Crafts Hobbies Books

I am a new machine embroiderer. I needed a book for learning the basics and for immediate reference. There is so much more to machine embroidery than it would appear on the surface. Needles, threads, stabilizers, hooping; there are just dozens of questions.

This book answered most of my questions. (The internet is also a good place for this info, but I like to have a book by my side if possible.)

Stabilizers are one very important area. If your stabilizer is wrong for your fabric, the design will not stitch out well. This book has a detailed explanation of each type of stabilizer and what to use it for.

How to hoop is explained and shown in a series of step by step drawings. So are different techniques. This book came with a CD-ROM with six designs that are featured in the book.

This is a very good book for beginners like myself. I have already used it for reference when working on a project. It was well worth the money.

I have just bought an embroidery machine and so am a complete novice in this area. I have found the book clear, well illustrated and simple to use. It has been invaluable helping me in my first steps of machine embroidery. The results are outstanding and the projects easy to follow.

I have been sewing for years and years and bought a top of the line sewing/embroidery machine combo one year ago. I just purchased this book and even though I had been doing lots of embroidery successfully,
I think there is quite alot of useful information and techniques which
will help me on future projects.

I just bought another copy of this book as a gift for a friend who just
got the same machine I have. I KNOW she will find it incredibly useful.
Sometimes the instruction manuals that come with a machine just don't
cover enough detail and this book certainly fills that in.

I was very helpful to me. I'm just a beginner with a newer machine. I could not relate to some of the information. But it did help me with the basics.

This is a great book. I am new at machine embroidery and found this book a wonderful reference book for what kind of stabilizer to use and an overall great "how to" for beginners.

This is my all-time favorite book on jewelry making. Each page is a treasure. The illustrations are exquisite, the directions are so easy to understand, and the jewelry is breath-taking.

This is one of the most beautifully designed and inspiring jewelry books I have ever read. I went right out and bought a ton of gorgeous supplies and began creating.

If you like collecting charms, this book is for you. Lots of fun pictures and interesting stories about charms and their famous owners. If you want instructions how to make your own charm bracelets this book is not for you.

This book is a must have for every jewelry artist . You will spend many hours looking at the pages. It needed to have step by step photos for some of the projects. This is the type of book you want to grow old with.

The book is laid out in a very artful way and the pictures are beautiful. The projects listed are unique and doable. Great book for ideas and just to look at and enjoy.

I have purchased many woodworking books and this book written by gary rogowski is one of the worst books i have read. It is filled with numerous joints but little if any instructions as to how to put them into action. I was extremely disappointed. i gave it a ranking of 1 star only because it has identified many joints.Now i know all the names, i will just have to research another book as how to make them.

This how to book is an important addition to a beginner furniture makers library. Good reference book.

very informative book, full of useful information and a lot of diagrams
and pictures of how to do it.
It rates high in detail and covers about all you need to know to complete
a high quality piece of furniture.

As I went into some DIY woodworking projects and needed some help, I bought this one together with another Taunton series: Andy Rae's "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction". Excellent books both of them. The sections are very well balanced and the text is divided logically on joinery techniques from a manual and power tool point of view. It gives you freedom to choose the most appropriate technique but you also have the basics (without power tools) which is very helpful in order to understand it better. No fuss about gear and promotion of one brand or another, the book it is very careful about that and it gives you freedom to choose between category of tools and not vendors. The photographs are beautiful and high quality print (it is printed in Italy, famous for its publishers) and worth the money. Really, you have a lot to learn if you are a beginner or mid-advanced in the art of woodworking. Also, the book is a very good reference for those that are teaching these techniques given the quality of the pictures and clarity of text. Five stars, worth every penny IMO.

This is a very good book, very complete. The book assumes a basic knowledge of woodworking. The only thing that I could do without is some of the detailed process for using specific advanced wood working machines that most of us do not have, like a horizontal router, but I just skipped those pages.

With a variety of contributors, this creativity book is exciting and interesting, and it's lots of fun to read. Reading this is a great way to prompt yourself into your own creative world. There are a plethora of great ideas, advice and projects that will get your mind stirring.

