Crafts Hobbies Books

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.

I gifted this book to my friend Arthur who moved to Chicago lately. He went on a cruise with his dad and they ended up having a great time!! The folded towels on his bed is what he most recalled about the trip, so I gave him this book so he could do it himself! And it reminds him of the great times with his dad while he's away in Chicago. It was a perfect gift - he LOVED it!!!

This is just fun - like the towel figures on a cruise ship. I gave this as a gift and will probably order more.

I was pretty disappointed with this book and cannot really recommend it. First, over half of the designs are pretty boring and not really worth doing (Lips? A plain heart? Boring.) The rest of them seem to all use different sizes and number of towels. To do the palm tree you need FIVE hand towels. I for one don't generally keep *that* many towels of the same color lying around. The other main problem is the directions are not terribly clear. For instance, the instructions for the dog tell me to roll up the long ends into the middle, and after trying this a couple times, and wondering why it wasn't working, I realized it really wanted you to roll the *short* ends into the middle. Clear errors like this make it annoying to use and just not worth paying for when there are other cheap and even free sources out there for this material (try a google search for "towel folding" or "towel origami".)

Pinson Fulfillment - excellent service and quick delivery of this book ordered from Amazon. Thank You.

This book contains many fun ways of shaping towels to give as gifts, or to decorate the towels you leave out for guests. While I agree that it's not really origami, it's still a lot of fun and a very cute idea.

All of the projects that I've tried have worked out.

The book itself would make a good gift for any quirky people that you know.

I got this book for Christmas last year. Almost all of the projects are ones I will actually make (many books have one, or two, and the rest are junk).

The patterns are mostly easy to follow, and the results are beautiful. While many of the items are not things I would wear myself they make great gifts, and are a good base to use when making up your own patterns. A GREAT idea book and great for gifts.

I recently purchased this book and have not been able to put it down. Gorgeous pieces, beautiful pictures and glossy thick pages. Not only do I want to make everything in the book, it's perfect for a twenty-something like myself who likes feminine things and a little bit of trend and flair at the same time. This knits in this book remind me of something you might find at Anthropologie. A little bit vintage, very feminine, luxurious and cute. The Daphne purse on the cover is to die for- and I see myself making about 5 of them for people for Christmas time. lol The Fair Isle patterns are not to difficult and gorgeous. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves to make beautifully feminine pieces for themselves or others.

The projects look nice, but I'm a bit weirded out by the photos of the models who look like they're just out of Jane Eyre's boarding school and two minutes away from coughing up a lung. Yuck!

I got this book in order to knit pretty, stylish things for my granddaughters. I love to knit and why make a bunch klutzy stuff they won't like? It is full of great ideas and the patterns are easy to use. I have knit two of the classic beanies since last night and have embellished one with folk-art star buttons and the other with a small bouquet of knitted flowers, from directions given further on in the book for embellishing an evening bag. I added a knitted leaf with a ladybug button. Both hats came out great and not a bit grandmotherly. I am going to add some arty glass beads to the flower centers tomorrow to jazz it up another notch. These are great basic patterns for getting your creative juices flowing and your embellishing stash involved. Very feminine, nice pattern stitches, very classic designs. If they aren't classic yet, they will be. Young hip people will like these designs, and so will their grandmothers.

I bought this book for it's potential gift resources and discovered that the author and myself have very similar taste in yarn and accessories; so much so that for once I actually had the same yarns at hand for the patterns. We just clicked, and so did my needles. So far the patterns have been true to measure, really cute, and the recipients have loved them. I've combined some of these designs with things from 'Knitting Over the Edge' with wonderful results especially with the hats. The instructions are very well written and easy to follow and the photography is beautiful, what more could I ask?

