Sew modern quilts for everyday use that will help you return to the roots of quiltmaking, with projects designed to help you use up every last scrap. Learn sorting and storage tips to help you plan your next quilt, with projects categorized by type of scrap--squares, strings, triangles, or little snippets. You'll never look at scraps the same way again!

    Practice 8 meandering stitches for beginners, plus creative variations on each, with step-by-step visuals and quilted samples. Start your free-motion journey on the right foot with proven techniques to help you disguise mistakes and transition between designs with ease.

    It does all this through just four very simple mending techniques: exterior patches, interior patches, slow stitches, darning, and weaving. In addition, the book addresses the way mending leads to a more mindful relationship to fashion and to overall well-being. In essays that accompany each how-to chapter, Katrina Rodabaugh explores mending as a metaphor for appreciating our own naturally flawed selves, and she examines the ways in which mending teaches us new skills, self-reliance, and confidence, all gained from making things with our own hands.

    We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

    From lobster-shaped mittens with moveable claws to a smoke-puffing dragon scarf with spikes, knitting critters is pure enjoyment. In this Collection you’ll discover scarves, hats, mittens and more, masquerading as wooly zoo critters with floppy ears, wiggling tails and googly-eyed faces.All you need are basic knitting skills and a few skeins of colorful yarn. Step-by-step instructions are written in easy-to-understand English without the usual knitting abbreviations or cryptic symbols. Plenty of tips are included to add a little extra flair, flourish and swagger to your creation and make it uniquely yours. Morehouse Farm Critter Knits make wonderful gifts: they are one-of-a-kind, totally unique, absolutely loveable, completely practical and functional and enjoyed by young and old. The critters you’ll encounter in this volume are: Caterpillar Scarf Kissing Fish Mittens Gecko Scarf Bear Paw Mittens with Honey-Dunked Scarf Critter Scarves (Fox, Raccoon & Cat) Dragon Scarf Dragon Hat Dragon LegWarmers Panda Scarf Snake Scarf and matching Cap CatWrap Owl Purse Alligator Scarf (regular and mini-sized) Gator Mitts Loon BackPack Lobster Claw Mittens Lobster Tail Scarf Pony Tail Hat RatRace Scarf Rooster Hat

    For the social knitter who likes to have one drink (or a few!), there are a variety of portable projects such as drink cozies and soft scarves that feature simple-to-follow patterns, plus tips and tricks for fixing mistakes should you have a bit too much while knitting. The pocket-size and quick-to-knit projects are perfect for the knitter on the go.

    Your One-Stop Source for Crazy Quilting Know-HowFrom Victorian quilts to contemporary works of art, crazy quilting has evolved into a beautiful mixture of piecing, embroidery, and fabric techniques.Crazy Quilting: The Complete Guide tells you everything you need to know to create your own beautiful heirloom crazy quilts, including:10 different methods for piecingMore than 100 embroidery stitches for ribbons, flosses and threadsTechniques for dyeing, painting, stamping, printing, and embroidering on silk, cotton, rayon, wool and linenInstructions for adding buttons, beads, tassels, cording and other dimensional embellishmentsTips for finishing your quiltsWhether you are just getting started or have been quilting for years, Crazy Quilting: The Complete Guide is guaranteed to be the most crazy quilting resource you turn to the most.

    That’s Betsy Greer’s fervent belief, and in this book she shows us how. Betsy explores the ways we can use knitting to slow down in a fast-paced culture, while using the craft to benefit charities in our communities, to advocate for worthwhile causes, and to support individuals and communities across the globe. Filled with insights from knitters and crafters on how they use craft to benefit others, Knitting for Good! will get you thinking about knitting in a whole new way. To learn more about the author, visit her website: craftivism.com

    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.

    Known as a “modern” quilter, she actually draws much of her creative vision from quilts of the past. In Denyse Schmidt: Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration, Schmidt pays homage to the quilters and quilts that came before her. Each of the 20 traditional quilt designs she has reinterpreted here (among them are Irish Chain, Mariner’s Compass, and Orange Peel, to name a few) is introduced with a lively overview of the pattern’s history. Instructions are illustrated, templates are provided at full size on a pullout pattern sheet, and a complete techniques section is included at the back of the book.Praise for Denyse Schmidt: Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration:"Denyse Schmidt's contemporary art quilts are things of enduring style and beauty, but few fans realize her 16-year career as a textile artist began when Schmidt fell in love with tried-and-true, centuries-old traditional quilt patterns . . . Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration is the artist’s return to this fertile terrain, featuring her colorful and updated take on 20 time-tested designs. Full-page photos of gorgeous quilts full of those bold geometric shapes that first inspired her provide ample motivation, while detailed instructions, a pull-out book of templates, and a section detailing tools and techniques offer plenty of how-to support, even for novice makers." —American Craft Magazine"The book contains 20 traditional quilt styles that look exceptionally modern, hip, and fresh, with limited color palettes and minimal use of prints. To me, it is the best of both worlds—tried-and-true patterns with stories to tell, interpreted by this talented woman who helped define modern quilting. The modern/traditional debate is moot here, which is refreshing and wonderful." —Sew Mama Sew!“It's been 7 years since Denyse Schmidt's first book, and believe me, this new volume was well worth the wait...Whether you consider yourself a traditional or modern quilter, there is plenty of inspiration here, in projects that play with the tantalizing pairing of vintage patterns and contemporary colors. Although Denyse explains the origins and alternate names of many of the patterns, she rarely offers them straight: she riffs off old patterns like Mariner's Compass and Wagon Wheel and strips them down to stark basics." --Meg Cox, Journalist, Author, and President of the Alliance for American Quilts"Denyse Schmidt never ceases to inspire us . . . We are very excited to announce her latest book, the simply breathtaking Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration. Delving back to the traditional styles that first sparked her passion for quilting, Denyse gives these twenty quilt patterns a modern spin with bold, beautiful fabric choices." —The Purl Bee "In this book, [Denyse] shows off a new gamut of wonderful quilts . . . She writes in such a quiet and contemplative way, reminding me that quilting at its best isn't meant to be done in a hurry to crank something out." —Spoonflower.com

