Denyse Schmidt Quilts: 30 Colorful Quilt and Patchwork Projects


Denyse Schmidt - 2005
    Thirty projects range from the simple to the challenging, from patchwork slippers and aprons to tote bags and pillows to her beloved quilt patterns, offering something for every level of quilter. Schmidt reviews the fundamentals of quilting and provides easy-to-follow instructions, patterns, sewing tips, and an artful approach to design basics. With engaging wisdom and beautiful step-by-step color photography throughout, Denyse Schmidt Quilts will inspire beginning and skilled crafters alike to embrace this age-old tradition with a new and modern twist.

"A" Is for Apron: 25 Fresh & Flirty Designs


Nathalie Mornu - 2008
    These ingenious projectsfrom ultra-feminine and vintage chic to whimsical color-playinclude waist and bib aprons, pinafores, smocks, cobblers, and even something for the pint-sized cook. All of the projects are photographed in a playful style. And templates, sewing basics, and quick and easy projects for sprucing up store-bought aprons and whipping up aprons from recycled materials are here too!"

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.

The Practical Guide to Patchwork: New Basics for the Modern Quiltmaker: 12 Quilt Projects


Elizabeth Hartman - 2010
    .Alternate colorways included with each project show you how swapping out fabrics can change the look of the same block. .Learn how to cut, piece, applique, machine quilt, bind, and finish. .Pick up helpful tips and tricks to stay organized and master the methods. Try a fresh, relaxed approach to making quilts with this new "go-to" book. The bright aesthetic and clear, simple instructions guide beginners and intermediates alike through the entire process of creating fun and useful quilts that they'll be proud to call their own."

Scrapbookers Almanac


Elizabeth Dillow - 2007
    Includes meaningful ways to use your existing & future photos. Has creative ideas for preserving precious details of your life. Includes tips for finding inspiration in each day!

The Handmade Marketplace: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and On-Line


Kari Chapin - 2010
    Learn to determine your cost of goods, set prices, identify the competition, and understand the ins and outs of wholesale and retail sales. Explore the various sales venues available, including independent craft fairs, Web sites such as Etsy, and traditional stores, and learn to maximize your visibility and sales in each one. Want to start your own website? Chapin shows you how to style and prop your crafts for photography and explains how the most popular Web marketplaces operate. You’ll find everything you need to turn your talent into profits.

Quilting with a Modern Slant: People, Patterns, and Techniques Inspiring the Modern Quilt Community


Rachel May - 2014
    In Quilting with a Modern Slant, Rachel May introduces you to more than 70 modern quilters who have developed their own styles, methods, and aesthetics. Their ideas, their quilts, and their tips, tutorials, and techniques will inspire you to try something new and follow your own creativity wherever it leads.

Twisted Stitches: 30 Corrupt Cross Stitch and Embroidery Designs


Phil Davison - 2011
    Stitch cards or pictures featuring sinister skulls or zombies. Decorate your home with towels bordered in barbed wire, jar covers crawling with bugs or a set of pillows that feature a fly meeting a comic book "splat!" demise. Create cool accessories like a "game over" laptop cover or a "tweet this" phone case, or stitch a scarily realistic stab wound onto a tee shirt. Projects range from easy designs for newcomers to the craft to advanced projects that will appeal to experienced cross stitchers. The book includes a pocket on the back cover with full size fold-out charts of the larger designs.

Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures


Amanda Blake Soule - 2009
    It is the place where our families meet and mingle, where we share our meals and share our dreams. So much more than just a space to live, our homes offer us a place of comfort, nourishment, and love for us and for our children. In Handmade Home, Amanda Blake Soule, author of The Creative Family and the blog SouleMama.com, offers simple sewing and craft projects for the home that reflect the needs, activities, and personalities of today’s families. As Amanda writes in the introduction, “As a crafter, I’m always looking for the next thing I want to make. As a mama, I’m always looking for the next thing we need—to do, to have, to use—as a family. The coming together of these parts is where the heart of Handmade Home lies.” Filled with thirty-three projects made by reusing and repurposing materials, all of the items here offer a practical use in the home. From picnic blankets made out of repurposed bed sheets to curtains made out of vintage handkerchiefs, these projects express the sense of making something new out of something old as a way to live a more financially pared-down and simple life; lessen our impact on the earth; connect to the past and preserve a more traditional way of life; and place value on the work of the hands. Also included are projects that children can help with, allowing them to make their own special contribution to the family home. More than just a collection of projects for handmade items, this book offers the tools to create a life—and home—full of beauty, integrity, and joy. Projects include:    • Papa’s Healing Cozy: This hot water bottle cover becomes a simple way to offer comfort to a sick child    • Baby Sling: A simple pattern for an object that offers so much to a small child—refuge from the world and a place to lay their head next to a parent’s heart    • Beach Blanket To-Go: Repurpose old sheets to create the perfect picnic blanket for special outdoor meals    • Cozy Wall Pockets: A creative solution for storing a child’s small treasures

