At last! A leather working book for amateurs by a top professional.Valerie Michael guides the leatherworker through techniques and projects, showcasing the very best of her knowledge and experience.After a thorough presentation of each of the key techniques - such as finishing edges, paring and hand stitching, making pockets, attaching studs and straps and decorating surfaces - there are ten projects, suitable for developing levels of skill, from belts and wallets to quilted work and three different types of leather bag.Not only is this book an ideal introduction to a centuries-old craft, but its comprehensive treatment of materials, tools and techniques makes it an invaluable work of reference.

    It’s easy, fun, and can be done right in your own kitchen! Self-taught dyer Gail Callahan shows you a variety of simple techniques to turn plain, outdated, or leftover yarn into vibrant “new” fibers using ovens, crockpots, frying pans, and other standard kitchen equipment. Detailed advice on color theory, self-striping, “grocery store” dyes, and handmade multicolor skeins make successful dyeing a cinch, even for complete beginners.

    The pleasures to be had from slowing down can be many, with connections to sustainability, simplicity, reflection, and tuning into traditional and other multicultural textile traditions.Slow Stitch is a much-needed guide to adopting a less-is-more approach, valuing quality over quantity, and bringing a meaningful and thoughtful approach to textile practice.Claire Wellesley-Smith introduces a range of ways in which you can slow your textile work down, including:Using simple techniques inspired by traditional practice (including hand-stitch rhythms)Reusing and re-inventing materials (reuse even old textile projects)Limiting your equipmentMending revisited (practical and decorative techniques)Project ideas and resources that help towards making a more sustainable textile practiceRichly illustrated throughout, and showcasing work from the best textile artists who work in this way, this is a truly inspirational book for those looking to reconnect with their craft and to find a new way of working.

    With step-by-step instructions, this essential manual details the basic steps of spinning and then advances to the more complicated spinning wheel, showing how to use the spindle to make specific types of yarn, explaining traditional spindle spinning techniques, and detailing five simple projects designed to instill confidence in creating a variety of yarns with this simple tool. Combining fascinating historical narratives, traditions, and cultures from around the globe with vivid photography, this all-encompassing tour of the spindle also boasts easy-to-follow, contemporary techniques and styles that affirm the tool's enduring legacy.

    Now there is! Parkes demystifies the generic (non-breed-specific) wool yarn you'll find at your local yarn shop, showing you how to best determine what every yarn longs to be.What do I knit? Parkes went to some of the most creative and inquisitive design minds of the kniting world to provide more than 20 patterns that highlight the qualities of specific types of wool.The Knitter's Book of Wool teaches you everything you need to know about wool - and its journey from pasture to pullover. The next time you pick up a skein, you won't have to wonder what to create with it. You'll just know.

    Cutting hundreds of pieces and joining angled seams can be tough work! But log cabin quilting—an artful and simple way to piece strips of fabric around a central square—is different. From the intuitive construction through the straight-line stitching, this style of quilting is simple as can be. In Modern Log Cabin Quilting, Susan Beal outlines the entire process from start to finish, including basic quilting how-to as well as extensive design, fabric, and embellishment information. Since all log cabin designs follow the same formula, once you master straight lines and right angles, any of the 25 projects in this book are possible. From stash-friendly designs like the Charming Camera Case to more ambitious undertakings like the Vintage Linens Quilt, there’s sure to be a project that will get you into (or bring you back to) quilting!

    278 color photos. 185 drawings.

    From carving and veneering to jewelry boxes and custom cabinetry, "Woodwork" is the ultimate visual guide to every essential woodworking technique.Featuring an attractive range of finely crafted projects in easy-to-follow step-by-step detail, from household items to furniture, "Woodwork" is an inspiring book for woodworking enthusiasts who want to develop their skills, whether a beginner or more advanced woodworker.

    Profiling a worldwide array of fiber-producers that includes northern Africa’s dromedary camel, the Navajo churro, and the Tasmanian merino, Carol Ekarius and Deborah Robson include photographs of each animal’s fleece at every stage of the handcrafting process, from raw to cleaned, spun, and woven. The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook is an artist’s handbook, travel guide, and spinning enthusiast’s ultimate reference source all in one.

    Learn how to trust your instincts so you can work more intuitively, and develop a new appreciation for the therapy of sewing without a plan.

    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.

    With a refreshingly new approach to free-motion stitching, First Steps to Free-Motion Quilting encourages you to make something beautiful while improving your free-motion quilting skills. You'll find 24 projects and quilts that are light on assembly so you can spend most of your time stitching. A handy troubleshooting guide ensures success every step of the way.

    Taking inspiration from nature, from geometricshapes, and from the street, this book harnesses the sheer joy of making and sculpting clothes. The book takes a creative approach to pattern making, with step-by- step projects for fashion designers and dressmakers to enjoy. Each project is beautifully illustrated with clear diagrams and photographs showing the stages of construction, the muslins, and the finished garments.

    Making curtains neednt be left to the professionals ; withEasy to Make! Curtains & Blinds you, too, can create stylish window dressings for your home.

    But connecting one motif to another can be as exhilarating as stitching Edie Eckman's guide to creative joining techniques shows how easy it is to combine multiples of a motif to form a whole new pattern, from lacy links to three-dimensional effects, swirls, radiants, and wheels. The variations are endless Eckman also provides 100 brand-new motif designs. Each one, and every joining technique, is accompanied by step-by-step instructions and innovative charts to ensure success. This superb collection is a must-have for any crocheter.