Crafts Hobbies Books

This is the best of the artist books on how they and others have made it in the art world - successfully! It is inspirational and yet honest. Testimonies by other artists add interest, especially since they work in varied media. Tips on how to make it and yet develop a thick-skin for particular situations added to the usefulness in motivating any artist. The quality of the book is impressive, from the type of paper, images, and resources, making it a reference that I can use for many years to come.

Excellent, very helpful and an easy read. It answered a lot of questions I had and taught me thinks I hadn't thought of.

It's about time this book was written. I found it insightful and thoughtfully written. Donald Clark has presented the world of marketing and selling your craft to the novice in a way that makes sense of it all. From the wonderfully asthetically pleasing layout to the expert perspectives this book was a joy to read. The advice given is advice that I will take to heart as I enter the business of making art. Hopefully, I will be as successful as the artists that are fortunate enough to be represented by Donald Clark. This book is a must for anyone who has thoughts of entering this world and looking for truth of how to make that happen.

This book is excellent for tips and ideas on how to get started on a home crafting business. My favorite part about the book is that it tells you what you need to do to get licensed, what steps to take to get there, and how to submit the information. I would highly recommend this book to anyone just thinking of selling thier homemade treasures.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in making a living selling their creations. Mr. Clark provides a complete guide with the information neccessary to help artists reach their potential. From the basics of consignment to desirable ways to sell and market your crafts, he has thoughtfully included it all. By implementing what I've learned in this book, we are well on our way to making a living doing what we love to do, in less than a year! Thank you, Donald Clark!

This is a wonderfully prepared book for those just starting out in Medieval European costuming. It covers many of the basics and styles that were present throughout the region during this period and is a great starting place for novice and intermediate costumers to get the feel practice of simple styles.

PLEASE NOTE: This book is NOT out of print and you should not be paying any more than $45 for it. If you look around, you can find it as cheap as $25. Definitely worth adding to the library! Enjoy!

This book is a must-have. It shows how to make the patterns fit and work, and explains the garments well. I used this book to help me figure out the pattern for fitted hose, and Tudor Tailor to help fit the hose... and together I managed to get some nice hose! The braies pattern, like the rest of the explanations is easy to understand on first-read. I recommend it!

I bought this book after reading the description. The photos and information on how to recreate medieval clothing are very useful for seamstresses and beginner alike. Full-color photos of people in clothing made helps with the 3-D aspect of what it looks like. Use this book in conjunction with other references and you will not be disappointed.

A great place to start if you're looking for the medieval common clothes patterns and sewing techniques.
It's not riddled with complicated notions and covers a lot of items, from underwear's to capes and hair net's creation guidelines.
A lot of useful sketches and drawings come to add value to the... unisex patterns (I mean there's always only one pattern from which both men's and women's clothes can be created).
I'd recommend it to all interested in making their own medieval garments.

I love this book, and not just because it's a great primer on medieval clothing. It's also the best book on basic pattern-drafting I've found yet. You'll need a friend for pinning the block (a patient, non-grouchy friend, preferably), but the instructions are incredibly clear and simple. With almost no drafting experience, I was able to draft a very closely-fitting kirtle and cotehardie. The sleeves still need tweaking to fit perfectly, but sleeves are difficult and mine are totally wearable. For a first attempt at sleeve drafting, I'm quite happy (and the fit problems are all in the arm and wrist, not the armscye).

While this book is not comprehensive and I'd recommend supplementing it with other sources (no mention of fur tippets, only tippet style included is a straight band, doesn't include bliauts or much instruction on headwear, no eight-panel cotehardie, no two-piece sleeves, etc.), it's an indispensable primer for patterning and sewing medieval clothing that is suitable for the advanced beginner to intermediate sewer. The book does an admirable job providing an introduction to the clothing of a very broad time period.

To supplement "The Medieval Tailor's Assistant," I'd recommend the Excavations in London series, particularly "Textiles and Clothing" and "Dress Accessories," "Medieval Military Costume," by Gerry Embleton (does include some women's clothing; no patterns), and the annual journal "Medieval Clothing and Textiles," ed. Robin Netherton (volume 1 has an excellent article on fur tippets). A book or two on tablet-weaving might also be of interest for making your own belts and girdles.

