JANUARY 6, 2017 – Submitted by Gwen Gatto, Library Assistant at Belmont Hills Library

Now that Fall is over and we’re in the new year, so when those feelings of winter nesting start wrapping their warm, cozy arms around you, it’s time to bring out the knitting needles and dust off the sewing machine. As a sewist myself, I’d like to recommend a few books to help get you back in the crafting mood. Most of these books are focused on sewing or quilting, but a few are thrown in just for fun, and they’re all available at your local Lower Merion library.

bend-the-rules Sewing
Bend The Rules Sewing

bend-the-rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew by Amy Karol (2007, 646.2 KAR) is a fun book to start your creative juices flowing. There are 30 cute and whimsical designs for the beginner to the advanced sewer, from the mega-cute “There is a Teapot Under Here” tea cozy and “Mixy-Matchy Napkins,” to the more challenging “Pleated Beauty Handbag.” There are also patterns for simple totes, headbands, a lap quilt, aprons, placemats, and some items for children, all with a materials list, easy-to-follow instructions, color photographs, and diagrams. Each project has a “Hints and Tips” box with helpful, well, hints and tips. At the front of the book are sections on what you need to know, such as sewing vocabulary, basic tools and notions, and handy techniques. Sewing patterns, templates and resources are located at the back of the book.

75 Fun Fat-Quarter Quilts
75 Fun Fat-Quarter Quilts

This bright and colorful new book, 75 Fun Fat-Quarter Quilts compiled by Roxane Cerda (2015, 746.46 SEV), will help with decreasing that ever-increasing pile of fat quarters that you just had to buy (well, the fabric was gorgeous). There are 13 quilt projects with 62 possible variations, by 14 popular designers, such as Allegory Lanham, Tiffany Jenkins, Charlotte Angotti, and Jera Brandvig. The skill level is easy enough for beginners and the designs are interesting enough for advanced sewers. Each project includes a color photograph of the completed quilt, materials and easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams, followed by a few variations complete with color illustration and instructions. All of the designs are based on squares and triangles (phew, no applique or curved piecing here!) making the sewing straightforward but leaving lots of room to let your colorful imagination run wild.

Go Big Go Bold: Large Scale Modern Quilts by Barbara Cain
Go Big Go Bold: Large Scale Modern Quilts by Barbara Cain

Not up for the whimsical? Well, then go big and bold with Go Big Go Bold: Large Scale Modern Quilts by Barbara Cain (2015, 746.46, CAI). This exciting book showcases 10 quilt projects that are fast and easy to construct – you could probably finish in a weekend, as long as you got the dog, any kids, and significant other out of the way! Each project features a beautiful color photograph of the finished project and lists materials, instructions, and templates, as well as suggestions for fabric and color choices. There is a section at the front of the book on helpful tips and techniques, and at the back of the book there are sections on cutting diagrams, quiltmaking basics, resources, and a glossary. If you’re looking for a way to gently break into the modern quilt movement, this is the book for you. Life is too short to stay small, so check out this book and go big!

Denyse Schmidt Modern Quilts Traditional Inspiration: 20 New Designs with Historic Roots
Denyse Schmidt Modern Quilts Traditional Inspiration: 20 New Designs with Historic Roots

Another wonderful book about modern quilts is Denyse Schmidt Modern Quilts Traditional Inspiration: 20 New Designs with Historic Roots by Denyse Schmidt (2012, 746.46 SCH). Oooohhhh, this book makes me want to just jump into the pictures and touch these stunning quilts! This is a generous book with lengthy discussions and instructions for each project, and is probably better suited for intermediate or advanced sewers, but beginners should definitely not hold back. And don’t be fooled by the ‘modern’ in the title or the cover photograph; the projects are based on traditional designs, such as Tobacco Leaf (the example shown is a gorgeous quilt in lime green, brown and cream), Mariner’s Compass, and Postage Stamp, and a Broderie Perse for the applique fans. Sections on tools, materials and techniques, and resources are at the back of the book, and be sure to read the three page introduction, it’s a mini-biography and summary of the book all rolled into one.

One-Yard Wonders: Look How Much You Can Make with Just One Yard of Fabric!
One-Yard Wonders: Look How Much You Can Make with Just One Yard of Fabric!

One of my all-time favorite sewing books is One-Yard Wonders: Look How Much You Can Make with Just One Yard of Fabric! by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins (2009, 646.2 YAK). While I may have quilt-envy leafing through some of the other books, I have actually made quite a few of the projects in this book. This is a fun book with lots of projects that can be made in half a day or less, or more if you’re slow and methodical like me. My favorite project is the “Towel Trimming Set,” where towels are embellished with fabric – a quick and easy project for when time is limited. My daughter has three sets of her very own towels, the cutest is the pink towel set with mermaid fabric. There are 10 chapters from Household Affairs to Outfit Your Small Wonder, with 5 to 12 projects included in each chapter, and each project has a color photograph of the completed project, materials list, easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams. There is something here for everyone, from the environmentally friendly “Quilted Lunch Bag” to the pet friendly “Cozy Dog Bed.”  Beginners and advanced sewers alike will find quite a few projects to begin their Winter nesting.

