Tag: crafts

Christmas in July

- Ann Leave a comment

It may be 100 billion degrees outside at the moment, but Chrismas is just six months away! If you’re a crafter and plan to make gifts for friends and family this year (and those are the best gifts by far), then you know you need to get started now – if you haven’t already. Here are some new craft books to inspire you.

Fa La La La Felt: 45 Handmade Holiday Decorations by Amanda Carestio

The Feisty Stitcher: Sewing Projects with Attitude by Susan Wasinger

Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts by Martha Stewart

30-Minute Necklaces: 60 Quick and Creative Projects for Jewelers by Marthe LeVan

Making Handmade Books: 100 Plus Bindings, Structures and Forms by Alisa Golden

 

 

Geeky Craftsters Will Take Over the World.

- Ann 1 Comment

The World of Geekcraft: Step-by-Step Instructions for 25 Super-Cool Craft Projects by Susan Beal and Jay B. Sauceda is one of my favorite new craftbooks. What really sets this book apart from the other zillion hip craft books on the shelf is the wide variety of crafts (it’s about time a craft book included fuse beads!) and the cool extras such as the craft designer’s own websites and inserted text explaining the stories behind the geekiness.

Have I made anything from this craftbook? Nope.
Have I still checked it out from the library multiple times? Yes.
And do I really really hope that someday I will make something from it? YES!

Here are a few of the things I wish to make:

•Coraline Mystery Sewing Box by Susan Beal
•Oregon Trail Cross-stitch by John Lohman
•Buffy Fuse Bead Portrait by Shayne Rioux

Super cool.

Some of my other favorite geeky craft books are the The Star Wars Craft Book by Bonnie Burton and The Muppets Big Book of Crafts by the Muppet Workshop

The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking by Jane Brocket

- Ann Leave a comment

Filled with beautiful photos, The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking by Jane Brocket is not just for quilters – anyone will be able to find ample inspiration in the designs, colors and presentation of these glorious quilts.

Ideal for beginners as well as more experience quilters, instructions are given for 15 quilts and emphasize simplicity. Descriptions are clear and written in a chatty and encouraging tone. These quilts are more European in style; many take full advantage of the lovely large floral fabrics that are becoming more popular, and have a softer, less defined overall look and feel than many traditional American patchwork quilts. They are undeniably lovely.

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of this book though, is the design and inspiration process that Brocket takes us through for each quilt. The author shows us what has inspired a particular quilt – a favorite summer dress, flowers from the garden, a backyard hammock, tiles from Lisbon or a shawl from Russia – and then demonstrates how she translates this starting point into a quilt. Besides the usual section on how to make a quilt, Brocket lists favorite inspirations – books, shops, blogs, museums – and gives valuable insight on how to translate your vision into a finished object to be loved and cherished.

Tick Tock – Christmas is Coming!

- Ann Leave a comment

Hey crafters! Have you finished making gifts for the coming Christmas season? No? But you’ve started them, right? Um – do you at least know what you’re going to make for the lucky people on your list? Oh dear – Christmas is just a little over three months away – you need to get busy! Here’s some great new crafting titles to help you out.

Embroidery Companion by Alicia Paulson –  Alicia’s new book is just as fun and charming as her popular blog Posy Gets Cozy. Clear instructions for a variety of lovely projects, with personal stories sprinkled throughout (including the adventures of Clover Meadow, Alicia’s corgi), you’ll be reaching for needle and thread in no time.

Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts by Martha Stewart – Martha sets the standard – highest quality workmanship and precise directions covering a wide range of techniques and skills.

More Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson – The first title (Last Minute Knitted Gifts) created a sensation in the knitting world with several of the patterns in it becoming iconic; you can expect the same from this one. The patterns are simple yet sophisticated and modern and cover a range of moods and wishes. One note of caution – your idea of “last minute” and Joelle’s idea might not be the same!

One Ball Knits: Gifts by Fatema Habibur-Rahman – Here’s a great way to use up some of that leftover yarn you might have hiding in a closet. A nice variety of fun and useful projects for everyone from babies to grandparents make this a go-to source. And who wouldn’t love to receive a warm pair of slippers this winter?

Simply Sublime Gifts by Jodi Kahn – Whimsical yet stylish, these crafts are fun, inexpensive and quick to make; many require no sewing. Ideas range from baby onsies to fabric notecards to the amazing Wonder Bread wrapper apron shown on the cover.

Decorating with Papercraft by Clare Youngs

- Ann Leave a comment

Feeling a bit of cabin fever, but still a little too chilly and damp for an outdoor excursion? Distract yourself from that restless feeling with an afternoon of crafting. With the help of Decorating with Papercraft, you’ll not only have fun, you’ll end up with something beautiful – and it’s ecologically friendly to boot!

This slim craft book contains a treasure-trove of ideas, from papier mache bowls to lamp shades to boxes and journals. You can indulge in some lovely new papers from the craft store (maybe to make the charming cartons shown on the cover of the book) or use materials at hand – yesterday’s newspaper into paper flowers perhaps? The crafts are fun and cheerful – a mobile of airplanes made out of maps, giant, 3-dimensional snowflakes for the mantel – and are useful or decorative (or both). Most of the projects are reasonably doable, with clear instructions and easy-to-find supplies and only require an hour or two to complete. Keeping cabin fever at bay has never been so fun.

