Bookcraft: Techniques for Binding, Folding, and Decorating to Create Books and More


Heather Weston - 2008
    Although most books we use are produced commercially, many of us are drawn to the book form in its various guises, and are interested in exploring how to make books of our own, whether as a vehicle for telling stories, as scrapbooks, or as notebooks and journals.This guide provides the essential ingredients for designing and making your own books, from simple binding and finishing techniques to complex complete products. Projects are designed to suit a variety of skill levels from beginner to advanced, and use a step-by-step approach to learning the necessary skills.Each project begins with basic techniques and progresses through to thought-provoking applications of those techniques. Each technique includes an example of a finished book that fully and beautifully utilizes the methods described by the techniques.This book explores more experimental binding and page treatment techniques, and has a comprehensive gallery of ideas outlining the skills and materials needed to apply techniques often reserved for professionals.

Lotta Jansdotter's Handmade Living: A Fresh Take on Scandinavian Style


Lotta Jansdotter - 2010
    Now she shares her recipe for a stylish home: take a whole lot of Scandinavian influence, mix in a dash of flea-market finds, and then top it all off with expressive handmade touches. The result? An entirely fresh approach to home dcor and contemporary living. In this lavishly illustrated book, Lotta shares her decorating secrets, design resources, entertaining tips, and family traditions. Tucked away at the back shes included stencil pages and perforated recipe cards featuring classic Swedish dishes. Equal parts inspiration and how-to, this charming book shows readers how to create a warm home with elements of simple Scandinavian-influenced style.

Tapestry Weaving


Kirsten Glasbrook - 2002
    This colourful, exciting book offers a rich source of stimulating and innovative ideas that will appeal to all abilities.

Beginner's Guide to Free-Motion Quilting: 50+ Visual Tutorials to Get You Started Professional-Quality Results on Your Home Machine


Natalia Bonner - 2012
    Learn how to quilt all-over, as filler, on borders, and on individual blocks…using loops and swirls, feathers and flames, flowers and vines, pebbles and more! Includes tips for choosing batting and thread, layering and basting, starting and stopping, and prepping your machine are included. After you've practiced, show off your new skills with six geometric quilt projects.

Softies: Simple Instructions for 25 Plush Pals


Therese Laskey - 2007
    From Japan to Israel to Chile to Texas, each artist brings a wicked sense of fun to the 25 cute, weird, edgy, or artful creations offered here: a cupcake pincushion; delicate snow bunnies; a peculiar robot; and many more quirky creatures. Cheeky photos, easy instructions, and ready-to-use pattern sheets make it a cinch to whip up these irresistible gifts. Best of all, a folder at back holds the patterns while spiral binding makes for craft-friendly use.

Made by Hand: A Collection of Projects to Print, Sew, Weave, Dye, Knit or Otherwise Create


Lena Corwin - 2013
    In Lena Corwin’s Made by Hand, she re-creates and builds upon her popular workshop series in order to reach crafters in Brooklyn and beyond. For this “best of” collection, she has chosen expert teachers and her favorite projects: Jenny Gordy introduces us to knitted socks and elegantly sewn tops and dresses; Cal Patch teaches how to make a modern embroidery sampler as well as a braided rag rug; and Corwin herself presents her favorite screen-printing and stamping techniques. In total, there are 26 lessons/projects, all presented with step-by-step photos and illustrations.Praise for Lena Corwin's Made By Hand:“Decorate with coffee table books. A few Glamour picks: Lena Corwin’s Made by Hand . . .” —Glamour Magazine“A must-have for anyone who wants to create unique décor.” —Decorating Shortcuts magazine“Made By Hand offers the perfect range of usable textile handiwork, presented by fourteen teachers who obviously enjoy their craft —ForeWord Reviews“The 385 detailed illustrations, along with excellent step-by-step photographs and clear instructions, make each project tempting and approachable.” —Studios magazine “Those messy hands alone are inspiring me to get creative.” —Modern Eve “I got a sneak peek at a mostly lovely book. I can’t contain my excitement over this book. The projects are varied and so much fun.” —The Stylish Nest “The photography and layout of the book is gorgeous: wide open with lots of white space, reminiscent of Japanese craft books. And there are people, whole people, sitting and doing crafts, not just disembodied hands. Isn’t that part of the reason we craft—for the human contact?” —Knitty.com “Made By Hand offers the perfect range of usable textile handiwork, presented by fourteen teachers who obviously enjoy their craft.” —ForeWord Reviews“Made By Hand is gorgeous . . . filled to the brim with beautifully executed diy tutorials from a host of talented artisans.” —Michelle S Blog

Knitting New Mittens and Gloves: Warm and Adorn Your Hands in 28 Innovative Ways


Robin Melanson - 2008
    Now this self-described “mitten and glove aficionado” shares her enthusiasm for these ordinary items by presenting 28 extraordinary ways to make them for year-round style.Featuring gloves, mittens, arm warmers, mitts, and fingerless gloves, this is the second book in a new SCT Craft series that introduces innovative approaches to creating popular knitted items. Knitting New Mittens and Gloves combines traditional and untraditional techniques—as well as influences as far-flung as Gothic architecture, Estonian lace, and Wagnerian opera—in a winning collection of patterns for adults and children. From wool mittens filled with unspun fleece and arm warmers with leather laces, to cotton-mesh fingerless gloves and silk-beaded mitts to be worn as adornments, each design has an unexpected twist.Because they are small, quick to make, and don’t require a lot of yarn, mittens and gloves are perfect projects for knitting throughout the year, and they also offer an ideal opportunity for beginning and more seasoned knitters to experiment with new techniques, yarns, and styles. With its fresh, original sensibility, Knitting New Mittens and Gloves will captivate knitters of every level.

