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.

    

    When women posed with their knitting in the earliest nineteenth-century photographs, it demonstrated their virtue and skill as homemakers. Later, knitting became fashionable among the wealthy as a sign of culture and artistic ability. During the two world wars, images of nurses, soldiers, prisoners, and even knitting clubs composed of very serious small boys—all with heads bent down, intent on knitting items (especially socks) for the troops—abounded. In the 1950s and 1960s, as snapshots became ubiquitous, knitters took on a jauntier air, posing with handiwork held proudly aloft. People Knitting is a quirky and fascinating gift for the knitter in your life.

    They are enjoying a renaissance, with graphic designers and artists creating specialty tattoos for a growing audience, unleashing a revival of interest in the bawdy vintage tattoo. Old school tattoos are being rediscovered (sometimes ironically, sometimes not) by a new generation. Originally embraced by rebels, sailors, and gangsters, these tattoos—broken hearts, naked girls, floral motifs, and maritime emblems—are now showing up on the fashion runway and in music videos. This book chronicles vintage motifs in thematic chapters interspersed with profiles of influential tattoo artists and their distinctive designs: Sailor Jerry Collins, Don Ed Hardy ("the Godfather of Tattoos"), Mike "Rollo Banks" Malone, Bert Grimm, Japan’s Horiyoshi III, and Shanghai’s Pinky Yun.

    Their works are presented first by chronology and then by subject, so that illustrators, historians, and students alike can choose to follow the path of fashion through the centuries, or study in detail the contrasting styles of individual clothing and accessories. Silhouettes reveal the shape of style through the ages, detailed cross-references draw attention to recurring motifs, and navigation bars help the researcher to travel the complex chronology of costume.With authoritative narrative from leading experts in the history of costume, extraordinary contemporary quotes that reveal the impact of style in its day, detailed annotation, and an extensive glossary, the book provides a magnificent study of the rich vocabulary of style through the ages.

    You will ALSO get FREE ACCESS to Kitty's Premium Image Gallery, which contains images of all the crafts featured in ALL of her books! The free access links are inside the book. From the Best Selling Arts & Crafts Writer, Kitty Moore, comes Sewing: Sewing For Beginners (5th Edition) - Quick & Easy Way To Learn How To Sew With 50 Patterns for Beginners! This book will teach you the beginners techniques to sewing, with quick and easy beginners instructions. Along with 50 beginners' patterns! If you want to learn how to sew, but can't seem to grasp the basics... If you want a new hobby and sewing interests you... Or if the idea of receiving a full list of sewing instructions and patterns appeals to you... THEN THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU! This book provides you with a step-by-step beginners sewing guide to help you get started with your new hobby. This is also my 5th Edition of the book - after months of feedback and editing, my team and I have produced the MOST EFFECTIVE & BEST-SELLING Beginners Sewing book on Amazon! Some of the information provided in this sewing guide include: Learning About Your Sewing Machine Learn Parts Of Your Machine The Power Switch The Spool Pin The Thread Guide The Bobbin Winder The Stitch Adjustment The Thread Take-Up Lever The Tension Dial The Needle Clamp Screw The Presser Foot The Presser Foot Lever The Needle Plate The Feed Dog The Bobbin Cover And Bobbin Release Setting Up your Machine Sewing With Your Machine Sewing A Straight Stitch Sewing A Seam Sewing A Sharp Corner Selecting A Pattern Measuring & Cutting Out Material Lets Start Sewing! Baby Blanket Gardening Apron Kitchen Towel Head Scarf Simple Contrasting Tablecloth Easy As Pie Coin Purse Silk Handkerchief Easiest Kitchen Curtain Well, what are you waiting for? Download YOUR copy TODAY! Tags: sewing, beginners sewing, sewing patterns, sewing for beginners, sewing for kids, needlepoint patterns, needlepoint stitches

    Essential reading for handspinners, wool growers, and other fiber craft enthusiasts, this guide gives special attention to fleece characteristics, methods of preparation and spinning, and best end use. Everything from baby-soft merino to silky lincoln to sturdy karakul--the full range of nature's miracle fiber--is represented here with expert advice on selecting top-quality fleeces; cleaning wool efficiently and thoroughly; teasing, flicking, combing, carding, and other preparation methods; and spinning and plying a variety of yarn styles. Actual fleece locks are shown in full-size photographs. Knitting, crochet, weaving, and other techniques illustrate the importance of matching wool type to end use.

    Add to that a sense of fun, and you have the sew-it-yourself Stylish Dress Book. Complete with stunning full-color photos, this Japanese sewing book (in English) gives you instructions and pull-out patterns for unique Japanese fashion—26 relaxed and comfortable yet elegant dresses and tops—pretty, timeless pieces that can be worn year after year, by women of all ages and sizes. The detailed diagrams and easy-to-follow instructions take you step-by-step from layout to finished garment. The no-rules looks pictured in this book are perfect for today's carefree fashion sensibility and will inspire you to have fun with fabric and style. Simple lines make these garments perfect for women of all ages and all sizes. This book includes a complete western-sized sewing pattern for each design that is easily adjusted to fit your body form. The concise diagrams and simple instructions allow you to develop your unique style with ease and confidence.