This was my first introduction to the world of dyeing with plants. The photography is terrific and gives you a good idea of what you'll get from each plant. Mordants are discussed, and the plants that are included are covered thoroughly for both cultivation and dye recipes. My only regret? That I can't find the seeds for the Japanese Indigo! I recommended this book to several people when we attended our local fiber festival.

the recipient was very happy, & is busy putting in beds of plants to do home dyeing of medieval faire clothing.

For those doing creative re-enactment (SCA, Renn faires), this is an essential reference for growing and using natural dye plants. The book includes plants to grow, plants NOT to grow (invasive species), and plants that pay off with dye materials in one season. The margins of the book are organized by color family, and there are lovely schematics on how to organize a dye-plant garden for production or for high-intensity cultivation with raised rows--or just a pretty border. There are some basics of plant dyeing, information on mordants (salts that change color or cause it to stick to fiber.) A small but potent book, probably a must for anyone doing authentic reproduction of antique fibers or for anyone who likes the idea of home-dyed fiber but with naturally-obtained materials. Great for home schooling. Highly recommended.

I particularly recommend this book as a visual source for historical re-enactors.

Too often there are descriptions of what dye-plants were used to color garments, but, no examples of what those colors would look like. This book provides clear, vivid color photos on a whole range of dye-plants grown during pre-medieval, medieval, Colonial, and later times. Additionally, it shows the same dye used on different fibers, sometimes with different mordants (fixers). Fiber samples include linen, wool, silk, and cotton.

I recommend this book to people interested in making clothing from "modern" material...it gives them the best opprotunity possible to try to find close color-matches. Alternately, it provides solid information to dye cloth by hand.

Also, the low price can't be beat!

This book focuses mainly on the home growing and use of dye plants. There is even a section devoted to the layout of the home dye garden. General mordanting and dye bath info is given at the beginning of the book. In the "Portfolio of Dye Plants" which follows, two pages are devoted to each dye plant. For each plant, 4-10 color photos illustrate the results obtained with various mordants on different fibers. The instructions for using different plants are not in traditional recipe form. Instead, Buchanan indicates how much plant material is generally required for a given amount of fiber ("flowers from 8 plants," etc). This fits in with Buchanan's emphasis on diversity of color over reproducibility, but it could be troublesome for users of purchased dyestuffs. In short, this book is nice to look at, easy to use, and appears to contain highly useful information for dyer/gardeners.

The wild designs to color here present the most perfect break from your other daily activities -- creative or otherwise. This book is so good for releasing stress that Amazon should require a perscription to purchase it. That's some powerful tension-release!

A Kaleidoscopia Coloring Book: Abstract Adventure is filled with beautiful images just waiting for your finishing touches. It's an inspiration.

I Love this abstract coloring book !! This is a wounderful product and i would recomend this to anybody who loves to color abstract coloring pages.

This is one that I have already started on,..with colored pencils,...,..I really enjoyed what little that I have started on,.last night,..Arcystal

This coloring book is imaginative and fun! The pages are full of interesting & creative designs. a++

Thank you for bringing these wonderful coloring books to Amazon.com! Year after year, at Minneapolis's Art a Whirl I look forward to finding Kendall Bohn's art studio because of the colorful and intellectual art he produces. Kendall is an artist who has not forgotten our children (and the children at heart) and their need for abstract, creative and fun art. Each coloring book is a flawless masterpiece which makes them a fantastic gift for cultivating imagination. At any age, anyone can color one of these beautiful pages to match any room and frame them for all to admire. I look forward to your continued releases!

Received it one day, returned it the next! It was a real disappointment in that there was nothing new or exciting in the entire book. I would have been smart to have paid attention to the other reviewers before buying this one. The one star I gave it is for appearance only.

I really love this book. The projects are all so pretty! They are fun, clever and easy to do in a short time. I've made a couple already and want to make them all. Plus, the ideas are really customizable to your own taste.

The book is well-designed, the photos beautiful and tempting and the illustrations add charm...and maybe describe the project a little. But the instructions are so clear, you don't really extra help to figure it out.
If you like quick little sewing projects, you need this book!

Pretty Little Patchwork by Lark Books

Está bien el único fallo es que no tiene esquemas del paso a paso.

Lark Book usually offer high quality titles, but this one does not. The projects are quite amateurish and look unfinished instead of polished. Nothing original in this book.

