With the admonition to "write this down," Williams began to describe how slaves made coded quilts and used them to navigate their escape on the Underground Railroad. But just as quickly as she started, Williams stopped, informing Tobin that she would learn the rest when she was "ready."During the three years it took for Williams's narrative to unfold--and as the friendship and trust between the two women grew--Tobin enlisted Raymond Dobard, Ph.D., an art history professor and well-known African American quilter, to help unravel the mystery.Part adventure and part history, Hidden in Plain View traces the origin of the Charleston Code from Africa to the Carolinas, from the low-country island Gullah peoples to free blacks living in the cities of the North, and shows how three people from completely different backgrounds pieced together one amazing American story.

    Ten original and enjoyable knitting projects--each complemented by a meditation exercise.

    Seeking to address the various challenges of off-camera lighting, professional photographers and advanced amateurs alike will find a range of confidence-building instruction, beginning with basic how’s and why’s of lighting for creative effect, the types of equipment available and instruction about their proper use, clear definitions of various technical concepts such as managing shutter speed and controlling flash exposure, using ambient light as well as natural sunlight during a shoot, and incorporating off-camera flash into a portrait session. Concluding this lesson plan is a look at five different real-life photo sessions, each employing a different flash technique. Here, photographers get a deeper understanding of each concept put into practice, marrying the elements of lighting with the natural elements presented by the shoot.

    White takes the reader step by step through the process of making natural soaps for family, friends, and for profit. Easy to understand and master. This second edition includes extended directions for first time soap makers, new recipes, how to make soap in small and large batches and a guide to using essential oils. Includes tips and advice for how to cut and cure soap, how to sell your soaps, packaging and labeling, and how to set up at a craft fair or market. Over 45 soap recipes from luxurious to economical.

    Part knitting instruction book and part sassy style guide, this book goes beyond teaching the basics - size, motif placement, and balance principles - and tackles all-new methods for creating knitwear with brilliant colours and sumptuous textures that big girls can wear.

    The pattern techniques are simple, and the supplies you’ll need are easy to find: T-shirts, scissors, sewing needle, and thread. The difficulty of each project is rated from 1 to 4, and none take more than 30 minutes to create. You’ll never look plain wearing a T-shirt and jeans again.

    This much anticipated sequel to "Totally Tangled" is just as tangled! Inside, the pages are jam-packed with Zentangle ideas, tips, projects and 60 new tangles.  Zentangle is the perfect exercise to keep that big muscle inside your skull flexible.

    Fashion historian Claire B. Shaeffer opened the door to this exclusive realm in her authoritative guide to the techniques that define couture sewing. And now, the industry bible, Couture Sewing Techniques , has been revised and updated throughout -- with new photos and a chapter on specialty fabrics.No one can unravel couture garment construction the way Shaeffer can, from the art of hand sewing to mastering edge finishes, from classic closures to shaping a garment for a perfect fit. Readers learn all the basics -- and more importantly: how to apply the techniques -- on skirts and sleeves, pockets and jackets, evening gowns, and more. Gorgeous photos, clear illustrations, and concise language combine to make this the most complete couture-sewing course available.

    Learn how to find space in your home, whittle down your stash, and get tips on maximizing your storage and organization. Experts will also show you how to repurpose furniture, recyclables, and vintage items to establish a space with function and personality.Inside the Creative Studio offers imaginative and unique solutions for every lifestyle, regardless of money, time, or space. Artists and crafters of all types—quilters, fiber artists, mixed-media artists, jewelry makers, sewists, painters, and more—share their stories, tips, and images of putting together their customized creative spaces. From spacious oases to cute and compact retreats, each studio offers countless inspirational ideas.With some of the best articles and creative inspiration from Studios magazine, Inside the Creative Studio offers everything you need to know to spend less time making your studio work and more time actually creating.