    Her very first collection of signature handbags turned the fashion world on its head, displaying a new sense of freshness and optimism. Now, nearly 20 years later, the graphic patterns and expressive colors of her apparel, handbags and home furnishings are instantly recognizable - and universally coveted. In Pattern, Orla Kiely traces the pattern of her own development as a designer, providing useful information and inspiring insights that can help all of us develop a creative eye for color, shape, form - and pattern. Gain a glimpse of a typical fashion year, including the timing, production and presentation of seasonal collections. Come to understand the power of color, how it triggers emotional and intellectual responses, and how to temper those responses by combining and contrasting tones. And who better than Kiely to advise us on the use of pattern in our lives, be it in the clothes we wear, the accessories we carry, or the furnishing we surround ourselves with in our homes, from wallpaper to rugs, lampshades to linens? Vibrant illustrations and gorgeous photography make Pattern a visual treasure and a thoughtful guide to using pattern with confidence and joy.

    The three twenty-something co-owners of Stitch Lounge, an urban sewing studio in San Francisco, teach you, in plain, fun language, how to do it, whether you're hand sewing, machine sewing, or, in a few cases, simply wielding a pair of scissors.The first three chapters lay the ground work: Hand Sewing Basics, You and Your Machine, and Gearing Up, which includes Fabric 101, how to set up a sewing space, and a run-through first project on the sewing machine. Then the fun begins with Embellishing and Customizing projects, including adorning your pant legs with ribboning, turning a computer-scanned image into an iron-on that you can apply to a t-shirt or skirt, taking in a skirt, or untapering a pair of pants (the authors believe tapered pants are the devil's work). Then move onto Refashioning: The Next Life of Your Old Clothes and turn a t-shirt into a skirt, a sweater into a halter top or legwarmers, or a pair of pants into a hip belt. There are 22 projects in all, some of which only require an iron and/or pair of scissors, while others can be sewn by hand, for those readers who haven't yet made the sewing machine plunge.

    With nothing more than colored yarn and simple cardboard squares, crafters can produce exquisitely patterned woven bands with this guide, which includes patterns for sturdy belts and camera straps, delicate silk trims and ties, creative wall art, and even hefty rugs and mats.

    With its sleek design and edgy tone, Super Crafty is the ultimate hipster’s craft guide, with a wide array of accessible projects suitable for all skill levels. The book offers dozens of projects for the home (Easy Etched Glass), wardrobe (One-Afternoon Skirt), body (Flirty Floral Pasties), family pet (Greta’s Tail Warmer), and more. Organized by genre, each chapter uses a rating system to indicate difficulty, cost of materials, and age-appropriateness. "101" sections offer basic instruction in sewing, working with vinyl, jewelry making, and other crafts. A resource guide helps locate supplies, tools, and further inspiration. The authors also contribute thoughtful pieces on the underlying aspects of craft, from activism to therapy, as well as lighthearted vignettes on crafting disasters and favorite art supplies.

    It's chic. It's all yours. The T-Revolution continues. From FASHION: Get It Twisted tank top. Madame Butterfly halter. My Way or the Thigh Way leggings. To STUFF: toddler hat and cat toys, wine totes, laptop sleeves, and the Ants Go Marching picnic blanket. Plus the greenest grocery tote ever. The author of the bestselling Generation T offers up 120 new ideas to reclaim, resuscitate, and refashion the humble T-shirt—that's right, like the ones you have at the back of your closet—into something completely new. • A quarter of the projects are no sew, and a primer explains the techniques, including braiding, knotting, twisting, sizing, embellishing, and simple stitching. • Plus throw your very own Tee Party (suggested playlists included).

    If you're looking for stitch inspiration, this Harmony Guide brims with new and old stitches to delight crocheters of all skill levels. Use the single cluster crochet stitch as a great foundation pattern for a textured scarf or a trinity stitch to add warmth to an afghan design. Why not glam up a shawl with a striking hexagon stitch or a wavy shell stitch? With 250 stitch options, the possibilities are practically endless All swatches are worked in contemporary yarns, beautifully photographed, and accompanied by easytofollow instructions. Basic crochet techniques are reviewed, plus tips and tricks are featured throughout. The Harmony Guides have been longstanding references and sources of inspiration for handcrafters for more than thirty years, offering clear, concise instructions and photographs for stitches. British designer Erika Knight, author of the Simple Knits series, lends her expertise in the series redesign, updating the Harmony Guides with new stitches and knowhow.

    Need guidance on yarns, needles, tools, basic techniques, specialized applications, terminology? It’s in here—with lots more, from diagnostics to blocking to designs. “This indispensable reference has...up-to-the-minute designer patterns.”--Family Circle Homecrafts. “The ultimate reference guide.”--House & Garden Magazine.