Mostly this book is just regular patterns made with patchwork fabric. The clutch on the front could easily be made with any clutch pattern, substituting a section of pieced fabric when you cut out the pattern. The apron with the fringe of patchwork down the side and many of the other patterns seem a bit forced as far as 'patchwork' goes. There is one quite interesting fabric basket, but overall there's nothing particularly interesting or unique in the book. It might be worth checking a copy out from the library to jump-start your creativity, but I probably wouldn't buy it.

As reviewed in Melisse Laing's "Stitches & Stuff" column in The Daily News, Longview, WA on August 26, 2008:
"My third book recommendation features the recent work of my friend and mentor, Nancy Crow. "Crossroads - Constructions, Markings and Structures" was created to accompany a solo exhibition of Nancy's work at the Snyderman Galler in Philadelphia in 2007. Commentary is by David Hornung, gallery director, and Nancy herself.
What makes this book special are the photographs, not only of the completed work hung in the exhibition, but also of Nancy at work in her studio, the works in progress and pages from her journal. I have known Nancy for years as an incredible piecer. It's exciting to see this work expanding and to see her new direction, working with markings using paintbrush and screens."

This is an interesting book. Not exactly what I thought it would be, but interesting nonetheless. The interview helps readers understand the artist.

Nancy Crow is a very prolific, hard working quilt artist whose innovative work never fails to fascinate. In the almost forty years that she has been quilting, teaching and leading developments in the quilting community, her work has evolved from quilts inspired by the grid type patterns that many quilters traditionally use to works that have more in common with contemporary paintings. She was one of the earliest quilters to break away from the traditional concept of the quilt as something made for the bed and instead has made quilts that are more suitable for hanging on the wall. Whereas her earlier work was characterized by complexity, the work she is doing now is focused on simpler shapes and more graphic qualities. Taking a cue from African American quilter Anna Williams (whom she credits for the inspiration) Crow moved to using spontaneous and intuitive cutting and piecing in the last decade. Despite her innovations, she continues to machine piece her works and she employs a hand quilter who finishes them.

This book is the fourth book that she has published in her extensive career. Like all of the others, the book is of very high quality, replete with fascinating photos and excerpts from the journals she keeps. The book accompanied a 2007 exhibit of twenty-five quilts at the Snyderman Gallery in Philadelphia, PA. The exhibit focused on three series she is working on, "Constructions," (machine pieced and quilted cottons that she hand dyes in her studio; "Markings," (screen printed and monoprinted fabrics that are pieced in large sections and hand quilted) and "Structures" (whole cloth quilts that are screenprinted and then hand quilted). Some of the "Structures" quilts are very reminiscent of the African Bogolanfini textiles.

I have to admit that I was at first quite taken aback by the evolution of some of her work in this book. These are not "pretty" quilts. A number of them are reminiscent of and are named by expressions of her inner anxiety and turmoil, which she writes about in the journals. No, these are not "pretty" quilts, but they are very powerful, very graphic, very beautiful, and I have grown to like them as much as I have liked her other work. The quilts in the "Construction" series had me wondering "How does she do that?" They are fascinating works.

An extensive introductory essay by David Hornung pays tribute to Crow as an artist, teacher and leader in the quilting community. For those interested in learning from her, Nancy Crow teaches classes on her farm in Ohio and around the country.

you dont find these books any more. Old traditional silversmithing is in extinction and moreso are books being written on this subject in a fully descriptive manner. This silversmithing compendium rigorously explains each process involved from botttom to top taking full notice of every detail and possible situation. This means that you dont need to take things for granted or fill blanks by using your imagination or common sense, since all processes are outlined extensively. This is a technical book in the most full extention of its meaning. For any experienced silversmith it will bring to light concepts and facts that are not always fully understood nowadays, such as the crystaline behaviour of metals being raised or formed, the extense variety of stakes and the possible uses for them, etc. Even thogh some of the traditional processes are too time consuming or obsolete given the technology involved in metalsmithing nowadays, the information contained in this fabulously written book is of essential importance for any silversmith or aspiring metalsmith.