I bought this because I wanted to learn more about collage/mixed media type art. This is a perfect resource for that(collage/mixed media art), or any type of art your interested in because it covers a broad range of subjects to stimulate and inspire your creativity.

I loved the article on Frida Kahlo, whom I hadn't heard of before, and am now reading one of the best biographies I've ever come across -thanks to this book.

I SO highly recommend this book!

I know it sounds odd,but I guess that pretty much sums up this book. With it's extremely eye-catching cover and pages,it is inspiring in it's own "Thinking Outside The Box" way.Also,the articles by various artists are as interesting and,at times,as off-beat as the book itself. If you are looking for a Collage/Assemblage book that has a more straight-forward approach to work in this medium,I wouldn't suggest this book. However, if you own or have read ones about this subject and want something different,then give this one a look..

I wanted to buy this book for a while, and finally I was able to as part of my research for a writing class I was taking this summer. Don't wait for an excuse to buy it like I did. If you are thinking about purchasing this book just do it. It is beautiful and loaded with wonderful ideas and inspirations. Whether you are an artist or just a wanna be, you will find something in it that inspires you. I am sure it will serve me well for years to come. I can't wait to find time to use it now.

I absolutely love this book! While a lot of books just tell you steps (which isn't bad), this one really sparks the imagination. It is my go-to book when I am looking for something to inspire me. Suzanne's writing flows easily, and each vignette gives you an idea of something new to inspire or try.
From the beautiful art work that permeates the pages, to the ideas to experiment with that will enhance or expand your creative juices, this book overflows with luscious things. It's like your battery has gotten jump-started! Whether you have wanted to try calligraphy/lettering, journaling, mail art, or something else, there is something here to tickle your fancy.

Yes the book is very visual and nice to look at. That's why it gets two stars. Took me about 5 minutes to leaf through as I'm not interested in personal stories, just interesting techniques, which I didn't find. North Light books seems to produce a lot of these, as I "read" another one that was the same situation (5 minute flip-through).

If you want to read someone else's personal journal about their art, while they showcase their art and journaling, intermingled with maybe 10 pages of actual how-to, then this is your book. If you are serious about learning mixed-media collage, try The Crafter's Complete Guide to Collage by Amanda Pearce. I just finished that one and it's discusses everything from supports to materials in a well-presented manner.

I'll pull out this book every time I want to make a book or journal. With this book in my library I'll never forget how.

Bev in Arizona

Esther Smith's "How to Make Books," which combines warmly written narratives with clearly written instructions, has shown me how to bring my love of reading into the third dimension. I love that active reading forces self-reflection; however, bare words, in that they can always be contradicted, often confuse more than they help. Through folding and cutting Instant Books, and quickly filling them with compiled words and images, I can instinctively react to an author's idea without second guessing away from myself. Esther Smith's examples, alongside her encouragement to experiment, have helped me see myself more clearly. My eyes and hands are involved with words in a wonderful new way, and I highly recommend this book to other readers.

Full disclosure alert: I haven't seen every book-making craft book out there, but I have a few of the big ones, and this is the book I like best. Why? Simple: clarity and ease of instructions. I don't know about you, but a little too often I find myself reading through the instructions in a craft book going, "Okay, but how do I DO that?" Not so with this book. That really set it apart.

Plus, the author is just so charming! She packs plenty of stories from a full life as an artist into these pages; they're a fun read and very inspiring too. I was delighted to discover that she gives classes at Cooper Union in NYC. Her class is now on my to-do list.

With a bulging shelf and a hard drive full of patterns, I'm on a craft book diet right now, but I had to make an exception for this one because it's so good.

I had never made a book and needed to learn how, fast, for a class project. This book did the trick. The author clearly describes how to make several simple types of books (accordion, pamphlet, etc.) and also gets into more complicated techniques like Coptic binding. Her examples are creative and inspiring.

