begins with the historical and cultural background of shibori; then goes on to explain, with clear, precise instructions and diagrams, how to make a wide range of exquisite fabrics. Gunner covers many different techniques, including tied-resist, stitched-resist, wrapped-resist, clamp-resist, folded- and pleated-resist, as well as immersion, space and indigo dyeing. Stunning examples of shibori pieces appear throughout the book both to inspire and guide; and practical advice is given on incorporating shibori textiles into the reader's own quilted and embroidered work.

    Each step is illustrated clearly with diagrams that will enable anyone with even the most rudimentary skills to create over 100 intricate and fascinating shapes. Fuse also uses brilliantly colored and traditional Japanese floral papers that add to the beauty and elegance of the work.

    With detailed color photos and concise instructions, plus time-saving tips, it covers:Selecting tools and yarn Working basic stitches Increasing and decreasing Working in rounds and colors Making puffs, bobbles, clusters, and knots Working Tunisian crochet, filet crochet, and lace Crocheting with beads Finishing Interpreting patterns Diagnosing problems and fixing mistakes

    Ruth B. McDowell's "Piecing Workshop" is a comprehensive guide to the author's highly successful freezer-paper piecing techniques for straight and curved piecing. This volume also includes complete instructions and full-size patterns for two small quilt projects with which readers can practice and perfect their newfound skills.

    Full of individuality and mischief, these stuffed creations are all pieced together from ordinary socks, gloves, and mittens. Step-by-step illustrations and instructions make it easy to craft and dress a whole menagerie, including monkeys, elephants, piglets, bunnies, and even an insouciant fish. Endearing to adults and children alike, these whimsical creatures make perfect gifts and inspiring companions.

    A full-color page of the finished dolls accompanies each character, along with large, easy-to-follow instructions and whimsical descriptions. Learn how to create 20 different characters in all, including favorites Sprite, Bad Guy, and Pinkie, and new additions Munky and Spritekin.

    Finally these priceless books of mascots, accessories, clothing and well, just about everything, come in ready-to-read English!

    Canvas sneakers decorated with pink and white swirls. A pretty pillow adorned with a sleeping bunny, sweetly curled up. All it takes to create these appealing projects—or add charming embroidered touches in no time at all—are a few simple stitches, some easy techniques, and the nearly 30 projects in this book. Begin by learning several styles for outlining, filling, decorating, and appliqué. Find out about floss, fancy threads, fabrics, and needles. Get the scoop on hoops, and the lowdown on transferring your very own designs onto every type of fabric. The fresh ideas, witty patterns, and clever color illustrations take stitchers from novice to accomplished in a blink of the eye!

    This one-stop resource for landscape quilting features 16 upscale step-by-step projects, and 20 partial projects; plus tips, tricks and techniques from the authors--including foremost sewing expert Nancy Zieman. With prints and supplies available at chains and independent shops, all you need is this book and your own creative spirit.

    Containing more than 200 swatch designs in her signature style, this is a must-have manual for beginning and experienced stitchers alike.

    With 30 pages of traceable designs and instructions for creating rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, Shrink Art Jewelry makes shrink plastic cool for teens, tweens, and anybody else ready to design their own unique jewelry. The book also comes with beads, cord, bracelet links, jewelry findings, shrink plastic, and a Klutz-custom ring roller. And additional special techniques make it easy to go beyond flat plastic for Have fun

    You'll discover new ideas of where to look for, not only discarded objects, but new items that you may not have previously seen as having a place in a future work of art. You'll be inspired by ways to add meaningful symbolism to your artworks' stories both through the use of color and shape. And you'll see how an ancient tale can parallel the artist's plight and invoke a new piece of art.From the pondering of each ancient myth and its connection to the modern-day artist, to the gluing together of objects, to the paint that unifies and disguises the original bits and pieces, this is an intimate view into the creative process unlike any workshop you've ever attended.

    This is the essential illustrated reference to a wide range of sumptuous textured crochet stitches: choose from bobbles, popcorns, and curlicues; Aran-style cables; ripples and knots, and raised flower and leaf motifs.-Includes over 70 stitch patterns and features multicolored swatch photographs to show how color and texture can be combined to create wonderful effects.-Stitches are organized by method of construction and include easy-to-follow symbol charts and complete row-by-row instructions.-Basic techniques are demonstrated with clear step-by-step illustrations, and a fold-out flap provides a useful reminder of how to work the charts.

    Folding and unfolding problems have been implicit since Albrecht Durer in the early 1500s, but have only recently been studied in the mathematical literature. Over the past decade, there has been a surge of interest in these problems, with applications ranging from robotics to protein folding. A proof shows that it is possible to design a series of jointed bars moving only in a flat plane that can sign a name or trace any other algebraic curve. One remarkable algorithm shows you can fold any straight-line drawing on paper so that the complete drawing can be cut out with one straight scissors cut. Aimed primarily at advanced undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics or computer science, this lavishly illustrated book will fascinate a broad audience, from high school students to researchers.

