Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt


Megan Nicolay - 2009
    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).

Quilt As-You-Go Made Modern: Fresh Techniques for Busy Quilters


Jera Brandvig - 2014
    Instead of dealing with precise paper patterns and cutting measurements, you’ll learn how to piece fabric onto small, manageable batting blocks. Let your creative juices flow as you quilt directly on the blocks (not the whole quilt!), whether in large abstract zigzags or small structured stitches. After the blocks have been joined, all you need to do is add backing fabric and binding, and - voila - it’s finished!

The Art of Creative Watercolor: Inspiration and Techniques for Imaginative Drawing and Painting


Danielle Donaldson - 2018
    Her whimsical illustrations are known for their offbeat color combinations, artful arrangements and endearing quirkiness. In this book, you'll learn how to partner with the wonderfully spontaneous medium of watercolor to create your own brand of magic. Start by creating a handmade journal, then follow exercises and start-to-finish projects to fill it with illustrations that are small in size but big on color. Along the way, Danielle shares her fresh takes on color theory, perspective, composition and more. Designed to get your brush moving, this book makes practice feel like play. It's a one-of-a-kind journey for any artist wishing to tap into the utter joy of watercolor painting and make it a cherished part of your daily life. Inside you'll find: Imaginative techniques that help you override perfectionist tendencies while making the most of watercolor's unpredictable nature An inventive approach (using scraps of paper, ribbon and other ephemera) for more creative color choices A simple strategy that makes drawing new subjects less intimidating and more fun Sweet ways to add hand lettering to your artwork Inspirational exercises that make finding subjects to paint as easy as A-B-C "Don't underestimate the giddiness you feel when you mindlessly grab a color and mix it with another and create the most beautiful wash ever!" --p43

The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters: A Guide to Creating, Quilting, and Living Courageously


Sherri Lynn Wood - 2015
    In The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters, Sherri Lynn Wood presents a flexible approach to quilting that breaks free of old paradigms. Instead of traditional instructions, she presents 10 frameworks (or scores) that create a guiding, but not limiting, structure. To help quilters gain confidence, Wood also offers detailed lessons for stitching techniques key to improvisation, design and spontaneity exercises, and lessons on color. Every quilt made from one of Wood’s scores will have common threads, but each one will look different because it reflects the maker’s unique interpretation. Featured throughout the book are Wood’s own quilts and a gallery of contributor works chosen from among the hundreds submitted when she invited volunteers to test her scores during the making of this groundbreaking work.

Dressmaking: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide


Alison Smith - 2012
    Sewers will discover what supplies to buy and how to use them, the best fabrics to choose based on drape and weave, how to understand patterns and alter them, and the essential general techniques to master — plus patterns and detailed step-by-step instructions are provided for a skirt, dress, shirt, tee, jacket, and pair of pants — including suggested variations!Finishing up with tips and inspiration on alterations, repairs, and customizing any clothes, from dealing with holes and tears to lengthening and shortening sleeves, this handy guide is the dressmaking bible no budding seamstress should be without.

Modern Minimal: 20 Bold & Graphic Quilts


Alissa Haight Carlton - 2012
    This title offers beginner-friendly quilt projects that work well with any decor, in any room, and for everyone in the family. It is useful for adding a touch of colour and style to your home.

The Button Box: The Story of Women in the 20th century told through the clothes they wore


Lynn Knight - 2016
    A collection that has been passed down through three generations of women: a chunky sixties-era toggle from a favourite coat, three tiny pearl buttons from her mother’s first dress after she was adopted as a baby, a jet button from a time of Victorian mourning. Each button tells a story.‘They change our view of the world and the world’s view of us’ said Virginia Woolf of clothes. The Button Box traces the story of women at home and in work from pre-First World War domesticity, through the first clerical girls in silk blouses, to the delights of beading and glamour in the thirties to short skirts and sexual liberation in the sixties.