And just for fun, two craft books that will make you smile when its 10 below, are A Hot Glue Gun Mess: Funny Stories, Pretty DIY Projects by Mr. Kate (2015, 745.5 ALB) and

Curse-Free Crafting
Curse-Free Crafting

DIY, Dammit! A Practical Guide to Curse-Free Crafting by Joselyn Hughes (2015, 745.5, HUG). Both of these ladies take a humorous approach to crafting and DIY projects, complete with finished projects and instructions, and a few failures. Projects include a “Deconstructed Cuckoo Clock” and a “DIY Pom-Pom Chair” in Kate’s book, and a “Get Carried Away Tote” and “Because I Said So Embroidery project in Joselyn’s book. Happy crafting!

 

 

 

A few other sewing and crafting books that I haven’t written a review for but are worth taking a peek at are:

  • Favorite Fabric Bowls, Boxes & Vases by Linda Johansen (2016)
  • We Love to Sew: 28 Pretty Things to Make by Annabel Wrigley (2013, 646.1 WRI)
  • Half Yard Heaven: Easy Sewing Projects Using Left-over Pieces of Fabric by Debbie Shore (2013, 646.2 SHO)
  • ReFashion Handbook: Refit, Redesign, Remake for Every Body by Beth Huntington (2014, 646.2 HUN)
  • Supercraft: Easy Projects for Every Weekend by Sophie Pester and Catharina Bruns (2016, 745.5 PES)
  • Knitless: 50 No Knit, Stash Bustsing Yarn Projects by Laura McFadden (2015, 746.4 MCF)
  • Bead It, Iron It, Love It! Over 300 Great Motifs for Fuse Beads by Kaisa Holsting (2015, 745.582 HOL)
  • The Big Book of Mod Podge: Decoupage Made Easy by Lark Crafts (2015, 745.BIG)
  • Quilled Animals: 20 to Make by Diane Boden (2015, 745.54)
  • Hand Drawn Lettering: Draw, Print, Paint by Max Marlborough (2016, 745.61 MAR

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JANUARY 6, 2017 – Submitted by Gwen Gatto, Library Assistant at Belmont Hills Library

Now that Fall is over and we’re in the new year, so when those feelings of winter nesting start wrapping their warm, cozy arms around you, it’s time to bring out the knitting needles and dust off the sewing machine. As a sewist myself, I’d like to recommend a few books to help get you back in the crafting mood. Most of these books are focused on sewing or quilting, but a few are thrown in just for fun, and they’re all available at your local Lower Merion library.

bend-the-rules Sewing
Bend The Rules Sewing

bend-the-rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew by Amy Karol (2007, 646.2 KAR) is a fun book to start your creative juices flowing. There are 30 cute and whimsical designs for the beginner to the advanced sewer, from the mega-cute “There is a Teapot Under Here” tea cozy and “Mixy-Matchy Napkins,” to the more challenging “Pleated Beauty Handbag.” There are also patterns for simple totes, headbands, a lap quilt, aprons, placemats, and some items for children, all with a materials list, easy-to-follow instructions, color photographs, and diagrams. Each project has a “Hints and Tips” box with helpful, well, hints and tips. At the front of the book are sections on what you need to know, such as sewing vocabulary, basic tools and notions, and handy techniques. Sewing patterns, templates and resources are located at the back of the book.

75 Fun Fat-Quarter Quilts
75 Fun Fat-Quarter Quilts

This bright and colorful new book, 75 Fun Fat-Quarter Quilts compiled by Roxane Cerda (2015, 746.46 SEV), will help with decreasing that ever-increasing pile of fat quarters that you just had to buy (well, the fabric was gorgeous). There are 13 quilt projects with 62 possible variations, by 14 popular designers, such as Allegory Lanham, Tiffany Jenkins, Charlotte Angotti, and Jera Brandvig. The skill level is easy enough for beginners and the designs are interesting enough for advanced sewers. Each project includes a color photograph of the completed quilt, materials and easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams, followed by a few variations complete with color illustration and instructions. All of the designs are based on squares and triangles (phew, no applique or curved piecing here!) making the sewing straightforward but leaving lots of room to let your colorful imagination run wild.