    With over 1,000 close-up photographs featuring real hands holding real yarn and needles, there's no easier way to learn! Straightforward text and full-color photos walk you from beginner's basics through gorgeous Aran, Fair Isle, Entrelac, and Intarsia knitting. Discover how to add an astounding array of embellishments with step-by-step instructions for embroidery, beading, and much more. Fix mistakes, care for garments, and find the answers to almost any knitting query you might come across-this book simplifies it all.

    Create beautiful accessories to enhance your home using the 35 projects and step-by-step instructions featured in this title.

    Exploring colors, textures, shapes, and feelings, she demonstrates how to turn these intangible elements into pictorial narratives, using such unlikely fodder as pencil shavings, onions, dust, and leaves.This visual feast of a book evolved from Pietromarchi’s bookmaking workshops with children. Playfully narrated, and packed with captivating and inventive illustrations, The Book Book is a tribute to the rich, imaginative world in all of us.

    The focus of this book, written for mathematicians, needleworkers, and teachers of mathematics, is on the relationship between mathematics and the fiber arts (including knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, and quilting). Each chapter starts with an overview of the mathematics and the needlework at a level understandable to both mathematicians and needleworkers, followed by more technical sections discussing the mathematics, how to introduce the mathematics in the classroom through needlework, and how to make the needlework project, including patterns and instructions.

    Step-by-step photographs and illustrations guide readers through the basics of classic stitches and inventive variations. Includes an introduction to the basics of beads, threads, and bead-stitching techniques. Creative variations and lesser-known stitches are sure to inspire intermediate and advanced beaders.

    This book features all kinds of tips to make needlework easier and more enjoyable. Packed with handy shortcuts and workarounds includes solutions of common problems plus quick fixes. Cover basic techniques with clear step-by-step instructions and photos. Softcover: 224 pages. Made in USA.

    Whether you want to completely customize your kicks or just learn how to tie a knot that won’t come undone, Laces shows you how to lace up with style and put Velcro lovers to shame. • 50 fresh lacing styles, including Zipper, Checkerboard, Spider Web, Ladder, and Star• 16 hot knots, including the world’s fastest, “the Ian”• 4 color-coded practice laces you can use right on the front cover

    Packed with beautiful pieces to make and wear, Bejeweled offers a breathtaking range of classic and contemporary necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. These original, feminine jewelry creations have been selected from Claire's stunning designs---more than thirty unashamedly sexy, glamorous and totally wearable acessories for every chosen occasion. The handmade pieces featured will see you through all seasons and all occasions: from pairing a topaz pendant necklace with a fresh summer dress for a casual day out, to making a pair of sparkly chandelier earrings for a formal wedding outfit. Claire's personal passion for handmade excellence is echoed throughout the book in the simplicity of her jewelry, her love of mixing color and textures and her ability to choose the most alluring stones and materials; satin ribbon and suede make dramatic statements when teamed with crystals and wooden beads, while a topaz pendant mixes luxuriously with decorative gold adornments. Claire offers firsthand advice on getting started, how to approach the designs and choose from the vast array of beads and materials available. She then gives invaluable instruction on how to accomplish the basics: how to make links and fastenings, string the different components onto a chain, and secure the finished pieces. Within the "Jewelry Collection" itself, thirty step-by-step projects demonstrate a variety of skills for all levels including technical concepts such as wiring, making components, dyeing metal and beads, and working with different materials such as semiprecious stones, shell and cord. The beginner to the advanced can progress through the collection, from making a vintage pearl bracelet with a gunmetal chain and a pair of tourmaline teardrop earrings, to a Swarovski crystal pendant or a tiger's-eye ring. These are treasures to make and wear with pride!

    This visual guide shows you the basics, beginning with the tools and fibers, and takes you through spinning, plying, making novelty yarns, using exotic fibers, dyeing, and more. Whether you use an inexpensive hand spindle or splurge on a spinning wheel, stick with wool or try alpaca, cashmere, or cotton, you'll learn how to create fun, original, one-of-a-kind yarns that you can knit or weave into truly unique, handmade, and all-natural creations.Concise two-page lessons show you all the steps to a skill and are ideal for quick reviewThe skill demonstrated is defined and described Detailed color photos demonstrate each stepStep-by-step instructions accompany each photoHelpful tips provide additional guidance