Simply Fleece


Bonnie Scott - 2012
    With both no sewing and sewing fleece patterns, you'll find apparel and accessory ideas for everyone in the family in Simply Fleece. From outerwear for all ages, clothing and home fashions to comfortable accessories for your pets and gifts for all occasions, this book of easy patterns is perfect for everyone from novice sewer to professional seamstress. Patterns include:• Scarves• Blankets and Throws• Hats• Mittens• Dog Fleece• Pillows• Tote Bags• Christmas Decorations• and much more!

Cool Crochet


Melissa Leapman - 2005
    Crocheting is fun. Crocheting is fast. Okay, got it? Great! Now forget everything else you ever knew about crocheting, because Cool Crochet takes the easy, fast fun of crochet and dumps the frumpy afghans, lumpy hats, and bumpy scarves of the past. With this book, top—selling author Melissa Leapman moves crochet light years ahead, into exciting designs, dazzling patterns, and sleek shapes that are sure to earn the approval of fashion police everywhere. Tanks, pullovers, cardigans, halters, a skirt, a dress, even a bikini—they're all just a hook and a dream away! And how about coordinating those new outfits with trendy purses, hats, and jewelry? Practical as well as good—looking, Cool Crochet includes valuable tips on assembling garments, plus an appendix of stitches and guidance on yarn and materials. Every fashionista will want to get her hooks into this book!

Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way


Ryan White - 2017
    In Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way, acclaimed music critic Ryan White has crafted the first definitive account of Buffett’s rise from singing songs for beer to his emergence as a tropical icon and CEO behind the Margaritaville industrial complex, a vast network of merchandise, chain restaurants, resorts, and lifestyle products all inspired by his sunny but disillusioned hit “Margaritaville.” Filled with interviews from friends, musicians, Coral Reefer Band members past and present, and business partners who were there, this book is a top-down joyride with plenty of side trips and meanderings from Mobile and Pascagoula to New Orleans, Key West, down into the islands aboard the Euphoria and the Euphoria II, and into the studios and onto the stages where the foundation of Buffett’s reputation was laid. Buffett wasn’t always the pied piper of beaches, bars, and laid-back living. Born on the Gulf Coast, the son of a son of a sailing ship captain, Buffett scuffed around New Orleans in the late sixties, flunked out of Nashville (and a marriage) in 1971, and found refuge among the artists, dopers, shrimpers, and genuine characters who’d collected at the end of the road in Key West. And it was there, in those waning outlaw days at the last American exit, where Buffett, like Hemingway before him, found his voice and eventually brought to life the song that would launch Parrot Head nation. And just where is Margaritaville? It’s wherever it’s five o’clock; it’s wherever there’s a breeze and salt in the air; and it’s wherever Buffett sets his bare feet, smiles, and sings his songs.

One-Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Projects; Look How Much You Can Make with Just One Yard of Fabric!


Rebecca Yaker - 2009
    With simple step-by-step instructions that are accompanied by templates and pattern pieces, each project is designed to be completed in just a few hours. Get inspired and turn a yard of your favorite fabric into a quilted lunch bag, bright sundress, or a cuddly plush turtle.

Oliver + S Little Things to Sew: 20 Classic Accessories and Toys for Children


Liesl Gibson - 2011
    No one understands this better than Liesl Gibson, who is both a mom and the founder of Oliver + S, a sewing pattern company known for its contemporary yet classically sensible kids’ designs, its precise, easy-to-follow instructions, and its charming paper doll–inspired packaging. In Oliver + S Little Things to Sew, you’ll find 20 acessories for children, such as a hat with bear ears, scarf, vest, tutu, art smock, backpack, and quilt—all impeccably photographed by Laurie Frankel. The book includes two full-size pattern sheets and, as an added bonus, two cardstock paper dolls that can be dressed with “clothing” cut from the book’s jacket—a little something extra to keep young ones occupied while grownups stitch new items for their wardrobes! Praise for Oliver + S Little Thigns to Sew:“Making a bucket hat probably isn’t on anyone’s bucket list, but maybe it should be. The reversible bucket hat in the book Oliver + S Little Things to Sew (STC Craft, 2011) is classic, cute and comfortable. And author Liesl Gibson maintains that making it is a treat for grown-ups as well as the young recipients.” —Holly Ramer, Associated Press