There is little that can be added to what the other reviewers have already said in terms of the quality of the information and material in this very good book. The high point for me is the large amount of black and white photos, all of perfect lighting and quality, that accompany the text. If, like me, you are a novice but are learning the hard way without someone to personally guide you then these will be a god send compared with the other high quality books out there that lack them.
As to the book itself the authors have broken it into six main sections:
1. Introduction to Silversmithing
2. Basic Treatments
3. Basic Tools and their uses
4. General Procedures
5. Special Procedures
6. Projects
From my own point of view the Projects section is the best because we get to see these very able men firstly "Sink a Bowl" then they "Sink a Plate and Tray". Next they "Raise a Bowl without crimping" and then one with crimping. They then raise a "Creamer with Self-Spout". "Construct a Box", "Forge some Flatware", "Forge a Punchbowl Ladle" and finish with "Stretching a Gravy Boat". The accompanying photos show the tools for each item and we get almost a complete set of photos showing the stages from start to finish.
The items they manufacture have little decoration which is not required due to their design. So whilst there is a section on Chasing and Repoussé work it is not as extensive as in some of the other books out there. However it gives the basics to start from. If someone is looking for a more exhaustive treatment of that subject then they would be better to consult "Metal Techniques for Craftsmen" by Oppi Untracht. Anyway that is really a side issue and does not detract from what is a brilliantly clear exposition of a skill and art form which is disappearing in the age of mass production. Indeed they state their desire in the preface to the book to pass on to an interested new generation that which is fast being forgotten. Luckily for us they have helped us by doing such an outstanding job.
Finegold and Seitz round the book out with some conversion charts and add some charts relating to gauges, weights and tempering temperatures.
I highly recommend as others have that you do not go without a copy.

Good book, good photos and explanations. Nothing takes the place of a good teacher but this is worth the read.

Some great information in here... Not a lot about jewelry, however. Great for learning use of tools, polishing, etc. More geared towards large items like silver bowls and utensils. All black and white, maybe not as appealing as full color photos. Nice reference book.

The 3 stars represent disappointment on applicabiity, not the quality of the book. I did find some useful instruction which will apply to my size scale, like bending flat strips, raising, tensioning and a few other things, but if you are looking for something on the wear scale, this ain't it unless you want to do really tiny teapots and bowls.

I know very little about pottery but I have spent a lot of reading time studying Buddhism and specifically Zen and its underlying life philosophy. I found these essays to be especially beautiful in showing the way for artists and craftsmen to embrace 'no-mindedness' in their creative efforts, effacing their own egos and personalities in order to let nature flow through them in the creative process.

'Objects born, not made' is an especially humbling concept to consider. To think that the objects are 'born' through nature and the craftsman is mostly a mere vehicle for that, his signature on 'his' work completely unncessary, the object itself being the 'signature'.

I was pleased to see in the next to last essay in this collection, the author's references to the 'Way of Tea' and its demonstration of the same principles embodied in this work. I strongly recommend 'The Book of Tea' by Okakuro Kakuzo as an adjunct to this material, amplifying his ideas and further reflecting the beauty of Zen.

My only objection, and this is really minor, is this work's subtitle 'A Japanese Insight into Beauty'. As many Japanese are not Buddhist and do not embrace the Zen philosophy, nor understand it, this insight is not so much 'Japanese' as 'Zen'. Thus the finer subtitle could have been 'A Zen Insight into Beauty'.

This remarkable, must-have book is half superb pictures of various Oriental objects of manufacture become recognized as quintessentially "unselfconscious" objects of art (the one of the "top" teacup in Japan alone is worth the book's price), and half short but very eye-opening essays on various dimensions of beauty, creativity, and the aesthetic experience.

MUCH generally accepted superficiality (and downright phoniness) in the field of art appreciation is solidly debunked here (read the other reviews for more on the author's qualifications, plus some relatively piddling criticism from a few experts).

The pieces on the degeneration of the so-called "classic" Tea Ceremony and the cult of deliberate "beauty of ugliness" will provide much food for thought. Literally anyone interested in beauty and its representations will do very well indeed to acquire this truly irreplaceable read.

I too wish the book were 10 times as long! I believe it was out of print for awhile -- great to see it available new from Amazon at a reasonable price.

Oh -- on second thought, DO just buy this title, rather than borrow one first -- my copy is so heavily marked up that it would have been agony to have read a library copy....