    Part pattern collection, part resource book Ysolda shares all of her tips for successful sweaters that perfectly fit your body. Each of the seven inspiring designs is modelled by Ysolda herself and by her friend Amanda Allen, showing the garment in two different sizes and helping you envision how each design will look on your own shape. 15-17 sizes are included in each pattern, ranging from a 28-60 finished bust. With so many sizes to pick from, and guidance within each pattern on how to customise the fit, it should be easy to get a great result. The extensive reference section will equip you with all of the tools you need to achieve a perfect one.

    The projects are built around a focal cabochon and incorporate seed beads and crystals in imaginative ways. Designers learn to make the jewelry shown in the book, and they also use the techniques learned to create innovative jewelry pieces of their own.

    The patterns are suitable for almost everyone, whether adventurous beginner or expert. You can create a single-colour bear, a two-tone bear, a striped bear and even a panda – all from one basic pattern. There are also instructions to create a host of clothes, including bride & groom outfits, a graduation outfit, a Santa costume, a ballet outfit, and a sports outfit. If you’re after a cute dress, nightshirt, coat, hat, sweater or dungarees – you’ll find patterns for these, too. The designs can be personalized and you can ‘mix and match’ items to create the perfect gift, not just for new babies and children, but for all bear lovers and almost any occasion! The teddy bears and outfits are all knitted using light worsted/double knitting/8-ply yarn and size US3 (3.25mm) straight knitting needles. The bears are about 7in/18cm tall. The patterns include both US and UK knitting terms. INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR WHEN DID YOU LEARN TO KNIT? More years’ ago than I now care to remember! My Mum’s twin sister Sheelagh taught me when I was about seven years old, just before she emigrated from the UK to Canada. HOW DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS? Partly from the toys and dolls I loved when I was little, but I’m also as addicted to online browsing all the beautiful creative websites out there as anyone else. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT KNITTING? With toys and dolls, which are my knitting of choice, it’s about seeing the little creatures develop their own personality when you sew them together and embroider the features. I’m always amazed that you can create something so cute from just some oddments of yarn and a pair of needles. There’s a bit of effort needed too… but really, not that much. WHAT'S THE BEST ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE TO BEGINNER KNITTERS? Like any skill, knitting takes a bit of patience. So start with something small. Think baby hats, fingerless mitts or a knitted lavender bag… definitely not a scarf. They’re simple but they take too long for beginners. And choose some lovely yarn. If you’re putting in all that effort, you’ll appreciate it! WHICH OF YOUR KNITTING BOOKS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Well it has to be my Knit Your Own Royal Wedding back in 2011 when William and Kate tied the knot. Suddenly I found myself being interviewed by newspapers and magazines across the world… I still find it hard to believe. And frankly, it's going to be hard for me to top that! WHAT WAS THE FIRST PATTERN YOU EVER DESIGNED? Apart from some pretty dodgy dolls’ clothes when I was about eight, it was a pink and blue striped owl. I still have it perched on a shelf in my little work room upstairs. The first knitting book I designed was called Knitivity which was a knitted nativity. WHAT NOTIONS CAN'T YOU MANAGE WITHOUT? I’m actually quite a good improviser but I was quite annoyed recently when I lost one of my favourite very short knitting needles which are ideal for knitting small items. Thankfully my son eventually found it by accident, behind my row of knitting reference books. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE KNITTING STITCHES? I love simple combinations of stitches like wide ribbing stitch and waffle stitch. They’ve got enough interest to keep you alert but are still simple enough to keep mistakes and unravelling to a minimum. WHAT'S THE MOST IRRITATING THING THAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE KNITTING? Well there’s the obvious one of knots in a ball of yarn that you don’t see till you’re mid-row.

    -Over 20 projects are super hip and super quick to make— you need only basic crochet skills and small amounts of yarn-Funky designs include mommy and baby owls, hedgehogs, and penguins, plus silly crocheted treats like cupcakes and ice-cream cones-Find complete instructions for crocheting designs and adding facial features and other embellishments

    Knitting Without Needles brings cool home, gifts, and clothing accessories--cowls, totes, rugs, poufs, scarves, and more--within arm’s reach. An all-in-one resource for a new kind of craft, this book shows you how to loop yarn with your fingers or your forearms with thirty patterns that are simple to follow and produce stylish results. Best of all, many of them knit up fast—in less than an hour! Even if you’ve never picked up knitting needles, you can easily master the techniques to make fun knits with kids and for kids (a princess crown, baby booties) and even last-minute gifts (a statement necklace for your fashionista friend). With stunning photography, plenty of step-by-step photos, and a detailed resource section, Knitting Without Needles is your go-to for a new way to knit.From the Trade Paperback edition.