Whether you've been sewing for years or just gotten the itch, you'll find invaluable information inside for using your sewing machine to its maximum potential.Learn how to:Troubleshoot machine problems like skipped stitches, needle breaks and tension troublesPerform basic maintenance on your machine to keep it running smoothlyChoose fabrics, threads and other materials that will keep your machine running at full capacity and result in quality projectsRecognize and utilize the best sewing machine feet to achieve the desired resultsRefine everyday tasks from installing zippers to sewing buttonholes and constructing perfect hemsCreate beautiful embellishments like scallops, ruches, smocking, pin tucks, cutwork, puffing and entredeux to enhance any sewn project or garmentAn indispensable reference book to keep next to your machine, inside you'll find quick answers to all your sewing problems. Take control of your sewing machine and achieve wonderful results every time!

    Like the previous edition this new edition still contains everything you need to know about loom knitting, like gauge, yarn thickness, increasing, decreasing, color work, different cast on and off methods, and more. Additionally, it includes Isela's precise and easy how-to instructions, now newly updated, for making basic stitches and variations, and for using all the different types of looms, round and long looms, currently in the market. The project section is also updated to include more specific information about the looms used, with a handy chart of all the looms, with their gauges, currently on the market.But what hasn't changed is the straightforward information and the need for this book, making it the one to have for all loom knitters. If you only purchase one loom knitting book, this is the one to get!

    Stitch N' Bitch for sewers complete with 3 full Simplicity patterns from downtown fashion darling Wendy Mullin.

    Kristin Nicholas, color expert and all-around master crafter, shares her secrets to selecting colors and patterns and explores the variety of crafts and decorating touches that have made her home so unique. Going room by room, Kristin uses her own 1751 farmhouse as a leaping-off point for craft projects perfect for every space. You'll find a range of step-by-step projects to make your home cozy and bright, including knit pillows, embroidered curtains, crocheted blankets, and painted lampshades. Along the way, Kristin also shares DIY techniques on refinishing furniture, faux finishing walls, mural painting, and recycling wool clothes. Full of inspiration, and with vibrant photographs throughout, this is a complete guide to creating a home that reflects your own handmade style.

    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.

    Kristeen Griffin-Grimes brings to life her signature aesthetic through timeless techniques for a stunning encore knitted pattern book. Organized into vignettes that travel from morning to night, these captivating projects invite knitters to imagine their own daily lives enhanced by these lovely designs.French Girl Knits Accessories includes sixteen intermediate-level knitting projects covering a full range of accessories for women. Designed with French savoir-faire, the projects include shrugs, hats, gloves and mittens, wraps and stoles, and socks and slippers. Want to add more romance with lace and ribbon? Desire a perfect pleat or fold? Sidebars and techniques include simple how-tos for these details and more. Throughout this collection of small projects, you'll find an emphasis on clean modern lines and style woven with vintage and romantic fashion inspiration.

    She calls on her years of experience as Knitty's Managing Technical Editor, where she has edited hundreds of sock patterns, to share this information in a way that is easy to understand with patterns that inspire.So go ahead and treat yourself to these 15 original sock patterns that are easily customizable and work with any needle configuration. Your feet will thank you!

    Beginners and seasoned knitters alike are promised that learning from mistakes improves the technique and inspires personal style and that sometimes the best solution is to let the mistake stand. This sturdy, spiral bound book explains the correct way to cast on and bind off, decipher charts, choose fibers, and more.

    Most of the projects involve knitting in the round, so a thorough overview explains the technique, as well as basic hat forms, choosing a yarn, and accessible techniques such as felting. Try a shaped ribbon yarn hat with equally decorative and functional earflaps. A simple brimmed felted wool hat becomes a fashion statement with a brightly colored decorative edging. Whip up a chunky seed stitch cap in just a matter of hours. Even the simplest designs are stylish, using great color combinations and yarns with irresistible textures. And, because the patterns come with both medium and large sizes, you can knit to fit.

    For more than two decades, Kaffe Fassett's sumptuously textured, vibrantly colored designs have thrilled readers and inspired them to pile on color and break the rules. In "Glorious Patchwork"--one of his most spectacular and original books--Kaffe presents more than 25 designs that draw on the essence of his colorwork. Divided into five color themes--ranging from soft pastels and leafy gardens to bold circus hues--these stunning designs bear Kaffe's unmistakable stamp. Every chapter includes projects with varying difficulty, so beginners and experienced quilters alike can replicate the masterpiece quilts inside. "From the Trade Paperback edition."