    Crochet books were largely useless because it is difficult to teach a visual art through words—until now. Crochet for Beginners is full of color photos and diagrams that make it easy not only to learn beginning crocket stitches but really begin to put them into use, making more and more complicated projects, all the way up to crochet afghans. If you already know how to do basic crochet stitches and are looking for crocheting books that can help you take your projects to the next level, this book is also perfect for your needs. This books is very specific about not only how to start crocheting, but how to improve your skills with a range of techniques and crochet patterns that train you to make just about anything you want, quickly and easily. All you have to do is look at the pictures and diagrams and you will be able to make any of the 21 crochet patterns included in the book. This book teaches you to complete every single one of our patterns, even the most advanced ones, in less than three days. To speed up the process, the book also includes a full list of Glossary terms, to explain that crochet terminology that patterns and other crocheters use. There are even ten fast-track tips to get you crocheting fast and a FAQ to answer any questions you might have about crocheting, crochet stiches, what hooks to purchase, etc. You will be a master of crocheting in no time! Here are just some of the benefits provided by Crochet for Beginners: • Learn whether or not crocheting is harder than knitting • 21 different crochet projects, teaching you the skills to crochet just about anything • How to easily start crocheting and build your skills • How to join crochet pieces • And many more! Learning how to crochet is not a difficult or protracted process when you have the right tools. That is what Crochet for Beginners provides, a step-by-step, picture and diagram tutorial for simple and highly advanced projects. Scroll up and get your copy today! Check Out What Others Are Saying... "One thing I really love about the book is the abundance of clear, beautiful photos. They feature colorful crochet stitches done, has got to be one of my most favorite books. Why? Because you don't just read it cover to cover and walk away from it. It is useful, it is a resource, and I find myself referring to it time and time again. You see, I am a crocheter, but I don't crochet constantly so I forget stitches. A to Z Crochet is a great tool to remind me how to do a certain stitch. The pictures are helpful and show progressive steps. If there is more than one way to do something, you can bet it is explained.. I really appreciate these pics!I now have enough stitches to keep me crocheting into the next millennium. Easy instructions and great pictures...makes it hard to do anything other than crochet. For the price, this book is an absolutely incredible value. I expect to use this book as a reference for a long time to come." - Michelle Smith "I've always wanted to learn how to crochet, this book makes it so easy! The diagrams of the patterns were really helpful to me (it doesn't matter how many times someone explains something in words, I'm a visual learner!).

    But I don't think I've seen a better resource for the lay user than this one. T. Ormiston-smith. Mother Nature's medicine cabinet. In ancient times, the plant kingdom provided our earliest ancestors with the natural healing powers derived from nature. Extracts and essences from plants and flowers were prized for their medicinal, spiritual, aromatic, and therapeutic value, including beauty benefits. Aromatic plants, essences, and oils have traditionally been used during religious ceremonies and observances, beauty care and perfumes, food enhancement, and preservation. Aromatic plants were the basis for herbal and botanical medicines and remedies for thousands of years - they still are. In fact, they’re the root of today’s modern pharmaceuticals. And as lifestyles rapidly changed to meet everyday challenges, and technology progressed in leaps and bounds, herbal knowledge soon fell by the wayside. During the past century, as the side effects of many chemically based drugs come to light - not to mention the exuberant costs, natural healing has come full circle and has gradually found its way back into our homes. The Western World is standing up and taking notice. People are educating themselves about the wonderful uses and benefits of using essential oils, herbs, and spices. Mother nature's medicine cabinet is back, invoking endless remedies and in some cases, cures - without the side effects. Granted. Natural healing may not replace the family doctor or chemically manufactured drugs entirely, but it certainly is a healthy alternative to consider when thinking about your health, beauty, wellbeing, and fitness regime. Bonus: Includes Medicinal Herbs and their uses. Discover the many benefits to diffusing essential oils to achieve optimal health and well-being in your home and workplace. Diffusing essential oils can help you study better, sleep better, enhance your moods and put you in the mood... Essential oils and pregnancy. Essential oils and children. There is also a section about essential oils for pets – which ones to use and which ones to avoid.

