Arts and Crafts Books

I purchased this book as a momento of my trip to the Winterthur Estate. The estate is fabulous and well worth the visit. In the book you not only have some fabulous quilts but you also get the history too. This book would be a great addition to anyone's library or coffee table. Linda has included excerpts from letters, poems and advertising. This is not just "another" quilt book. It is a well researched and written history book.It is a fabulous read.

My wife is a "quilter". While I was on the East Coast attending a family reunion, one of my cousins, with whom I was staying, asked if I wanted to join her in a tour of Winterthur, close to where she lives. I accepted the invitation and totally enjoyed it especially the quilt collection there. I am not a quilter myself - there are some males interested in and "artists" in this art form, but I have become acquainted with it through my wife's interest in it. When I saw this book, examined it and checked out other's reviews of it, I decided it would make a nice birthday gift for my wife. I liked the fact that it dealt with the history of this art form here in the US, the quilt makers of particular quilts, and the progression of technique in "constructing" them. To me it would appeal to my wife's knowledge of this art form through the collection of the H. F. DuPont family.

"Quilts from a material world" is a long-awaited opportunity to view some of the finest quilts in Winterthur's collections, but also to have them expertly placed in social, economic, mercantile, and political context by Linda Eaton's well-researched and readable narrative. This book is a must for quilt and fabric historians, American history buffs, and members of the general reading public who are interested in knowing more about American material culture (in both senses of the word "material"). It is an excellent contribution to the study of fabrics and quilts.

i have barely had time to savour this book. there is so much to interest quilters and non-quilters that it is hard to know where to start to review.

the photographs of the quilts are wonderful, with lots of details. the textile history is thorough and accurate, including a fascinating section on the different techniques of putting pattern on cloth. the history of the quilters is, yes, fascinating, including letters written by one quilter to her fiance and later husband in the early part of the 19th century.

anyone interested in early america, early manufacturing, and the lives of our forebears will enjoy this book as much as any quilter.

Judy Hooworth and Margaret Rolfe's QUILTS ON THE DOUBLE offers dozens of easy strip-pieced quilt projects which tell how to convert one group of strip sets into two quilts. Easy eight-block pieces and fat quarters offer opportunities for literally dozens of designs. An excellent addition to any quilting library.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is not just a book about variations in color and/or fabric style. The quilts you can design using the simple (yes, really simple) sewing and cutting methods are so varied that it's hard to believe they came from just 2 strips sewn together. The design possibilites remind me of the many ways there are to set together log cabin blocks; the difference here is that by beginning with 2 different sizes of strips sewn together,you end up with blocks that look really different from one another. You'll have top triangles, tail triangles and side triangles. And then the fun of designing begins.
The book has very clear and detailed instructions, many illustrations, and advice for using prints, solids and stripes. (There is a great section on the specifics of using striped fabric successfully, something I've struggled with before.) Bravo to the authors for giving us all access to this great design concept!

One of the best ideas I have seen. Can't wait to have a go at making the quilts in this book.

By the time I had gotten to the second page of this book, I was HOOKED. I thought "Finally, someone who makes quilt blocks easy AND they can be put together in so many ways". This will be a book that our guild can use over and over as we make our charity quilts for Habitat for Humanity and Love and Hugs.

The book shows 15 quilts but I'm going to bet that those 15 are just the tip of the iceberg with what can be done with these easy to make blocks. Showing how the basic block is made takes only one page to explain while in depth directions follow. Six pages show various ways to put the blocks together to make different designs. The authors include a section on choosing fabrics and explaining about fat quarters and their equivalents. They show fabric values and how one color can be many shades.

While you can make many, many designs with the basic block, the authors add another color triangle to the basic block which really gives you lots of possible designs. By cutting the triangles for each quilt, you will have pieces left over to make another one, thus the name, QUILTS ON THE DOUBLE. There are directions for making only one but if you are spending the time to cut for one, why not have pieces cut for a second without having to spend extra time to do it?

Each quilt is shown finished and its size is given. The materials list shows what is needed for making one or both. Cutting and finishing instructions are clear and graphics show what the directions are talking about. Finishing is left up to the maker. Quilting basics are covered for a new quilter or to refresh your memory if needed. And the final page gives a bit about each author.

I purchased this book as a gift for a school located in another state. I have no idea how good it is. However, I don't believe the school would have put it on their wish list if they didn't think it wasn't good. I purchase a lot of books from Amazon.com for this school.

An excellent book to help parents teach their children the importance of recycling while having fun as a family doing the crafts!
Potecting Mother Earth is a fantastic way of spending quaility family time together!