Ready, Set, Weld! by Kimberli Matin

- Ann 1 Comment

Ready set weldEmbroidery too delicate and precious for you? Uninterested in the gentle art of scrapbooking or quilting? Stamp collecting a bit too tame? Then have we got the craft book for you!

Ready, Set, Weld! by Kimberli Matin is an excellent introduction to the craft and art of welding for fun and creativity. These are beginner friendly projects filled with practical and whimsical objects for your home and garden. There are artistic frames, garden stakes, small tables, candle holders, decorative screens, funky chairs and benches. The designs are a combination of Modern Art and Industrial with clean, simple lines.

Matin uses a combination of found objects (there is a section on searching scrapyards) and premade parts such as those manufactured for railings and gates. Half the fun is looking at an ordinary object and seeing it’s potential for something else, a skill the Matin encourages. She also clearly explains the basics – the tools you’ll need, safety guidelines, basic techniques. Throughout she is friendly and practical and above all, can-do. You’ll be inspired to follow her example and pick-up a welding gun. And after all, what’s cooler than practicing a craft that has you using a MIG welding gun, an angle grinder and shielded helmet? Awesome.

Home, Paper Scissors by Patricia Zapata

- Ann Leave a comment

home paper scissorsIf your idea of paper crafts stops at safety scissors and Elmer’s glue, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Whimsical, sophisticated, playful and beautiful describe the paper crafts found in Home, Paper, Scissors by Patricia Zapata and will open your eyes to the many possibilities of papercraft.

Take those bright-colored bowls on the cover of the book – they’re quick and easy (and fun!) to create, using colored paper from your paper shredder, a solution of glue and water and a bowl for a mold. You’ll find a variety of projects from a fanciful, fluttery mobile, to placemats to tealight covers. There are also several innovative and attractive boxes to hold everything from favors to stationary to gifts. Decorative and useful, from craft to art, you’ll never look at paper quite the same again.

Christmas in July

- Ann 1 Comment

No, we’re not trying to push the start of the Christmas season even earlier than it already is (Halloween is plenty early) We’re just reminding all crafters out there that if you’re going to make any presents this year, the best time to start making them is now. Handmade gifts are probably the nicest, most thoughtful gifts you can give, but they take time. Here are some great resources for ideas and inspiration.

Closely knitHandmade home

Closely Knit: Handmade Gifts for the Ones You Love by Hannah Fettig

Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures by Amanda Soule

Crafty chicaMartha Stewart craftsCrafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts by Martha Stewart

pillowcasebag bazaar

Bag Bazaar: 25 Stylish Bags to Make in an Afternoon by Megan Avery

Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase by Suzanne Tourtillot

Sewing Green by Betz White

- Ann Leave a comment

sewing-greenThe eco-movement has reached the crafts department – although sewers, quilters and crafters have always been experts at recycling. Sewing Green by Betz White will help you take this tradition even further with patterns, tips and fresh ideas for making the most of found materials.

Not sure what to do with those mis-matched but still lovely sheets and pillowcases? White suggests making lounge pants or a cute summer top. Turn a vintage tablecloth into a charming wrap skirt or placemats into a practical tote bag. Old cashmere sweaters get new life as a luxurious – but simple – patchwork throw. Even empty Mylar juice pouches can be stitched into an auto sunshade!

White gives lots of tips on what to look for at flea markets and thrift stores – what can be fixed and what to avoid. She also profiles several “eco-innovators”, people who have embraced the green movement with style, creating organic and eco-friendly materials and products for the public.

There’s a good dash of fun and whimsy in all of the projects – a draft dodger shaped like a log, a tote bag made out of Tyvek envelopes – but they’re also practical and made with basic skills anyone can master. It’s repurposing made fun!

Where is my Favorite Magazine ?

- Lynn Leave a comment

magazinesHave you wondered where your favorite titles are going? So far this year, Cottage Living, Men’s Vogue, Smartphone, Home, and Cooking for Two, and Country Home are just some of the magazines that have or will soon stop publishing.  Others are available only on the news stand (you can’t subscribe), like Country Weekly and Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion, and some, like PC Magazine, are going online only.

Seeing them disappear is like losing old friends. What is more pleasurable than sinking into a new world, with each new issue, whether it’s gadgets, gardening, home decor, jewelry, or weight lifting? The advantage that print magazines have  over newspapers or their online counterparts is  that people devote more time to them and view them as entertainment – even the ads – which is good for the bottom line.

For the time-pressed, magazine articles can supply streamlined summaries of big issues, (often in a more readable style than bloated books).

Let’s hope that magazine guru Samir Husni is right and that new magazines will continue to be launched – so as  to replace those that have died. He says  those that are “service oriented – whether it’s about health, home or cooking” will be most viable.

It takes an optimistic and courageous soul to  keep swinging in the volatile game of magazine publishing.