Projects Books

This book was a great project book for my daughters, especially the 10 year old. We learned a lot about weaving and were able to produce some nice, usable projects in a short time. We still plan to make the loom from PVC piping and make some Christmas gifts with it.

I had gotten the book from our public library and felt it would be a great addition to our craft library and had to buy it. The instructions, diagrams and photos are well done.

This book is great if you want a book that has interesting, useful projects, clear instructions, and beautiful photos of kids and their weaving. The starting projects are loomless, involving weaving paper ('checkerboard notecards'), twigs ('fairygarden planter'), pliable tree branches ('hideout'), and what looks like a kind of six-strand braiding of embroidery floss hung from a pencil ('friendship bracelet'). From there you graduate to use of a cardboard loom to make a small wool pouch (I did this one) and to weaving cloth strips to make Japanese Rag Warrior dolls. (These, by the way, really do look like dolls my boys would play with.) Following that, the book details how to construct a stand-up loom from pvc piping and fittings, thick wooden dowels, and tongue depressors, and comes complete with heddle bar. I made mine for a cost of about $20. This pvc loom will handle a band of weaving up to 5" wide. From this loom (dubbed 'inkle loom') you can make these projects: inkle strap shoelaces, tapestry dog collar, a belt, a 43" long scarf, doll-sized pile carpets, and, by sewing woven strips together, a kente cloth blanket. The book also includes information, about making your own fiber dyes, different ways to set up the inkle loom, what is 'fulling' and how it is done, as well as bits of weaving history and lore. I got 'Kids Weaving' from the library six weeks ago. I meant to photocopy only a few pages for use introducing weaving to a small homeschool co-op. But when I began to see that it wouldn't be just a few pages, that's when I realized that I should just buy the book. Nearly all of the projects look like something we would do. That's rare.

Lots of GREAT ideas!!! Some are quickly done while others are more involved. This is the best book I have found for doing weaving with children. The PVC pipe loom is a terrific idea and inexpensive enough for each child to have one of their own to work on.

This book is not only good for kids, but a good book for adults who are just getting started with polymer clay. I've been using polymer clay for years and got some great ideas for my own art from this book. My kids love the variety of projects and are excited about working with PC.

This is a wonderful book. It is GREAT! And not only for kids. It has inspired me even though I'm WAY past the kid stage :o) I've done countless craft programs with various ages of children in the past 10 years, so I know what it takes to work with children. This book is wonderful for kids to use on their own or for adults to follow. The directions are clear & everything is easy to understand. I LOVE the kids in the book. Lark did a great job with the photos. They look like they are having fun :o) My favorites ideas are the"Makin' Faces Face Plates" (what a riot!), "Pushpinzzzzzzzz", "Fine Feathered Friends", and "Spirit Dolls". I'm planning to give a copy of the book to a friend's 9 year-old daughter for Christmas.

I was so happy to participate in making some of the projects in this book and with Irene Dean writing it, I knew the book was naturally going to be good.

But, when I received it, I was totally floored at the quality - hardcover, great paper, clear pictures, well-written instructions. It was so much better than I'd even anticipated.

This book was written for someone much younger than I am, but I found it completely entertaining, throughout. Very thorough "basics" section, including a look at making simple canes, then on to the projects. Lively and colorful from cover to cover.

Jazzy, upbeat writing, hip kids in artful demonstration, wonderful photography, lots of humor and cool fonts surround each of the thirty projects. There are beginner items to advanced - critters, jewelry, things to make for gifts, from simple to sophisticated - kids are going to absolutely love this book! And just in time to give to a young person before the appearance of "summer doldrums," too. :)

But, I don't think its appeal is limited to the 8-14 years-old age bracket because IMO, most adults would find it fun, too. I'd recommend this one to beginning clayers of any age.

