Natural Color explores the full spectrum of seasonal plant dyes, using nature as a color library. Unlike its competitors, Natural Color is structured by season, not plant, focusing on achievable projects with easy-to-follow recipes for dyeing everything from dresses, scarves, and hats to rugs, napkins, and table runners, ensuring that even the most savvy home decorator will be inspired.

    Written with Amy's characteristic warmth and flair, you'll find information on basic equipment and supplies, advice on choosing and using fabrics, and a fantastic section on techniques. In addition, Amy walks readers through easy, inspiring patterns designed for the fashion-savvy crafter. Playful, modern projects, which include pillows, aprons, and purses, help novices master sewing skills while providing immediate sewing gratification--and confidence. Best of all, Amy explains what's easy, what's hard, and when not to sweat the small stuff. With its best-friend tone, solid reference section, and supercute projects, this is the introduction to sewing that you won't want to be without.

    Imagine a supportive community of artists sharing the innermost pages of their sketchbooks and offering you tips and techniques for overcoming creative blocks. That's what The Sketchbook Challenge is all about, and the popular blog of the same name has already inspired thousands. Inside this book, you'll find:   · Themes that will motivate you to start your sketchbook—and, more important, keep at it · Tutorials spotlighting such mixed-media techniques as thread sketching, painted papers for collage, digital printing, and much more · Strategies to get off the sketchbook page and start creating inspired art—whether you're into painting, collage, fiber art, or beyond. · In-depth profiles of artists who have taken the Sketchbook Challenge and used it as a launching pad for their own meaningful artwork

    Over 500 pages filled with photos, diagrams, and other illustrations.

    Each easy-to-follow pattern is presented with step-by-step diagrams, hilarious commentary, and full-color photographs of the bloodcurdlingly sweet creatures in their natural environments. Creepy Cute Crochet comes complete with helpful crochet tips and a down-and-dirty course in doll making, with each pattern ranked by difficulty level, so even beginners can share in the fun.The scary-cute photographs, accessible instructions, and illustrated patterns are sure to be a hit with indie crafters, angsty teens, and hip moms everywhere.

    Using paper templates to guide your pattern, you can expertly fit your quilting shapes together before you even start sewing. All Points Patchwork takes you far beyond traditional hexagons and accommodates triangles, diamonds, octagons, and even curved shapes. Simple instructions for decorating clothing, bedding, and home decor open up astounding possibilities for quilters of all levels.

    "Knit graffiti" is an international guerrilla movement that started underground and is now embraced by crochet and knitting artists of all ages, nationalities, and genders. Its practitioners create stunning works of art out of yarn, then "donate" them to public spaces as part of a covert plan for world yarn domination.Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti is the definitive guidebook to covert textile street art. This full-color DIY book features twenty kick-ass patterns that range from hanging shoes and knitted picture frames to balaclavas and gauntlets, teaching readers how to create fuzzy adornments for lonely street furniture. Along the way, it provides tips on how to be as stealthy as a ninja, demonstrates how to orchestrate a large-scale textile project, and offers revealing information necessary to design your own yarn graffiti tags. The book also includes interviews with members of the international community of textile artists and yarn bombers, and provides resources to help readers join the movement; it's also chock full of beautiful photographs and easy step-by-step instructions for knit and crochet installations and garments.Join the yarn bombing revolution!

    You’ll learn several approaches for getting started, and you’ll also discover how to shape comfortable toes, create heels that fit, and ensure stretchy cuffs that can be counted on to keep your socks up. Druchunas’s useful tips and tricks include working confidently with double-pointed needles, knitting socks on one or two circular needles, and even knitting two socks at the same time. Once you’ve mastered these basic techniques, you can adapt them to create your own custom sock designs.

    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.

    Typically they are kooky little animals but they can also be inanimate objects, like vegetables, that are given faces and limbs.This book will have 20 designs, including animals and inanimate objects. A knitting basics section will provide instructions for all the techniques needed to make the projects.

    Advanced tatters will find directions for completing elegant projects that include a tatted necklace (which can also be used as edging), an oval doily, a fancy snowflake, and a delicate table mat.Over 65 drawings and photos enhance this collection of easy-to-do but very attractive patterns that will not only inspire and delight anyone interested in this intriguingly beautiful craft but also enable even beginning tatters to create treasured possessions of exquisite handmade lace.

    There's something for everyone at this art expo. Whether you want to sharpen digital-imaging skills, make your own jewelry or listen to the stories behind provocative works, you're sure to find plenty to keep you busy--all included with the price of admission.Amidst a full-color feast for your eyes, you will: Discover ways to turn your art mistakes" into meaningful creationsSit in on mixed-media demonstrations, guiding you through techniques for layering, transferring, altering and moreBe introduced to the works and inspiration of 36 artists, including: Lisa Falzon, Sheri Gaynor, Claudine Hellmuth, Katie Kendrick, Deryn Mentock, Karen Michel, Ted Orland, Izabella Pierce, Richard Salley, Suzanne Simanaitis, Roben-Marie Smith, Jonathan Talbot and many more!Take on creative challenges to push your art-making into new directions Enter the "Exhibition 36" experience--your ticket to an amazing gallery of mixed-media inspiration."

    Many crocheters make mandalas as a meditative activity, while others love them simply for the wonderful opportunities they offer for mixing colors and stitch textures. A new take on traditional shapes, like granny squares or hexagons, these attractive crocheted circles are causing a real buzz in the crochet community.Included are complete written and charted directions for a variety of types of circular designs, plus a range of creative techniques and ideas to make yours stand out from the crowd. With full patterns and inspiring photos, a review of crochet techniques, a discussion of materials, colors, finishing techniques, and lots of project ideas including bags, shawls, blankets, and pillows, this book guarantees many hours of happy mandala-making.

    She is a thread artist. And in Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing, she'll show how to harness the power of her fearless kamikaze sewing style–just dive in and give it 100 percent. Here you'll not only find out the nuts and bolts of sewing, but learn to have confidence to blaze your own sewing trail with confidence and flair. (And sprinkle of glitter!) The Crafty Chica is here to bring out the thread artist in you. Whether you can hardly sew on a button or are already threading bobbins like a champ, Kathy's got a project just for you. From place mat totes to embellished skirts, Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing proves that you're in charge of your sewing machine, not the other way around. With these 30 fun fabu-low-sew projects to carry, wear, and use around the home, you can leave the ordinary behind and channel your own Crafty Chica within.

    In this book, Gail Marsh looks at some of the techniques and tools that embroiderers of the day used to create their stunning items of clothing.