Came in good shape and in good time. Wish it had more information on the coptic stich, but oh well. My friend enjoyed it.

This book had a lot of really fun art ideas that my boys loved. It is very hands on, and you can mix in science with your art. My history buff loved the art history, and this book inspired much online investigation and a planned trip to our local art museum. It is a great way to introduce your child to real art- but is also fun and "crafty." My high-energy boys loved this book, and I can not recommend it enough.

I buy these books because my grandkids love them too. They always have age appropriate topica and seem to keep pace with their interests as they grow. They are challenged and they learn as they work through the books. Mom & Dad love them too.

This was a huge hit with my two daughters, ages 6 and 8. They passed many hours going through every project/exercise in the book. Later they devised ways to create their own projects based on ideas form the book. We also discovered which crafts the kids wanted to follow up on, we have ordered materials for metal foil embossing, etc. based on our experiences with this introductory book. I recommend this book highly, your kids WILL enjoy it!

I bought this book for my nephew, who is 10 years old. He opened his present and started looking through it right away, ignoring his other presents waiting to be opened. There is a nice selection of different activities in this book. I would recommend it for older children as it includes activities that require lots of cutting and pasting, and the tempura painting could be messy with younger children.

Crafty people will like this book, and all of klutz other books. This one has lots of fun things to do, and will keep you busy for a long time. You get to play with stickers, do sunburn art, paint with eggs (this sounds strange, but it works!!), and tons of other stuff. It's a cool book.

This is an awsome companion to the early Elm Creek Quilt book series. Anyone who enjoyed the novels will absolutely love actually seeing the quilts that were described in the books. I, for one, will continue to purchase any of the Jennifer Chiaverini, Elm Creek Quilt series.

Really enjoyed this series ..... lots of variety in the lives of the main characters .......

In receiving this book, as other Elm Creek Quilting books, I have enjoyed seeing what I have read in Ms Chiaverini's writings. I am working on a form of Sarah's Sampler from this book. I highly recommend all of the Elm Creek Quilting books to beginner or advanced quilter. Also, if you have not read Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Series I am sure they will bring you immense joy in knowing how our "forequilters" brought their projects to completion.

Being relatively new to quilting (have only been quilting for two years) I admit I bought this book only because I liked the novels so much, intending to some day have the time and skills to make the wonderful quilts I imagined and that were so beautifully brought to life in the cover at least (Round robin is practically exactly as I imagined it to be).

To my surprise, the quilts were not lovely. They were exquisite! I went mad about them! and on reading the instructions I found them clear, and the bits and snips of information about the characters and extracts from the novels only added to the charm of the quilt, for they reminded me about the circumstances in the novel around that particular quilt.

I highly reccomend this book, and since I am already starting one of the projects, soon I will add a review about how it was to actually follow the instructions to a neophite. I expect more experienced quilters will have no trouble at all

As I was reading the Elm Creek Quilts Novels, I tried to picture these works of art in my mind. This book was a delight because I was able to refer back and forth from the book to the quilt. It enabled me to enjoy the novels even more! Thanks so much for that "extra enhanced" visual. It has inspired me to start making my own quilt blocks.

This book on collage is a hit with all my high school art girls. It is the juice starter for even the most reluctant art students. I warn you all to get ready for big mess making and a lot of fun. Tracy also has some great tips for us seasoned artists that need a few news trick in our bag. There is a dvd also that makes a great companion to her book.

I got this book when it first came out because the reviews sounded so interesting and I had seen Traci's work featured in magazines. The thing I love most about this book is that it features lots of COLOR and originality as opposed to lots of vintage photos of people with dunce hats, clown hats, butterfly wings and angel wings nestled into muted walnut-ink-stained backgrounds. I refer to this book often for inspiration and I really appreciate that it incorporates sewing. I have a degree in graphic design but sewing has remained a love of mine for 45 years. The softness of fabric, along with the usefulness and permanence it offers, give it the edge over just paper.

This was the first collage book I purchased when I found I was really interested in this art form. She has some really creative, interesting ideas for lettering etc. REALLY neat mixed media ideas in here.