Congratulations to Irene and her terrific editor for a fabulous, fun book!

zig

I am a cat lover so this book is just great The patterns in this book are full sized which will make it much easier to use. The needleturn book will help me to do some projects from this book

this book is filled with cats i would love to adopt! many remind me of my own cats. i will be working from this book a lot. the patterns are easy to use and clear directions. i would recommend this book to any cat lover, and every applique-er.

these patterns are adorable! they were definitely not for those without patience though, all the little pieces were very annoying at times :) but the end result, with a steady hand and a calm mind, is cute!

Reviewed by Patty Inglish, MS

Kathleen and Nick Greco present a colorful book filled with projects and swatches that teach us how to combine yarns of different fibers and types into eye-catching art pieces we can use and wear. Using clear language and brilliant photographic images, the Grecos illustrate harmony among shapes, colors, and textures using a Color Wheel tool that is easy to master.

The authors explain how to mix colors, shades, and textures of different yarns for the best possible look among five fibers and five textures. The fibers include cotton, wool, an innovative bamboo, silk, and mohair, while the textures are ribbon, bouclé, chenille, slubbed, and multi-strand. It was particularly interesting to read about slubbed yarns and to see accomplishments in bamboo fibers.

The color relationships, or harmonies, that the Grecos explain make sense and are visually attractive. Colors are arranged according to seasons of the solar year and this seems logical. From nine basic yarns, Kathleen and Nick create some 300 color pairing possibilities, all unusual and all good to look at in the color swatches presented. The combination of text and graphics appear as a scientific yarn manual that is fun to read.

In addition to all this, the Grecos have included eight separate knitting projects arranged by Color Seasons, including two handbags, two scarves, a sleeveless top, a summer sarong, a fall wrap, and a winter sweater. All of the patterns are readily understandable and designated as Beginner, Easy, or Intermediate. Each pattern includes a graphic block illustration of the project pieces as they look before they go together, a very helpful tool. The book also includes a chapter on substituting yarns one for another when a particular yarn is not available or beyond reach in price.

The Grecos work through Dimensional Illustrators and have produced nearly two dozen craft and graphic arts books, such as Beyond the Scarf. Living scenic Pennsylvania with Nick, Kathleen also owns Jellyyarns.com and has applied for patents on yarns of her own creation from plastics.

Armchair Interviews says: This book is a winner that will encourage more people to try needle arts.

This book is beautifully organized, well thought out and visually appealing. It is an excellent reference for yarn and color combinations and how they work and look together. The section on color is especially helpful whether or not you are familiar with the color wheel. This is one of those quality reference works that I'll keep and use for a long, long time.

Although I have not thoroughly combed thru this book or actually used it for knitting, at first and second glances, it seems like it was a good purchase decision. I've been looking for a book such as this for a long time. For any knitter who has lots of differents types of leftover or "whim" purchase yarn - this book offers lots of different ways to combine lots of types, textures and colors, so that they actually look good together. Most of my "diy" tries at mixing haven't turned out well, so I'm planning on this book being a big help.

This is the one project finance book I keep at my desk and take with me on business trips. It is invaluable. The book is filled with important information I need when working on a project finance deal (sample contract provisions; explanations of currency risks; financing sources; World Bank lending characteristics; political risk insurance; and on and on. The author manages to do the impossible--he combines legal and business aspects of project finance in an easy-to-use format, from a real life perspective. Each part of a project finance deal is addressed in separate chapters.

My only criicism is that the author uses the European-favored expansive table of contents, rather than a detailed index. Yet, the book is so well organized that the information is easy to find.

It's clearly the best legal and business book on project finance available. It gives me, as a business person, a real edge.

A well thought out treatise on project finance covering not just the legal issues, but also from a commercial perspective. One of the better books on the subject

We bought a copy for our project finance/infrastructure finance dept. at our bank. It's excellent, especially the due diligence checklist

This is a beautiful book. I hoped there would be more photos of Nureyev, but those included are good. I recommend this book to Nureyev fans. Given the cost of the book, treat it as the treasure it is!!

