Hoopla: The Art of Unexpected Embroidery


Leanne Prain - 2011
    Hoopla rebels against the quaint and familiar embroidery motifs of flowers and swashes, and focuses instead on innovative stitch artists who specialize in unusual, guerrilla-style patterns such as a mythical jackalope and needlepoint nipple doilies; it demonstrates that modern embroidery artists are as sharp as the needles with which they work.Hoopla includes twenty-eight innovative embroidery patterns and profiles of contemporary embroidery artists, including Jenny Hart, author of Sublime Stitching; Rosa Martyn of the UK-based Craftivism Collective; Ray Materson, an ex-con who learned to stitch in prison; Sherry Lynn Wood of the Tattooed Baby Doll Project, which collaborated with female tattoo artists across the United States; Penny Nickels and Johnny Murder, the self-proclaimed Bonnie and Clyde of embroidery; and Alexandra Walters, a military wife who replicates military portraits and weapons in her stitching.Full-color throughout and bursting with history, technique, and sass, Hoopla will teach readers how to stitch a ransom note pillow, mean and dainty knuckle-tattoo church gloves; and create their own innovative embroidery projects. If you like anarchistic DIY craft and the idea of deviating from the rules, Hoopla will inspire you to wield a needle with flair!With a foreword by Betsy Greer.

A Treasury of Knitting Patterns


Barbara G. Walker - 1967
    Book by Walker, Barbara G.

Bend the Rules with Fabric: Fun Sewing Projects with Stencils, Stamps, Dye, Photo Transfers, Silk Screening, and More


Amy Karol - 2009
    In this follow-up to the wildly popular Bend-the-Rules Sewing you will see how easy it is to alter fabric, making and using your own custom stamps; make stencils that will totally transform totes and tees; rescue tired clothes with a new dye job; and use appliqués to spruce up anything that needs a little TLC. With Amy’s familiar, friendly tone and valuable advice, you’ll see every piece of fabric as blank canvas for your artistic vision!

Journal Bliss: Creative Prompts to Unleash Your Inner Eccentric


Violette - 2009
    Not only will Violette inspire you with her own journal pages, she'll teach you techniques for creating your own unique pages.You'll learn to:Create juicy backgrounds and whimsical borders for your pages to help get the ideas flowingLove doodling, even if you think you can't drawMake image transfers of photos or even your own artworkDevelop your own fanciful lettering and so much more!Create freely, express yourself and enjoy the journey with Journal Bliss!

The Knitter's Life List: To Do, To Know, To Explore, To Make


Gwen Steege - 2011
    Veteran knitter Gwen W. Steege has canvassed the knitting community to create this inspiring compilation, which includes amazing yarns to try; classic techniques to master; ground-breaking designers to know about; most-loved patterns to knit; knitting-related museums, movies, and books to enjoy; and much more. These are the experiences and events no knitter will want to miss.Novices and masters alike can read about qiviut from the musk ox and then check it off their list once they've made something with that luxury fiber. They'll explore classic sweater designs and visit the yarn-friendliest cities. They'll discover brave folks who delight in yarn-bombing; master intarsia; and even try spinning, weaving, dyeing, embroidery, and crochet.With all of this irresistible content to devour, knitters will keep coming back for more challenges to take on—and check off—from The Knitter's Life List!

Sunday Morning Quilts: 16 Modern Scrap Projects Sort, Store, and Use Every Last Bit of Your Treasured Fabrics


Amanda Jean Nyberg - 2012
    Their book features 16 bold and scrappy projects as well as expert hints and tips for adapting patterns to your own style, and effectively cutting, storing, and organizing your scraps.

Spin to Knit: The Knitter's Guide to Making Yarn


Shannon Okey - 2006
    A rundown on equipment introduces the drop spindle, supported spindle, niddy-noddy, McMorran balance, and yarn meter, while the following sections include choosing wool and other fibers, presenting knitting patterns suitable for handspun yarn, and in-depth profiles of real urban spinners. For crafters who want to experiment with spinning but don't want to sacrifice too much of their knitting time, there are lots of ideas for jazzing up a thrift-store cardigan with handspun trim or knitting a boatneck pullover in a combination of commercial and handspun yarns. Methods for incorporating beads and threads into yarn and a technique for dyeing yarn in the dishwasher are also featured.

500 Art Quilts: An Inspiring Collection of Contemporary Work


Ray Hemachandra - 2010
    Juried by Karey Bresenhan, one of the most prominent figures in quilting, it presents 500 magnificent contemporary art quilts, made in fabric and other media, and showcasing diverse designs, materials, and techniques.From their very inception, these quilts were destined for display rather than practical use, with an extraordinary quality of image, form, line, and composition.  Artists include:Pamela Allen  -  Alice Beasley  -  Eszter Bornemisza  -  Jane Burch Cochran  -  Judith Content  -  Chiaki Dosho  -  Noriko Endo  -  Caryl Bryer Fallert  -  Jamie Fingal  -  Linda Gass  -  Jenny Hearn  -  Judy Coates Perez  -  Yvonne Porcella  -  Susan Shie  -  Jen Swearington  -  and many more!