Instant Loss on a Budget: Super-Affordable Recipes for the Health-Conscious Cook


Brittany Williams - 2020
      After a decade of yo-yo dieting and a lifelong battle with the scale, Brittany Williams topped out at 260 pounds and knew she needed to make a lasting change. She shed an astonishing 125 pounds in a year—and has kept it off for 3 years—by getting off the diet rollercoaster and getting back to basics. She ditched processed foods, curbed her takeout habit, and cut back on inflammatory ingredients like gluten, dairy, and sugar. Through her best-selling books and popular blog, Brittany has inspired millions of fans and readers to lose weight, improve their wellness, and forge a healthier relationship with food.   As a busy mom of three, Brittany knows how important it is to create nutritious meals that will please the pickiest eaters without breaking your budget. Featuring 125 recipes that all cost less than $10 to make—most can be made for less than $5—Instant Loss on a Budget is proof that wholesome food doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, Brittany feeds her family of five for just $75 to $100 a week!   Brittany has mastered the art of creating recipes that taste indulgent, yet are surprisingly good for you. With recipes like Chocolate Brownie Donuts, Mini Everything Bagels, Smoky Baby Back Ribs, Barbeque Chicken with Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw, and plant-based options like Tikka Masala Lentils, The Ultimate Veggie Thin-Crust Pizza, and Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, this book offers something for every reader and every craving. You can even indulge your sweet tooth without sabotaging your progress with desserts like Frozen Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie and Raspberry Crumble.   Complete with balanced meal plans, budgeting advice, and cost-cutting hacks, this gluten-free and dairy-free cookbook makes it easy to set goals and stick to them. Investing in your health is the best investment you can make: Discover how much lighter and happier you can feel with Instant Loss!

Art Starts with a Line: A creative and interactive guide to the art of line drawing


Erin McManness - 2018
    Art Starts with a Line is approachable for artists of any skill level, no prior drawing experience needed! This form of art requires minimal tools, making it both affordable and portable.   Following a brief introduction to tools and materials, as well as some easy exercises and techniques for warming up to basic drawing tools, you will explore a variety of subject matter. You'll draw plants and flowers, architecture and cityscapes, animals, and everything in between. These projects aren't restricted to black and white either! You'll find techniques for adding color with colored pencil, marker, pen, even digitally.  Art Starts with a Line presents everything you'll need to know to learn how to successfully create line drawings of all types. Whether your goal is to create a custom logo for a client, or to simply decorate your planner, it's all here.

Steampunk Softies: Scientifically-Minded Dolls from a Past That Never Was


Sarah Skeate - 2011
    Even if you're unfamiliar with the term "steampunk," chances are you've already discovered it through the works of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Tim Burton, Mary Shelley, or Lemony Snicket. Steampunk is an artistic movement that includes stories involving steam-powered versions of modern technology in a fictionalized Victorian setting.Staying true to steampunk style, Skeate and Tedman's inventive Steampunk Softies feature prominent science fiction and fantasy elements, as well as anachronistic inventions and props. In addition, many have dual roles that add practicality to their punk existence—the Lady makes an excellent paperweight, while the Illusionist's cloak doubles as a screen cleaner. Despite their meticulous detailing, Steampunk Softies are simple enough for even a sewing novice to construct. A short biography accompanies each softie, providing a background story for each character. Also included are a complete list of supplies, illustrated step-by-step blueprints, and a handy, back-of-the-book reference section that provides tips on aging and distressing project materials.Venture full steam ahead into your next crafting project with Steampunk Softies.