It's easy to dismiss stories about Rudolf Nureyev's abilities as a dancer as mere "tall tales"--until you see this book. Nothing could be more astonishing than the shot of Nureyev leaping into the air in "Le Corsaire." This was an artist over whom gravity had no hold. The photos were taken in 1978, when the 40-year-old dancer was at the peak of his powers. His movement, his leaps, are all captured here in photographs of truly stunning quality. Nureyev's own recollections of those days are an additional treat, as are the scenes backstage and at practice, when you can see the man honing his craft. Well worth the price of admission.

This book of rare Nureyev photographs is of the highest quality, from the paper to the printing to the binding. Ansel Adams' former printer produced "Life Behind the Metaphor", which explains the astounding achievement. If you're a fan of fine photography or ballet or both, then this is definitely for you. There are next to no photographs of Nureyev in performance during the time period in which these were taken--the dancer's contracts forbade it. So, the fact that these photos exist at all is pretty amazing. In the book, the photographer, Urban, explains how he gained access to and the trust of Nureyev during a Dutch National Ballet tour of the US. The two eventually became friends. Given all the hoopla about the Nureyev biography released last year, it's a shame that this book hasn't garnered more attention. A worthwhile purchase, to say the least.

this was a gift for a applique quilter. she loved it, don't judge a book by its cover.

My friend who loves to applique by hand thought this would be a good addition to her stock of books. She liked the variety of patterns and hopes to put some together. She is advanced in her hand applique, but thought it was a good beginner and well as advanced book.

20 projects and you'll want to make them all! When was the last time you thought that about a quilt book? And Gwen Marston makes it easy for you with this selection of small projects. Make one today or better yet, grab some friends, a stack of fabric and everyone will make something inspired by this wonderful book. The small format make the projects go quickly by machine or you can linger and improve your handwork. Whimsical folk art along with tiny traditional treasures make this book a keeper and one you'll refer to again and again.

I read this play a several years ago, before it was really published, and then acted it out competitively for audiences, winning a state championship with the sheer tragedy and beauty of this wonderful and heartrending story. I recommend this play to anyone who enjoys a play that both tears your heart apart and sews it back together in one sitting. Absolutely magnificent!

Steven Dietz' "Lonely Planet" is a two-character, two-act play in which the bonds of friendship between two gay men are stretched, snapped, reformed, and revisited in the setting of a map shop in an unnamed American city. While the plot is sparse, the depth of the characters enriches the play and keeps its themes relevant, regardless of the era.

The two characters, a frenetic 30-something named Carl and a subdued 40-year-old named Jody, are developed wonderfully through Dietz' language. The characters often break the fourth wall and speak directly to the audience during their monologues, which increases the intimacy of the play. Their dialogue crackles with humor, anger, disillusionment, and empathy. In the beginning, Carl's quirks make him seem the more desperate of the two characters, but Dietz gradually shifts the focus onto Jody's foibles and insecurities.

"Lonely Planet" isn't heavy on plot; there's plenty of activity throughout the play, but the central action that drives the play to its end unfurls slowly, and with care. Nothing is rushed in Dietz' script, everything is laid out with a purpose, and the result is one of the most emotional endings I've read.

While "Lonely Planet" is a wonderful read, plays are meant to be performed and viewed; I saw a production in Springfield, Missouri, a few years ago and was pleased that the tense moments and humorous moments and heartbreaking moments were even more pronounced onstage. Readers will no doubt discover wonderful language in the script, but watching a production will make for an even richer experience.

Steven Dietz' "Lonely Planet" should attract a wide range of readers, audiences, and actors because its characters are fully developed with human foibles of insecurity and anger, and the emotions it pulls from the audience and readers run a tremendously wide range. It is also more than a play about AIDS, or any disease: it is a humane work about friendship and the moments that test and strengthen that bond.