If you are really into felted wool this book contains nice little wallet type bags that are stunning. Sally Mavor's work is awe inspiring and worth the price of this book. Everything you could wish for

If you want to look at truly innovative and beautiful art, this is the book. I love to look at art books, as well as make stuff, so I found this book truly satisfying. You must have it in your collection, if only for your own satisfaction. The artist has included extremely good instructions for making the dolls and background. I may get around to it...someday.

Felt Wee Folk is one of the most inspirational books I have come across in a long time, I just love it. Readers can't help but be captivated by these little Wee Folk and their magical world. The book contains lots of ideas for different characters, including ideas for both boys and girls. Also included are other projects made from felt like badges and purses that are equally enchanting. I can't wait to start some projects from this book for my children. Highly recommend this book to other craft people, particularly hand sewers.

Felt Wee Folk is a lovely book filled with photographs and easy directions for making pipe cleaner figures, some as small as 1.5 inches. My daughter loves playing with the flower fairies I've made for her. There are other felt projects as well, although I haven't tried any yet. I'd give the book five stars if I didn't have to flip back and forth across a couple pages for directions, but the more dolls I make, the less I have to do that.

This book was an excellant purchase. It is detailed in showing you how to created these lovely little dolls, with exceptional patterns for clothing in such a wide variety. The possibilities are endless limited only by your own creativity. This book is a must for anyone caring to create these adorable little collectible dolls.

The author makes this very easy. Granted this is a beginners book but you can still make a 'pretty' on your first effort. Her dimensions for a wooden marudai (stand) were so accurate that my husband made me one from scrap hardwood in his shop. Like most arts/crafts,you can go forward from this point and get into really complicated braids, or not....the choice is up to you. There are many practical uses for beautiful braids. My first one is attached to a pull for a ceiling fan. This book contains instructions for square, round and flat braids.

As a beginner to kumihimo, I felt this book covered all the basics needed to learn the braiding process. Once you follow the step by step photo images and diagrams, it was easy to pick up the steps. Although I used the pearl cotton threads for my first project, it is not necessary to keep using the suggested threads as they can be costly. I used cotton blend yarn, nylon cord, and even hemp as my cords and found great results, depending on your project needs.

I am a new Kumihimo enthusiast and was looking for something to help me. I love the photos and very easy to follow directions and diagrams! Would definately recommend to those who are interested in this very addictive craft!

Was a little too much for a beginner. But gave me lots of good ideas that I will try when I become more experienced in Kumihimo. Beautiful pictures in the book. Great as a reference text, but do not use if you are trying to learn.

This was the first book I purchased on this subject. I have to admit it was not easy getting started, but the book became my "bible". I am now creating leads for show dogs using this skill. They are selling very well and I can hardly keep up with my orders. I strongly recommend this book for anyone wishing to gain a good background in working with Kumihimo.

I LOVE this book!!! She explains the technique for stitches in a manner that is easy to understand, unlike any other instructions I've ever encountered. After reading her instructions, I have been able to do stitches that I haven't been able to do reading other people's instructions.

Want to learn how to properly use seed beads for designs that can be uniquely yours - GET THIS BOOK FIRST. Learn the patterns and yes, even like this author (including myself) you may want to throw your early attempts across the room. But keep at it. Once you master even a few basic stitches through the author's guidance and your determination, I am certain all can readily design their own works of seed bead art. The only factor about this book that I would have liked to see is a few more schematic sketches of the next few rows of beading. However, follow the rules and then create. Other beading projects including cabachon beading first involve the basic stitches - and this book is the best in my library of numerous seed beading books.

This is a very creative book by a very gifted artist. Very detailed instructions. I really like it better than most beading books.

This is the best bead book I have ever brought I have beaded for the last 4 years and I found that it was easy to read and very good for the begining and the advanced. The best purchase I have made for a long time. wonerful wonderful sylvia martin

This happened to be the first seed bead book I bought, and though I've collected a few others, it remains my favorite. The instructions are clear, the illustrations are excellent, and the project ideas are inspiring (and do-able). My favorite: The spiral stitch -- see the design shown on the cover in Crayola-like colors. It was not only fun to make, but came out exactly as shown. The book is organized in a way that makes sense: after an overview of the materials you will need, there is a chapter devoted to each stitch (with variations). It's full of pretty things you'd actually like to make. (Please note this is seed bead stitching - there is no loom work.)