Mending Life: A Handbook for Repairing Clothes and Hearts


Nina Montenegro - 2020
    It is also an exploration of how mending can be a gently healing practice in our daily lives and a small act of rebellion in a world where many things are discarded without thought.Mending Life encourages us to cherish our things by repairing them rather than discarding them. It also encourages us to change our consumption habits so that with small mends here and there, we extend the life of our garments and other household items. This handbook is for beginners but also offers more advanced techniques to those with some experience in mending. You'll learn basic techniques such as patching, but will have options to take it a step further with decorative sashiko stitching; you'll also learn how to darn socks and mend sweaters, as well as things like a tear in a bedsheet or down jacket. And along the way, the authors share heartfelt stories about the powerful act of mending, which strengthens not only the object we are repairing, but ourselves as well. Vibrant, full-color illustrations are woven throughout the handbook. Mending Life is a timeless, practical guide to cherishing and caring for our belongings.

Carve Stamp Play: Designing and Creating Custom Stamps


Julie Fei-Fan Balzer - 2013
    Find your "authentic" design voice and get carving today!

Paracord Fusion Ties - Volume 1: Straps, Slip Knots, Falls, Bars, and Bundles


J.D. Lenzen - 2012
    Lenzen is the creator of the highly acclaimed YouTube channel "Tying It All Together", and the producer of over 200 instructional videos. He's been formally recognized by the International Guild of Knot Tyers (IGKT) for his contributions to knotting, and is the originator of fusion knotting—innovative knots created through the merging of different knot elements or knotting techniques. Paracord Fusion Ties - Volume 1 is the first of a multiple volume set of books exclusively utilizing paracord for his fusion knotting techniques.Originally used as parachute suspension lines during World War II, paracord has since become a means to create an immeasurable variety of useful items, survival tools, and decorative ties. World-renowned for his knotting and tying skills, Lenzen guides readers through 35 different paracord fusion ties, all of which have never been presented in book form before. By way of over 800 crisp, clear, full-color photographs, coupled with succinctly written, easy to follow step-by-step instructions, he will show you how to create spherical ties, bars and bracelets, key fobs, medallions, straps, rapid deployment ties, and falls.A book for young and old, expert knot tyers and novices alike, Paracord Fusion Ties - Volume 1 is a must for every knot enthusiast's library!

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.

Zentangle Inspired Art: A Beginners Guide to Zentangle Art and Zentangle Inspired Art and Craft Projects


Mahe Zehra Husain - 2014
    This art form has been developed by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. What I love most about this art form is that all the patterns are based on simple lines, circles and shapes. Anyone can do it. The beauty of Zentangle lies in the way these patterns evolve from their simple building blocks. Different patterns are put together to create small ‘tiles’ or square drawings. Zentangle art has been used by artists from all over the globe and from all art fields. They have incorporated Zentangle art into everything from mixed media, paper crafting, scrap booking to home décor projects. A simple search on Google images will reveal the vast world of Zentangle art! Zentangle art has also been used by kids all over the world to have fun and make paper toys. With this book Zentangle art can now be used by you to rest, relax, create and make art! This book is perfect for the beginner as well as the experienced tangler. We will go through the list of tools needed, basic tangles created by Rick and Maria, Zentangle Inspired Projects, creating new tangles and lots of worksheets for you to play with and have fun. So left brained or right brained, artist or scientist, child or adult join us in this wonderful journey as we discover and create awesome doodles and tangles. This book will take you from the tools needed to start your Zentangle art experience to creating some beautiful Zentangle Inspired Art pieces that will range from mixed media to home décor crafts. Let’s take a brief look at all we will cover in this book. We will discuss paper, pencils, tiles and log books to store patterns. Once we have all the basics in place we will move on to basic tangle patterns. These tangle patterns have either all been developed by the founders of Zentangle, Rick and Maria or are part of the list of official tangles. They are a great place to start your tangling adventure. Tangles can also be enhanced in several different ways. We will talk about four of these methods and share some examples. Next up we will add some color to the black and white world of Zentangle Art and stir things up a bit. We will go through several different ways in which color can be incorporated in your tangled art. Then we come to the art creation section of the book! In Chapter 5 I will share lots of worksheets for exercises and projects you can do yourself whenever you want. The worksheets come as an easy download and you can print as many as you want to use for yourself or share with family and friends when you introduce them to tangling. These worksheets come as a separate pdf which is available for FREE download for all readers. In Chapter 6 I will outline and give instructions for several applications of Zentangle art in the popular art and craft forms today. We will talk about mixed media art dolls, home décor items, book making, art journaling, card making, paper quilts, Artist Trading Cards and paper crafting. To finish up I will share with you a few of the tangles I have come up with and will show you how to create your own!

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.

Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing


Anna Maria Horner - 2008
    No scuffs, patterns intact, clean copy