This book was written by the father of the crafts movement in Japan, Yanagi Soetsu. He encouraged the Japanese to appreciate their national arts at a time of modernization and Westernization in Japan. The book covers areas of craft such as cermaics and lacquers.

Yanagi's words are so dense, packed, and rich with meaning. He has keen insights into what real 'seeing' is, and how necessary it is in discerning beauty. But Yanagi's words run beyond insight, and have some of that deep ring of eternal 'Truth' to them. I highly recommmend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about what true 'seeing' is, and how it relates to the perception of beauty.

Soon after getting into custom furniture and cabinetmaking as a profession, I had come to that point where I began to tie my sense of self-worth to what other people thought of my work. Even worse, I began to feel that I was in a competition with my fellow woodworkers. Not only did I want their approval, but I thought I must strive to be better than them or I wouldn't achieve distinction (and therefore success). Then, via my explorations into Buddhism, I came across this book. It presented me with a heaping, much-needed serving of humble pie by telling me things like:

"A beautiful work of art...is the work of a man who is not (bound to) either beauty and ugliness or even to himself."

Yanagi was talking about the craftsman of Japan's past who, working with "total disengagement", created some of the most beautiful art objects the world has ever seen. This work was never signed because these were the products of craftsman who "made no effort to express their individuality through the medium of things; (instead) they produced things through the medium of man". As my understanding of Buddhism deepened, so didn't the import of these words. The bottom line was that I relaxed, I let myself enjoy the process and I let the objects I made speak for themselves. Humble pie never tasted so good.

Updated and modern look of the stitches make them look fun to try. Clear and full of gorgeously colored illustrations. Actual examples of finished garments and accessories at the end of the book made me want to start on a project right away.

It would be great if the author could include a note on how many stitches it uses per repeat for the pattern. It's a great little book, though, one I keep picking up for inspiration.

I highly recommend due to the beautiful array of crochet borders. Borders can be used on many crochet;knit and other crafts. A must for your collection. I would purchase it again!
J Porter, Jefferson, GA

I loved this book. Beautifully illustrated, has detailed instructions, and even has a basic skills instruction section in the back. It showed how to do beaded crochet trims, textured trims, fringes, and motifs. Also in the back, it showed how to do textured crochet, crochet in the round, working spike stitches and more. It is an excellent book for anyone who crochets because everyone needs to trim something at one point or another when creating a crochet project.

I love crochet books! But I was getting a little disappointed with what was out there. The same old same old. However, 150 Crochet Trims really delivers and then some. There are trims, braids, motifs, plus projects to put your new skills to work. I enjoyed the beaded, sequined and dangly-bits that can be crocheted with a minimum of time and effort but looking like what you'd see on a designer's drawing board. I highly recommend this book for you needlework reference library.

150 Crochet Trims by Susan Smith is a wonderful and helpful collection of trims and edgings and motifs. I recommend it to anyone who is wanting to add a beautiful touch to any outfit. I was glad to find a recent book with so many trim ideas. This book has also been very inspirational in giving me ideas of some new edgings that I had not thought of.

This book was extremely useful to me, it really provides me a clear picture of the colors,textures and designs of that time.

Gorgeous and fascinating! I love embroidery, so the history and reference in this book are especially interesting. Very good value.

This book has an abundance of photos of actual gaments to illustrate the various stitches. Anyone who loves this period of dress, and the details of fabric decoration that made the 18th C.costume unique, should have this book. Whether they are into making their own pirate coats, or just admiring the amount of work that our ancestors put into the highest fashions of the day, this is a valuable reference.

This is my favorite book, bar none. I know, weird, but I'm a fiber artist. The contents of this book take the mystery out of the "how'd they do that?" It explains clearly what and how embroidery, especially of royalty and the royal court, was accomplished. IF it was still clear as mud after I read it, there were pictures and drawings. The pictures, BTW, are amazing. The content, superb. The writing, clear and personal.

This book is well researched and presents clear detailed descriptions of a fascinating subject. I love the inserted quotes especially those from the ever chatty Mrs Delany. (I highly recommend the wonderful book by Ruth Hayden "Mrs Delany Her Life and her Flowers") The only reason I chose to give this book 4 stars rather than 5 is the lack of color photos of the garments. Too many of the items are represented by simple line sketches making them difficult to visualize.