Not a book for artist beginners. This was really helpful in learning the history of many Celtic designs and if you're interested finding a wonderful tattoo.

I gave this book as a gift to an artist-friend, who loves it so much, he takes it and a sketchpad everywhere. I wish all my gifts were as well-received!

This book is a great book of celtic design. It not only gives the history of design but it also includes a wonderful section on drawing knot work and celtic design. This is the best book I have seen thus far on celtic design and knot work.

Interesting and informative book from the beginnings of the creation of the Celtic knot, to applying in artistic venues. Only thing that could have been offered, more ideas on uses for the patterns, not just pencil renditions. Beading, embroidery, stained glass, tole painting.

Superbly written. Stunning array of patterns and descriptions. A must have for your craft source library.

Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket is an excellent resource for any home sewer seeking to improve tailoring skills. The many color illustrations make instructions exceptionally clear and easy to understand. Commercial patterns just do not provide enough accurate information to achieve a professional result in tailored jacket construction, but this book makes that possible.

I have not come across a book that would go into so much detail as this one. Although the styles are slightly outdated, the methods still hold their own in the world of fashion. As a teacher at a design school this book is absolutely essential in the construction process.

This book is great, as long as you are an experienced seamstress [sorry for the possible sexist misunderstanding]. Really great tips and hints for someone who has significant experience with sewing and/or tailoring. Wonderful photos!

This is a fully illustrated guide to the three main methods of tailoring: custom tailoring done by hand, machine tailoring, and tailoring using fusible interfacing. The book is quite comprehensive, covering the entire process of making a tailored jacket from selecting the materials, including a detailed section on different types of interfacings, through fitting the pattern, cutting and marking, and all steps of construction for the three methods. There is an illustrated guide to the tools used in tailoring, detailed instructions for several kinds of pockets including patch pockets, lined patch pockets, welt pockets, single welt pockets and welt pockets with flaps, and a section on bound buttonholes. Linings are also covered, including hand installation of linings, machine installation of linings, partial linings, and how to make partial or full linings for an unlined jacket pattern. The book focuses on jackets with notched collars, explaining that these require the most tailoring, but shawl collars are also covered. Other types of collars are not specifically addressed.
The book is clear and comprehensive, and a great choice for anyone wishing to learn tailoring. I do have a few criticisms. Some things are explained in great detail, such as the pockets and a section on threads, equipment and techniques for hand sewing. Some others are not and omit a few details that would have been helpful. For instance, the book explains that taping the front is done in custom tailoring but not necessary in machine or fusible tailoring, and it clearly explains how to tape the front step by step and with full color photo illustration. It doesn't explain why taping the front is important or what it does. I found out courtesy of one of Claire Schaeffer's couture patterns for Vogue that taping the front weights it so that the fronts of the jacket hang perpendicular to the floor even when the jacket is open instead of slanting. The book mentions jump pleats in the lining section but doesn't explain how to form one. There is a section comparing the three methods and examples of how one might use a combination of methods, but it doesn't really explain the pros and cons of each method. The author also seems to have a few personal biases, such as recommending against silk as a lining material because it can get water stains under the arms.
Overall it is a very good guide but I would recommend supplementing it with other books if you really want to get into the subject.

I agree with everyone's opinions here and confirm that this book has the same content in the Singer Tailoring book that is part of the useful Singer Sewing Reference Lirary series published in 1988 by Cy DeCosse Inc. The table of content are a spot-on-match to the Singer original as are the clear photos using contrasting thread for clarity.
The explantions of using fusible interfacing (which tailoring purist in the past would turn their nose up at as being low class and cheap) and machine stitching instead of pad-stitiching, both of which are found in today's expensive Armani clothes, are very helpful.
I have just about every tailoring book published, including the Adele Margolis, Roberto Cabrera and Stanley Hostek classics, but this is the book I reach for often.