    Plus, the projects are cute to boot!” —Sue Daly, founder of the Renegade Craft FairNo more spending more than you can afford on clothes! Chic & Simple Sewing shows you how to make modern, stylish, and fun clothes you’ll want to wear every day. Plus, you’re in control. You pick the fabrics, the cut, the size—all tailored just for you, not mass-manufactured on an assembly line. For about the price of two or three commercial sewing patterns, this book will give you full-size patterns to make the more than 20 garments, including a classic shift, A-line skirt, and figure-flattering wrap dress. What are you waiting for? Your new, one-of-a-kind wardrobe awaits!

    As a finishing touch for all your handmade garments or a great pick-me-up for a vintage find, these lovely blooms are the perfect way to use up scraps of yarn or try out interesting new yarns.Breeze through this gorgeous collection featuring a colorful palette of simple spiraling roses, saucer-sized poppies, delicate lilacs, an assortment of vegetables, and more. All are shown full-size and in scale and is complete with stitched leaves and embroidered stems. Each flower pattern has full instructions, yarn requirements, and a suggested skill level. An additional section serves as a refresher course with basic techniques and provides inspiration for embellishing your finished flowers with beads, buttons, and sequins. You can also learn how to use the flowers in a range of fun projects, from customizing clothing and accessories, to decorating gift-wrapped packages.This book will inspire all knitters and crocheters to pick up their needles and start creating their own beautiful blooms.

    Or maybe you've taught yourself a little sewing know-how but have become frustrated. Whatever your background, "Stitch by Stitch" guides you through everything you need to know to start sewing and make it to the varsity level.Inside "Stitch by Stitch," you'll learn essential sewing skills--everything from basic stitching and backtacking to creating gathers, making darts and using multi-sized patterns--while completing appealing projects. In the book's unique format, skills and projects build upon each other so that you get instant gratification and motivation to progress."Stitch by Stitch," learn to love sewing with: A guide to the machine, notions and fabric. Get to know your sewing machine and learn about all the essential materials and tools you need to get started.11 modern, stylish projects. A variety of projects--like a simple tote, a piped throw pillow, a hipster belt, a sweet A-line skirt and a cap-sleeved blouse--will build your sewing skills while giving you great pieces to show off.Clear and comprehensive step-by-step photo instruction. No vague illustrations that keep you guessing.Bonus CD. Includes PDF patterns for apparel projects (in sizes 4-14), stitch practice guides, sample applique designs and more. Whether you're a sewing novice or returning sewist, "Stitch by Stitch" will give you the confidence and skills to keep motivated, get great results and finally learn to love the process.

    The decorating magazines and TV shows never seem to talk to you. So what? With some attitude, know-how, and a lot of your own style, your place can be transformed into a fabulous Shangri-La, a swanky venue fit for living and entertaining well. Pad: The Guide to Ultra-Living is filled to bursting with hip, affordable projects for every room in the house and shows how to use basics like lighting, plants, mirrors, and paint to enhance even problem areas. Numerous testimonials from real people with real living spaces demonstrate how a little spaces demonstrate how a little spunk and individuality can overcome the limitations of the average urban dwelling. Offering a complete lifestyle package, Pad has instructions for building your own home bar, ideas for party themes and recipes--and even collateral hangover cures! This total living guide will have your place all spruced up--and the envy of guests--in no time.

    But we are also an animal that does not think it is an animal. How well do we really know ourselves?How to Be Animal tells a remarkable story of what it means to be human and argues that at the heart of our existence is a profound struggle with being animal. We possess a psychology that seeks separation between humanity and the rest of nature, and we have invented grand ideologies to magnify this. As well as piecing together the mystery of how this mindset evolved, Challenger's book examines the wide-reaching ways in which it affects our lives, from our politics to the way we distance ourselves from other species. We travel from the origin of homo sapiens through the agrarian and industrial revolutions, the age of the internet, and on to the futures of AI and human-machine interface. Challenger examines how technology influences our sense of our own animal nature and our relationship with other species with whom we share this fragile planet.That we are separated from our own animality is a delusion, according to Challenger. Blending nature writing, history, and moral philosophy, How to Be Animal is both a fascinating reappraisal of what it means to be human, and a robust defense of what it means to be an animal.