    The author describes basic folding techniques required to construct the "modules" that are used as building blocks to construct complex ornamental models. The diagrams are clear, crisp, and easy to follow, and are accompanied by inspiring color photographs. Additional tips encourage the reader to design their own original creations. Advance Praise for Marvelous Modular Origami "A must-have for any modular origami polyhedra enthusiast." -Rona Gurkewitz, co-author of Multimodular Origami Polyhedra "The models are paper folding in its purest form. They range from simple Sonobe to floral and geometrical constructions. All are eye-catching and satisfying to fold, and the finished constructions are pleasing to behold. Also included are short sections on the mathematics behind the shapes and optimum color choices." -David Petty, author of Origami A-B-C "In this colorful book, you'll find wonderful original origami modular creations. Meenakshi's clear instructions and helpful hints will have you zipping through these modules as well as improvising your own." -Rachel Katz, co-author of FUN FOLDS: Language Learning Through Paper Folding "Marvelous Modular Origami is a colorful addition to the literature of mathematical origami." -Florence Temko, author of many origami and other craft books

    Using straight-line and free-motion techniques to complete six feature projects, this revolutionary guide will help you take your quilting to new heights.

    Bursting with highly stylized florals, undulating landscapes, and free-flowing abstract designs, this gallery of thirty lush and lovely patterns is ready to color — and poised to inspire. Using markers, inks, pencils, or paints, mix muted tones of olive, mustard, and brown with lively shades of violet and peacock blue for authentic Art Nouveau color schemes, or set your imagination free and apply your own unique tints.

    Featuring the website's signature Puking Pumpkin, and spanning everything from Drowning Pumpkin, Crime Scene Pumpkin, and Cannibal Pumpkin to Electrocuted Pumpkin and other never-before-seen designs, this gleefully gory guide is nothing short of a manifesto to take back Halloween from the cheerful, the cutesy, and the parent-sanctioned. For the egg-throwing, toilet tissue- streaming, window-soaping teenager in all of us, finally- a whole new way to celebrate October 31.

    Reflecting Maryland’s rich mix of ethnic and religious cultures, they provide glimpses into the lives of young women from Colonial times to the eve of the Civil War.Some samplers contain registers of family history; others are memorial or mourning samplers. Poems, moral precepts and biblical verses abound. Especially engaging are the samplers with "busy yards," populated by animals, birds and people. Exquisite silk pictorial embroideries were created under the tutelage of the Sisters of Charity at Saint Joseph’s Academy in Emmitsburg. Unique to Maryland are the embroideries worked by the children of free African-Americans taught by the Oblate Sisters, the world’s first order of black nuns. Quaker samplers are distinguished by broad compartmentalized borders filled with pairs of gorgeous flowers, butterflies and birds. Embroidered maps, all worked between 1797 and the early 1800s, form their own recognizable group.Students of women’s history will be fascinated by the role of needlework in early female education. Modern day embroiderers will find inspiration in the designs. Collectors and antiques dealers have long awaited such a book.

    With his newest, most creative volume yet, he provides an introduction to the wild and whimsical world of kinetic art—art that moves. Using plenty of informative sidebars and dynamic illustrations, Frost teaches the basic techniques in his own inimitable style, beginning with easy, fun projects like weather vanes and mobiles powered by air currents alone. Then it’s on to simple toys you manipulate with strings, and art mechanized by levers, cranks, cams, and cogs. Far from a routine woodworking book, Creative Kinetics will inspire even the least craft-minded reader to pick up some scissors and turn a tuna can into a propeller or cardboard into a jumping-jack.

    The secret to these movable marvels: propellers and other action-filled parts made from wood or metal. Full-size schematics and drawings, plus detailed written instructions, will guide woodwokers smoothly through building, carving, and assembling such enchanting projects as Grandad’s Night Out, a wild and wonderful gadget with a handsomely dressed figure that dances on a box; the Politically Incorrect Weather House (it contains a hygrometer to measure humidity); and Mr. Muscles & Little Ms. Threemore, two exercise buffs who work out!

    Ewok Flower Vases. AT-AT Herb Gardens. With The Star Wars Craft Book, fans of all ages and skill levels can bring the best of the galaxy far, far away right into their own homes. Fully illustrated, this guide features a variety of fun and original projects.  • Playtime: Make and play with finger puppets of your favorite cantina characters, Cuddly Banthas, and Rotta the Huttlet Squeaky Toys for your pets• Home Decor: Spruce up your space with Chewbacca Tissue Box Covers, a Mounted Acklay Head, and a Jabba the Hutt Body Pillow• Holiday Crafts: Celebrate festive occasions with Wookiee Pumpkins, Hanukkah Droidels, and a Star Wars Action Figure Wreath• Nature and Science Crafts: Get down to earth with Emperor Appletine Dolls and a Wookiee Bird House• Star Wars Style: Give your wardrobe a dose of intergalactic chic with Ewok Fleece Hats and an R2-D2 Crocheted Beanie With easy step-by-step instructions, The Star Wars Craft Book is a joyful and entertaining way for you and your friends to bring many beloved elements of Star Wars to life! (No midi-chlorians required!)