My wife asked for this for her birthday. She absolutely loves it. So much so that we recently purchased 7 more as gifts for her friends in different crafting groups. She insists that 4000 Flower and Plant Motifs has inspired her with tons of quilting/craft ideas. This book is a great gift.

Sam Hendricks, author of "Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comrehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football" and "Fantasy Football Almanac"

I'm an avid embroiderer, always looking for the perfect design to embellish a cardigan or pillowtop. McCallum's collection offers plenty of ideas and serves as a springboard for some of my own. I imagine this would be an equally essential tool for many other types of hobbyists. This one is nice just to leaf through, too -- it's very well arranged. I'm tempted to order his other books right away, but there's plenty to work with right here.

I have a collection of books on designs and historical motifs. This is one of the most useful. I'm using it to create designs for decorating pottery.

This book has found a permanent spot in my home, namely, on my desk, where I do all my hobbies. It has loads of great ideas that I've already used. Can't wait for the author's next book --apparantly its a sourcebook on animal designs.

I love this book for the quilting designs it inspires. If you're stuck for ideas, open McCallum's book and start drawing.

Here is a wonderful series of 3 books on the Elm Creek Quilts and Sylvia Compson. In Runaway Quilt, here is the story told in both the earlier days and current times concerning quilts used to help runaway slaves in the underground railway. What does a quilt hanging on the clothesline mean and why are the centers of the log cabins black? This is both a fascinating story and one that takes us back in time giving us some historical perspective.

A Quilter's Legacy is just that, what quilt legacy has Eleanor Bergstrom left for her daughter, Sylvia? Here we read about Sylvia and Andrew traveling the US both to see his family(do we hear wedding bells in their future?). Sarah has found a website for missing quilts and has entered her drawings and info on Sylvia's quilts of which I believe there were 5 she knew were ones that Claudia had sold. What happens to the quilts, where are some found and what condition is like a mystery unfolding. Of course it won't be all good news but there are many twists and turns.

The last book is the Master Quilter. Sylvia and Andrew marry without the help of the Elm Creek Quilters except for Sarah and Matt. Being caught off guard, the quilters decide to make a wedding quilt from 12 x 12 blocks that are submitted by anyone who has known Sylvia or has been to Quilt Camp. The lives are other members of the Elm Creek Quilters are further developed with some finding many challenges such as Bonnie or Judy. In the midst of this there is funny scene with Mary Beth Callahan and Diane at Quilt Guild meeting along with an unfortunate robbery. This book really spices up the lives of the quilters.

Once again these three books make for great reading no matter if this is the first of the series you have read. So sit down with some tea and enjoy a good read!

I am enjoying this book very much. Interesting reading and is a saga of people. Elaine Fodor

I read the first 3-in one novel, and ordered the 2nd 3-1 one novel in the series. Being a quilter, I absolutely love them and recommend them to all quilters! Bobbie, Staunton, IL

I am enjoying The Elm Creek Quilts Album novels. This is the second set of 3 novels by the same author. Good reading if you like family stories, if you are a crafter / quilter and like some historical info added to the storyline.

You don't have to be a quilter to enjoy the three stories combined in this volume. Novels 4, 5, and 6 in the Elm Creek Quilters series by Jennifer Chiaverini do not disappoint. If you enjoyed the first 3 novels in the series, you will enjoy continuing the saga in these next 3. I especially enjoyed the first story in this volume ("The Runaway Quilt"). Historical fiction lovers will especially appreciate this riveting story pertaining to the Underground Railroad during the Civil War era. Many thanks to Ms. Chiaverini for continuing to bring us more and more stories in this marvelous series.