Hoop Dreams: Modern Hand Embroidery


Cristin Morgan - 2018
    Author Cristin Morgan of Marigold + Mars outlines the basics of 10 classic embroidery stitches and then teaches you how to use them to create 20 beautiful and practical projects for hoops, for the home, and to wear. New and experienced embroiderers alike will be delighted by the fresh motifs and bold color palettes and empowered by the easy step-by-step instructions and templates, which show that with just a few simple stitches, some basic materials, and an idea or two, you can stitch just about anything. A glossary of more than 50 additional patterns and motifs will inspire you to personalize your projects and use your newfound embroidery skills in fresh and imaginative ways. As an added bonus, the book includes an envelope with 10 carbon transfer papers for quickly transferring patterns to fabric.   If you received a first printing of this book that includes transfer papers that do not work, please email us at abrams@abramsbooks.com or call (212) 206-7715 to receive replacement papers.

Animal Hats: 15 patterns to knit and show off


Vanessa Mooncie - 2012
    The book features detailed knitting patterns, schematics, and basic animal hat-making techniques—plus how-to instruction for adding a fleecy hat-lining for extra coziness. There are patterns for every animal-lover. Animals included are cat, dog, chicken, rabbit, pig, frog, penguin, cow, elephant, fox, koala, monkey, panda, lion, and mouse. Patterns offer both child and adult sizes, so family members can each have their own hat.

Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love


Hillary Lang - 2010
    In this charming collection, acclaimed toymaker and popular blogger Hillary Lang presents a captivating gang of 24 huggable, lovable creatures to sew—from classics like Margot, a topsy-turvy doll, and the button-jointed teddy bear Bjorn Bjornson, to irresistible Evelyn, a wool felt inchworm decked out in mod glasses and a kerchief, and Koji, a fiercely cute spiked softie monster. There’s something for everyone here—from kids to grown-ups and from beginning sewers to advanced dollmakers. Each pattern includes clear illustrations and pattern templates to ensure perfect results.

Half Yard Gifts: Easy sewing projects using left-over pieces of fabric


Debbie Shore - 2015
    It contains 22 projects to sew and give away, each made using less than half a yard of fabric. The book contains gifts for all your family and friends: the projects range from pincushions, bags and paperweights to aprons for budding chefs, kneeling pads for gardeners and tool belts for DIY-enthusiasts. The projects are made in a range of prints and styles and use a range of techniques: either follow each project closely, or adapt the size and fabric to suit the recipient. Debbie gives advice on how to customise the projects, so that you can create the perfect gift for your loved one.This book would be perfect if you are new to sewing and need some guidance with the basic techniques and key information, as Debbie’s friendly advice and clear step-by-step photography make it a doddle. But it’s also packed with fresh ideas and designs that will inspire you even if you’ve been a keen sewer for many years and are just looking for a new way to use up your stash and create meaningful gifts that your loved ones will treasure.

Learn to Do Bavarian Crochet


Jenny King - 2010
    Color photos accompany detailed step-by-step instructions for transforming the original square pattern into rectangles, triangles, and circles with eight wonderful designs. Featuring seven unique projects—including an afghan, a basket, a table runner, a hat, and a scarf—this creative manual illustrates how this perfect, two-round stitch offers versatility of color because of its unique, textured color overlap.

Simple Soldering: A Beginner's Guide to Jewelry Making


Kate Ferrant Richbourg - 2012
    Fortunately, Simple Soldering proves that does not need to be the case. This handy how-to guide is complete in its exploration of the craft of creating soldered metal jewelry, including tools, techniques, and 20 beautiful projects that beginners and enthusiasts can make at home.Author and teacher Kate Richbourg demystifies basic soldering for any home crafter, showing how to create sophisticated, polished, and professional-looking jewelry pieces through simple soldering techniques. First, she instructs how to set up a jewelry workspace that fits the confines of your budget and living space. Detailed step-by-step instructions walk you through the basic tools and materials you need, plus how to use them. A sample chapter gives a host of introductory exercises that teach solid skills, allowing you to test these techniques on a small scale. Finally, you'll discover 20 finished projects that include earrings, pendants, rings, bracelets, and clasps that may also include bead or wire embellishment.Kate also demonstrates how to combine and layer techniques to gorgeous effect. She also examines common mistakes, shows how to correct or adapt them, and gives advice on when it’s time to start over. Most of all, having taught thousands of classes on soldering, Kate has a "you can do it!" attitude that shines through to help even the most reluctant jewelry maker fire up the torch with ease.Paired with an instructional DVD, Kate’s expert teaching skills will help projects come alive, right in your own studio.With Simple Soldering, the art of metal working one-of-a-kind jewelry is now at your fingertips.