But I don't think I've seen a better resource for the lay user than this one. T. Ormiston-smith. Mother Nature's medicine cabinet. In ancient times, the plant kingdom provided our earliest ancestors with the natural healing powers derived from nature. Extracts and essences from plants and flowers were prized for their medicinal, spiritual, aromatic, and therapeutic value, including beauty benefits. Aromatic plants, essences, and oils have traditionally been used during religious ceremonies and observances, beauty care and perfumes, food enhancement, and preservation. Aromatic plants were the basis for herbal and botanical medicines and remedies for thousands of years - they still are. In fact, they’re the root of today’s modern pharmaceuticals. And as lifestyles rapidly changed to meet everyday challenges, and technology progressed in leaps and bounds, herbal knowledge soon fell by the wayside. During the past century, as the side effects of many chemically based drugs come to light - not to mention the exuberant costs, natural healing has come full circle and has gradually found its way back into our homes. The Western World is standing up and taking notice. People are educating themselves about the wonderful uses and benefits of using essential oils, herbs, and spices. Mother nature's medicine cabinet is back, invoking endless remedies and in some cases, cures - without the side effects. Granted. Natural healing may not replace the family doctor or chemically manufactured drugs entirely, but it certainly is a healthy alternative to consider when thinking about your health, beauty, wellbeing, and fitness regime. Bonus: Includes Medicinal Herbs and their uses. Discover the many benefits to diffusing essential oils to achieve optimal health and well-being in your home and workplace. Diffusing essential oils can help you study better, sleep better, enhance your moods and put you in the mood... Essential oils and pregnancy. Essential oils and children. There is also a section about essential oils for pets – which ones to use and which ones to avoid.

    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.

    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.

    It is THE book to have by your serger as you venture into this whole new realm of sewing. Gail Brown and Pati Palmer hold the reader's hand as he or she learns the machine . . . and the basics of serging.

    Covering all aspects of timber frame construction, this practical guide is filled with easy-to-understand instructions, clear illustrations, and helpful photographs. With expert advice on selecting appropriate timber, necessary tools, safety considerations, joinery techniques, assembly, and raising, Jack Sobon and Roger Schroeder encourage beginners by offering complete plans for a small toolshed. Turn your dream of a timber frame house into a reality.

    With all the answers to your fundamental woodworking questions, this is an indispensable guide to basic skills and techniques, and how to apply them.

    Whether you’re throwing a party for kids or an adult party, you’ll find some great food and party ideas here, from exciting games to incredible decoration ideas. Use these great tips and ideas for a spook-tacular party that everyone will enjoy this Halloween.

    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.

    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!

    And who better to compile one than Lily Chin—the author of four hugely popular knitting and crocheting manuals, a veteran teacher, and one of the fastest crocheters in the world?Lily Chin's Crochet Tips & Tricks compiles more than 75 of her best techniques—some collected from her regularly sold-out classes, many more never seen before—into one comprehensive, pocket-size guide. This book is filled with simple solutions to every crocheter's pet peeves, as well as nonstandard approaches to some of the biggest crocheting bugaboos. At the end of it, you'll be left with one satisfying question: "Why didn't I think of that?!"

    This book provides sewers with time estimates for each step of a crazy quilt patter; demonstrates how to break projects down into manageable pieces and suggests alternate uses for leftover fabrics; and teaches sewers how to make savvy fabric selections to coordinate with existing room or to add new flair.

    With fundamental skills for beginners that progress to more sophisticated designs, this book covers techniques such as basic wirework, texturizing, silver fusing, adding patina, and traditional finishes.Included are over 30 projects for making custom wire findings, each accompanied by step-by-step photographs and directions to ensure success.

    Beginners can join in the sudsy fun with detailed tutorials and step-by-step photographs for making traditional cold-process soap and the more modern hot-process method with a slow cooker. Jan presents 50 easy, unique soap recipes with ingredients and scents inspired by the herb garden, veggie garden, farm, forest and more. Sample soap recipes you won’t want to miss are Lavender Milk Bath Bars, Sweet Honey & Shea Layers Soap, Creamy Avocado Soap, Citrus Breeze Brine Bars, Mountain Man Beard & Body Bars and Classic Cedarwood & Coconut Milk Shave Soap. Featured resources are Jan’s handy guides to common soapmaking essential oils and their properties, oil and milk infusions with healing herbs and easy decoration techniques. The book also contains Jan’s highly anticipated natural colorants gallery showcasing more than 50 soaps that span the rainbow. Soap crafters of all levels will enjoy referencing this book for years to come. All recipes are sustainably palm-free!

    A mother hen and her chicks (and their adorable knitted eggshells), three little piglets, and a black lamb full of good intentions are just some of the appealing projects in Spud and Chloë at the Farm, the latest innovative work from author and world-class knitter Susan B.Anderson. The projects in this book follow Spud, a feisty pet sheep, and Chloë, his perky owner, as they travel to a farm and meet the inhabitants of the barnyard, including a brown cow, some mice, a dog, and a barn cat. To continue the theme, and set the stage for loads of interactive play, the book also offers instructions for making an assortment of farm props, such as a picket fence, bales of hay, dainty baskets, and even a three-sided foldable barn.Meanwhile, witty full-color cartoons (presented one per spread throughout the text of the book) tell the story of Spud and Chloë’s visit to the farm, which starts with an invitation from Spud’s cousin Little Lamb. Featuring charming full-color photographs of the knitted toys, this book is a must-have for knitters and their loved ones.

    No confusion. Just solid, fail-safe tips for writers to take their dictation to the next level. From the author of "The Writer's Guide to Training Your Dragon", this mini-guide will help you choose the right microphone, transcribe on-the-go with Dragon and put you on the path to sky-high word counts. You will also learn little-known tricks, such as:- Dictating into programs Dragon doesn't support - such as Scrivener;- Preventing a crash from taking your dictated text with it;- Creating a "Quiet Profile" for when you need to dictate without disturbing others;- Using the same profile on multiple computers - and keeping it updated;- Running your desktop Dragon app on an iPad or Android tablet - anywhere, anytime.Designed to get you up-and-running with this powerful software in no time, "Quick Cheats for Writing with Dragon" may make you want to never look at a keyboard again!