Go Big Go Bold: Large Scale Modern Quilts by Barbara Cain
Go Big Go Bold: Large Scale Modern Quilts by Barbara Cain

Not up for the whimsical? Well, then go big and bold with Go Big Go Bold: Large Scale Modern Quilts by Barbara Cain (2015, 746.46, CAI). This exciting book showcases 10 quilt projects that are fast and easy to construct – you could probably finish in a weekend, as long as you got the dog, any kids, and significant other out of the way! Each project features a beautiful color photograph of the finished project and lists materials, instructions, and templates, as well as suggestions for fabric and color choices. There is a section at the front of the book on helpful tips and techniques, and at the back of the book there are sections on cutting diagrams, quiltmaking basics, resources, and a glossary. If you’re looking for a way to gently break into the modern quilt movement, this is the book for you. Life is too short to stay small, so check out this book and go big!

Denyse Schmidt Modern Quilts Traditional Inspiration: 20 New Designs with Historic Roots
Denyse Schmidt Modern Quilts Traditional Inspiration: 20 New Designs with Historic Roots

Another wonderful book about modern quilts is Denyse Schmidt Modern Quilts Traditional Inspiration: 20 New Designs with Historic Roots by Denyse Schmidt (2012, 746.46 SCH). Oooohhhh, this book makes me want to just jump into the pictures and touch these stunning quilts! This is a generous book with lengthy discussions and instructions for each project, and is probably better suited for intermediate or advanced sewers, but beginners should definitely not hold back. And don’t be fooled by the ‘modern’ in the title or the cover photograph; the projects are based on traditional designs, such as Tobacco Leaf (the example shown is a gorgeous quilt in lime green, brown and cream), Mariner’s Compass, and Postage Stamp, and a Broderie Perse for the applique fans. Sections on tools, materials and techniques, and resources are at the back of the book, and be sure to read the three page introduction, it’s a mini-biography and summary of the book all rolled into one.

One-Yard Wonders: Look How Much You Can Make with Just One Yard of Fabric!
One-Yard Wonders: Look How Much You Can Make with Just One Yard of Fabric!

One of my all-time favorite sewing books is One-Yard Wonders: Look How Much You Can Make with Just One Yard of Fabric! by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins (2009, 646.2 YAK). While I may have quilt-envy leafing through some of the other books, I have actually made quite a few of the projects in this book. This is a fun book with lots of projects that can be made in half a day or less, or more if you’re slow and methodical like me. My favorite project is the “Towel Trimming Set,” where towels are embellished with fabric – a quick and easy project for when time is limited. My daughter has three sets of her very own towels, the cutest is the pink towel set with mermaid fabric. There are 10 chapters from Household Affairs to Outfit Your Small Wonder, with 5 to 12 projects included in each chapter, and each project has a color photograph of the completed project, materials list, easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams. There is something here for everyone, from the environmentally friendly “Quilted Lunch Bag” to the pet friendly “Cozy Dog Bed.”  Beginners and advanced sewers alike will find quite a few projects to begin their Winter nesting.

And just for fun, two craft books that will make you smile when its 10 below, are A Hot Glue Gun Mess: Funny Stories, Pretty DIY Projects by Mr. Kate (2015, 745.5 ALB) and

Curse-Free Crafting
Curse-Free Crafting

DIY, Dammit! A Practical Guide to Curse-Free Crafting by Joselyn Hughes (2015, 745.5, HUG). Both of these ladies take a humorous approach to crafting and DIY projects, complete with finished projects and instructions, and a few failures. Projects include a “Deconstructed Cuckoo Clock” and a “DIY Pom-Pom Chair” in Kate’s book, and a “Get Carried Away Tote” and “Because I Said So Embroidery project in Joselyn’s book. Happy crafting!

 

 

 

A few other sewing and crafting books that I haven’t written a review for but are worth taking a peek at are:

  • Favorite Fabric Bowls, Boxes & Vases by Linda Johansen (2016)
  • We Love to Sew: 28 Pretty Things to Make by Annabel Wrigley (2013, 646.1 WRI)
  • Half Yard Heaven: Easy Sewing Projects Using Left-over Pieces of Fabric by Debbie Shore (2013, 646.2 SHO)
  • ReFashion Handbook: Refit, Redesign, Remake for Every Body by Beth Huntington (2014, 646.2 HUN)
  • Supercraft: Easy Projects for Every Weekend by Sophie Pester and Catharina Bruns (2016, 745.5 PES)
  • Knitless: 50 No Knit, Stash Bustsing Yarn Projects by Laura McFadden (2015, 746.4 MCF)
  • Bead It, Iron It, Love It! Over 300 Great Motifs for Fuse Beads by Kaisa Holsting (2015, 745.582 HOL)
  • The Big Book of Mod Podge: Decoupage Made Easy by Lark Crafts (2015, 745.BIG)
  • Quilled Animals: 20 to Make by Diane Boden (2015, 745.54)
  • Hand Drawn Lettering: Draw, Print, Paint by Max Marlborough (2016, 745.61 MAR

Crafting Blog