    You won’t find “home sweet home” here, but you will find “Can U Not” or “Don’t Be A Prick.” Renee Rominger, founder of Moonrise Whims, designs projects for a new generation. And whether you just started and need a solid foundation, or you’re an expert looking to enhance your art, Edgy Embroidery will teach you something new, fun and easy.Renee not only shows you how to conquer basic techniques, but also how to create more complex stitches like her unique Moonrise Roses. With pattern templates, detailed stitch tutorials and instructions on how to complete each design, every one of these 25 projects will be wall-worthy.This is definitely not your grandmother’s embroidery.

    This book is designed to give you a cultural immersion into Cuban life, and to provide you the tools and background information to truly make the most of your visit. It gives you the confidence and knowledge to break away from the tourist areas and experience the real Cuba. You want to explore the rich culture. Be transported back to a simpler time. Experience Havana’s romance and the beauty with the same carefree joy as the locals. See everything you want to see and go everywhere you want to go. The Real Havana guide shows you how to do all that and lots more. In the guide, you will learn about: ● Authentic Cuban cuisine and affordable Havana restaurants. ● Low-priced markets, shops and entertainment options. ● Maps of Havana and the suburbs – Get out of the city and EXPLORE! ● Instructions on using communal taxis particulares and all the major routes. ● Contact info and reviews of over 30 casa particular apartments in Vedado. ● Fascinating, offbeat places which are hidden from foreigners. ● Hundreds of tips on saving money while in Havana. ● How to avoid the most common tourist scams. This book is not a tourist guide. It’s not a list of restaurant reviews and attractions, like all the other guides. With this book, you will learn about the authentic, local places. Locations which are hidden to regular tourists. Naturally, these places are also very inexpensive. So, in effect, you will not only be immersed in authentic Cuban life, but you will also save money. BONUS: The last section of this book includes the Cheap Casa Particular Guide. You will find listings and reviews of over 30 apartments and rooms to rent in the Vedado neighborhood of Havana. These casas particulares have been hand selected out of the thousands available in Havana. They are not only the most affordable, but they are also among the cleanest, best maintained, and best located. The hosts are extremely hospitable and most speak multiple languages. The best part is that you get the full contact information for the casas, so you can call or email the hosts directly and book your stay without having to deal with expensive brokers or middlemen. By booking your reservation directly with the landlords, you are certain to save at least $5 to 10$ per night in brokerage fees. That alone is easily worth the purchase price of Real Havana guide. About Full Compass Guides Full Compass Guides are aimed at travelers who want to understand local customs and culture so that they can experience destinations like a local. Unlike regular tourist guides, Full Compass guides are not a list of attractions popular with tourists, and boring restaurant and hotel reviews that are obsolete the moment they are published. With our guides, you get succinct, useful information about the culture, people and geography of your destination so you have the tools and the confidence to explore on your own, experience everything that your destination has to offer, and save money. Our guides are written by experienced travelers who have intimate knowledge of both the location and the culture of the destination. They give you the exact information you need in order to make the most of your travel time.

    In Tudor, England, when Mary, Queen of Scots, was under house arrest, her needlework carried her messages to the outside world. From the political propaganda of the Bayeux Tapestry, World War I soldiers coping with PTSD, and the maps sewn by schoolgirls in the New World, to the AIDS quilt, Hmong story clothes, and pink pussyhats, women and men have used the language of sewing to make their voices heard, even in the most desperate of circumstances. Threads of Life is a chronicle of identity, protest, memory, power, and politics told through the stories of needlework. Clare Hunter, master of the craft, threads her own narrative as she takes us over centuries and across continents—from medieval France to contemporary Mexico and the United States, and from a POW camp in Singapore to a family attic in Scotland—to celebrate the age-old, universal, and underexplored beauty and power of sewing. Threads of Life is an evocative and moving book about the need we have to tell our story.

    Learn how to find the perfect paper to work with your photos. Learn how to place patterns on your pages for maximum impact. You will learn how to mix and match a variety of patterns. Includes great tips on how to store and organize you pattered paper for easy access.