    With simple sewing skills and a handful of embellishments, this text shows readers how to make great covers for everything from scrapbooks and diaries to binders and cheque books.

    Chapters include a brief history of the parasol, step-by-step instructions on different patterning methods for parasol canopies, and suggestions for making material and trim choices. Numerous illustrations, diagrams, and photographs augment the text, and appendices include a thorough glossary of parasol component terms. Sticks in Petticoats is an invaluable addition to any costumer or propbuilder's professional library. This edition contains over a dozen full-color interior photographs by Ryan Jones.

    In addition to easy-to-follow instructions, demonstrated in more than 500 color photos and diagrams, this spiral lay-flat book includes a stitch directory with functional and decorative stitches created by hand, machine and serger. Plus, a textile directory with details for working with over 70 fabrics from chiffon to denim, and application advice for seams, edges, buttonholes, zippers and more. This is a foundational reference every sewing enthusiast can use.

    Having worked for such publications as The New York Times. The Economist and Esquire, Noma Bar is one artist capable of such visual feats. From famous celebrities such as Steven Speilberg to infamous ones like Michael Jackson, to cultural icons like Albert Einstein and Elvis, to political figures like George Bush and Saddam Hussein, Bar has made a career of creating unique caricatures through illustrations that rely on the power of association, and sometimes a bit of imagination. Stephen King has hatchet eyes; broken chains accent Nelson Mandela's facial expression; Joseph Stalin's nose and mouth are shaped like the hammer and sickle. All of Bar's faces exude the power of the visual, in that we recognize who they are through what they do.

    Meng’s projects charm with their vintage flair and feminine beauty, yet all require very little experience to make. Follow Kaari as she digs through her vast personal archives of classic beads and creates unique pieces; along the way she teaches all the basic techniques, from simple wirework to bezel setting, and explains how to build a bead collection, develop a palette, and get exquisite results from easy-to-find reproduction beads. All the chapters are organized by places of inspiration throughout the French countryside, each with its own color scheme and special necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and hair ornaments to craft.

    ? Beaded and embellished jewelry is a hot trend that lends itself to creative freedom through color mixing

    Beaudry mines archaeological findings of sewing and needlework to discover what these small traces of female experience reveal about the societies and cultures in which they were used. Beaudry’s geographical and chronological scope is broad: she examines sites in the United States and Great Britain, as well as Australia and Canada, and she ranges from the Middle Ages through the Industrial Revolution.The author describes the social and cultural significance of “findings”: pins, needles, thimbles, scissors, and other sewing accessories and tools. Through the fascinating stories that grow out of these findings, Beaudry shows the extent to which such “small things” were deeply entrenched in the construction of gender, personal identity, and social class.

    Each of the profiled knitters has contributed a project.

    This book teaches home crafters new tricks and techniques to expand the styles of fashion jewelry they create with beads and other materials. Compiled by Tammy Powley, the book includes the work of many exciting jewelry artists who are breaking new ground using mixed media materials and techniques in their work, along with step-by-step instructions.

    This book breaks down more design concepts and lets readers see through the eyes of a graphic designer. Full color.

    Featuring 12 easy-to-learn pop-up techniques and seven complete projects, this is the perfect companion for anyone wanting to add a little 3-D delight to anything from birthday invitations to photo albums.

    Lively, curious, and creative, she takes inspiration from her surroundings, from art, literature, and nature, and expresses her passion through the gentle arts of needlework, cooking, gardening, and homemaking—and now through her writing. In The Gentle Art of Domesticity Brocket celebrates everything that is, and can be, wonderful about home life. This gorgeous and unusual book, full of whimsy, warmth, and a wealth of stunning photographs, helps us to see domesticity with new eyes. Whether she’s knitting a tea cozy or baking jam tarts, crocheting a blanket or sewing an apron, Brocket fills her home with beauty, color, and fun. She transforms day-to-day domesticity into a realm of possibilities, both practical and imaginative—and encourages us to do the same in our own lives.Rather than categorize readers as quilters or embroiderers, bakers or gardeners, Brocket embraces the idea that they may be all of these, and more. The key to practicing any of the domestic arts, she says, is to recognize the value of homemaking, overlooked skills, and ordinary things. This book’s glorious synthesis of style, DIY projects, and philosophical musings inspires us not only to emulate Brocket’s handmade creations but also to share her enjoyment of the simple pleasures of home.