Make Your Own Dress Patterns: A Primer in Patternmaking for Those Who Like to Sew


Adele P. Margolis - 1985
    Her profusely illustrated primer allows you to create your own fashionable patterns and personalized commercial patterns. You'll learn how to design and execute everything from skirts, dresses, and blouses to sportswear, jackets, and children's clothing. You'll also find tips for: shaping fabric to your figure; mastering the art of flares, flounces, pleats, and tucks; creating fashionable necklines, pretty pockets, stylish sleeves, and much more.Simple step-by-step directions and more than 1,000 illustrations show how to successfully complete apparel for work, home, and play that reflects your personal style and taste.

Hand Lettering and Contemporary Calligraphy


Lisa Engelbrecht - 2008
    From brides who want to address their wedding invitations to do-it-yourselfers who want to prepare certificates or make a family tree, and even for art journalers and scrapbookers who like creative text in their works, calligraphy books and classes are hot.This new-in-hardcover book will spark the interest of the calligraphy novice by introducing a new approach to lettering, one that combines a lively combination of traditional lettering styles, fun and scripty modern styles, and artsy street-style lettering, along with project ideas that incorporate creative lettering.The book demonstrates the uses of traditional and cutting edge lettering tools, from classic calligraphy pens to bling-producing metallic foils and glue pens. It introduces a wide array of lettering styles with complete alphabets sample artworks that show an application. Fully stepped-out illustrations break down each letterform, taking the reader through each stroke and a large collection of gallery images provides further inspiration for how to use creative lettering in artwork.

Knitting 24/7: 30 Projects to Knit, Wear, and Enjoy, On the Go and Around the Clock


Véronik Avery - 2010
    They knit while traveling or commuting, while waiting for their kids, while socializing. Times like these call for projects that are easily transportable and have stitch patterns that are simple to memorize. Véronik Avery has created 30 such projects for Knitting 24/7, a collection of stylish clothing and accessories that make use of those “in-between” times when we’re busy, yet our hands are free. Ranging from sweaters, scarves, and shrugs to hats and mitts, the projects represent both what women want to wear and what they actually have time to knit. The book’s gorgeous color photographs capture women in a range of settings—a morning at work, a dinner with friends, a relaxing weekend afternoon—evoking the time of day when each wardrobe item might be worn.

Zen in the Art of Writing


Ray Bradbury - 1973
    The land mine is me. After the explosion, I spend the rest of the day putting the pieces back together. Now, it's your turn. Jump!"Zest. Gusto. Curiosity. These are the qualities every writer must have, as well as a spirit of adventure. In this exuberant book, the incomparable Ray Bradbury shares the wisdom, experience, and excitement of a lifetime of writing. Here are practical tips on the art of writing from a master of the craft—everything from finding original ideas to developing your own voice and style—as well as the inside story of Bradbury's own remarkable career as a prolific author of novels, stories, poems, films, and plays.Zen in the Art of Writing is more than just a how-to manual for the would-be writer: it is a celebration of the act of writing itself that will delight, impassion, and inspire the writer in you. Bradbury encourages us to follow the unique path of our instincts and enthusiasms to the place where our inner genius dwells, and he shows that success as a writer depends on how well you know one subject: your own life.

Knit One, Felt Too: Discover the Magic of Knitted Felt with 25 Easy Patterns


Kathleen Taylor - 2003
    The method is simple and magical — knit the project large and loose, wash it in hot water, and see it transformed into a soft and cozy garment or accessory. Kathleen Taylor encourages you to explore the possibilities of felted knitting with 25 spectacular projects that include mittens, slippers, hats, bags, stuffed animals, and more. Embellish your life with unique and stylishly comfortable creations.

Yoga for Your Brain: A Zentangle Workout


Sandy Steen Bartholomew - 2011
    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.

The Unofficial Guide to Crafting the World of Harry Potter: 30 Magical Crafts for Witches and Wizards—from Pencil Wands to House Colors Tie-Dye Shirts


Jamie Harrington - 2016
    With a little Hogwarts creativity and the step-by-step guidance of this spellbinding book, you'll be able to transfigurate simple supplies and things around the house into everything from Remembrall Rings to Butterbeer Lip Balm to Nargles for your front lawn. You'll be as busy as Mrs. Weasley knitting her Christmas sweaters as you dive into dozens of Potterific projects. Relive the excitement of Harry's adventures with these genius crafts. Drop some homemade Pgymy Puff Bath Fizzies into the tub and pretend you're Moaning Myrtle. Keep memories of the Quidditch pitch close with your very own Golden Snitch Necklace. Or show off the Sorting Hat's selection with a House Colors Tie-Dye Shirt. Accio, crafting supplies--it's time for some wonderful wizardly fun!

Reinvention: Sewing with Rescued Materials


Maya Donenfeld - 2012
    As a response, a vibrant Do It Yourself movement has risen to reclaim age old traditions that reconnect us to slower and simpler times. A sewing renaissance has been set in motion at a time in history when economic instability and an awareness of the importance of using sustainable resources is peaking.With this in mind, award-winning blogger Maya Donenfeld offers a guide to working with her favorite recycled materials. You’ll find linen, burlap, wool and more with details on their history, deconstruction techniques, sewing tips, and information about their environmental impact.Reinventing everyday materials into extraordinary items of beauty and utility for the modern home and family will excite new and experienced sewers alike. To add an element of personalization, Maya draws on her experience leading print workshops to share easy methods for transforming gently-used fabric with paint and ink. Stenciling templates and thorough instructions are provided, as well as encouragement to invent your own designs. Stories, a favorite recipe, and nature activity are tucked between and around the projects to offer the reader an invitation to slow down, and create with intention.