Tracy inspires you to get your hands inky and have a ball! I recently took an all-day class with Tracy in which we made the "Big Sac" featured in this book. The time just flew by, we all had a blast, and I get tons of compliments on my finished bag. I spent another day dyeing paper towels, which are so much fun to use in collage. These projects are perfect for someone who is just getting into collage and doesn't want to use "precious" materials - for the price of a roll of paper towels and a few dye re-inkers, you can make wonderful art and have a great time doing it!

I love art books but prefer to check them out from the library instead of buying them - I'd rather spend my $$ on supplies. However, when I find a book I want to refer to over and over again, I buy it. This is one of those books! Traci takes you from simple, quick techniques to more in-depth, time-intensive projects. The best part? With a little time & patience, ANYONE can master anything presented in Collage Unleashed. Traci's fun & free spirit drips off every page as she encourages you to use color and fun in your art. With clear directions, lots of pictures and a wide variety of great ideas, this book is a definite MUST HAVE. Collage Unleashed is the polar opposite of "stuffy" - you will find new techniques and lots of inspiration. Just be prepared - the eye candy contained in this book will have you trying fun new things before you know it!

I was really astonished at how many different ways to briad was presented in this book. I wanted it for just 1 braid, but it shows you how to make trim and everything. It is much more useful than I had expected.

A book like this can be used for decades. It's rich textures and colors make you want to create the braids. I love experimenting with designs like this to see how I can apply them. Wonderful.

Interesting book, a lot of interesting projects, with instructions. Do not think it is really suitable for a beginner, but some projects are possible for early projects. Recommend this simply for research and familiarity with possiblities of creative weaving.

A book with lots of ideas and clear instructions. However, I would have been happier if they had shown more applications for the various braids as well as instructions on how to apply the braids. Overall I am happy I made the purchase and will use the book for finishing needlepoint projects.

jacqui carey has produced another first-rate instruction manual. the selection of techniques brings together methods from weaving as well as braiding and knotting, so nearly every crafter will find something new to them. there are even instructions for using a lucet, not the most common textile tool. there is a very brief section on basic tassel making, enough to provide a finishing element for the braids.

the book is beautifully organized. the instructions are clear and thoroughly illustrated. as always, carey includes the construction details that make the process easier and that result in professional quality work.

the best part of the book is carey's incredible inventiveness. even with the simplest technique, her combinations of texture, weight, and color create lovely, striking and elegant results.

the braids could be used by anyone involved with textiles--embellish clothing, hats, purses, make belts; decorate pillows, upholstery and curtains. use them as jewelry. the quick ones could be used to tie presents for stylish presentation. endless possiblities.

carey is english, so many of the terms for yarn might not be familiar to american readers. but the photos are very clear, so finding equivalents would not be a problem.

a really useful, inspiring resource.

If you are looking to start work with wire, this is the book for you. The pictures are in color, clear and close up and the authors explain each step for the simple minds. You will learn the basic starting points for every wire project and be able to build upon those skills in no time with practice. Kudos to Getting started Series!

This is a great primer for working with wire, it's well explained and well photographed and doesn't require any speciality tools.
It starts at a very basic level, explaining about wire gauge and bead sizes with charts in both mms and American gauge sizes, it takes you step by step from there.
It is a little basic, it's a book for beginners, but I found a lot of things in it I'll use as well, including a method for making earring wires that doesn't use jigs and it explains very neatly how to do wrapped links.
It's a book I'd recommend to anyone who would like to learn the basics of working with wire. It doesn't have fancy wrapped pendants, just the basic techniques that come in so handy every day.

I purchased this book a while back, and still create pieces from this book. I have sold many items from it, as well as the bracelet on the front cover. I think the wire wrapper and anyone interested in something different will enjoy this book for years to come

Good for techniques but to me the designs are not attractive.....To each his/her own I guess.
"grannyvette"

This is a good book, lots of projects and step by step guides. Well worth the money and I made a couple of the items and they came out beautiful.