A friend got this for my daughter and I, and a lot of the projects in it are really suited better for parents with younger children, that being said, we loved it.
My daughter is almost 13 years old, and while a lot of the projects were a lot easier then she likes, they gave her ideas for doing similar things with a bit more complexity. The cardboard castle is a favorite, and she's got big plans for building her brother a dice tower now.
The other thing the book had that we both liked was a lot of information about how things are recycled, and a timeline of disposable manufacturing, so we both learned from it. It's good without being overly preachy, and since it's recycled crafts, the crafts are very inexpensive to make.

Laura Martin's Recycled Crafts Box is a compilation of forty ecologically-friendly projects and activities that can be done cheaply from old things, from crafting sock puppets and cardboard castles to rag coasters and colorful picnic plate flowers. A delightful resource for rainy-day fun, artistic stimulation, and stimulating quality time to be shared with young ones. Also a highly recommended creative diversion, especially as an alternative to the ever-present press of television and other passive media.

Enjoyed the book very much. It has a lot of beautiful hats. A lot of great ideas to share.

This book was an unexpected jewel! It has pictures of gorgeous as well as clever and sometimes amusing hats worn by Red Hatters. There are early pictures of founder Sue Ellen Cooper I'd never seen before. The book also has a variety of other information such as craft instructions and event suggestions. When I invited four other Red Hatters to the beach for a week, I took it to pass around and they all loved it.

Great book shows many different hat styles, and how to do them. Really enjoyable for folks who are into Red Hats and making hat designes.

I can say nothing but GREAT things about this book. The lovely women of Sterling Publishers(Lark/Chappelle) really capture the essence of Red Hatting. My good friend Lisa and I are both featured in the book, as well as other Red Hat ladies I have come to know over the years. The book is chock full of whimsical creative ideas, inspiring any budding milliner to go for the gusto! The book is also value-priced, making it an ideal gift!
If you are a Red Hatter, this book is a MUST for your library--and...if you are not, this is a fabulous way to find out about all the fun we have!

Simple patterns from the 1920's revived for today's quilter. Projects can be completed by children and adults together. A good family project.

Ms. Filo's book is informative and fun to read. Anyone who is "into" quilting knows of the creator, Ruby Short McKim. This book is geared to the novice as well as the expert. Her adaptations of the patterns make them applicable in a variety of ways besides the traditional baby quilt. The story of RSM is fascinating reading and leaves one wanting more information about this early pioneer in quilt syndication. Ms. Filo appears to be following the path of success from her new-found mentor. I hope Ms. Filo will continue to adapt the patterns of RSM, both the easy ones that can be used with children and the more difficult ones that stimulate the more experienced quilter. This is a rich American legacy that should be shared with this generation.

If you are interested in redwork, or embroidery, this book is well recommended. It is full of history of Ruby Short McKim, and includes the evolution of the patterns on the 75th anniversary of the publishing of this book. It has a nice ring binder so that you can open it up fully without breaking the binding. Lots of ideas.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! Unfortunately, I bought it because I thought the designs were copies of Ruby McKim's. I was very surprised to read that the author had "re-drafted" the designs and made "slight changes" to them (page 47). So be warned! If you are a quilter interested in making an exact reproduction of Ruby McKim's quilt, you are going to have to research the designs yourself.

This is a great santa collection, the charts are in full color, very easy to read.

You should to have it!

This is, so far, the best collection of Santas and Father Christmases I have yet encountered. The charts are color coded, and there are a great variety of designs. This is perfect for someone who knows a collector of all that is Father Christmas! I have even kept several to display myself.

Great book for all the cross-stisches crazy, like me. Sorry for my englis

This is one of my favorite cross-stitch books. I have already stitched 3 of the Santas from it and hope to eventually stitch them all. The photography is excellent and the charts are very well done. Along with each photo is some history about the various renderings of Santa. It is a great book for stitchers and Santa collectors alike!!!

I own several books that deal with Heritage page design etc. This is definately one of the best. I looked at libraries and bookstores before purchasing this. It is the first one I bought in this category and still the one I go back to most often out of about 15 I own. Highly recommended.

I just got this book and I spent an entire evening going over every page. It inspries you to not just put pictures on a page, but tell a story behind them. She urges you to write about the sad times as well as the good ones. The page she did about being another Laura's namesake has inspired me to do one about the Aunt I am named for, and another one about my Grandmother's beautful blue eyes. Collect the stories, get the pictures and this book.. then enjoy creating a legacy that can be enjoyed by those who come after us.

I bought this book because of the wide variety of scrapbook techinques especially dealing with antiquing and aging scrapbook pages. I was surprised by the number of good ideas on how to scrapbook my grandparents.

This is a very nicely put together book. The layouts are interesting and the ideas for scrapbooking your families history through photos and memorabilia are easy to manage. The author is knowledgable and you can really make some lovely looking pages with her suggestions and ideas. Not the best book on this subject, but certainly worth the price!

Janet Shipley Hawks' SCULPTED THREADS: ARTFUL BROOCHES, EARRINGS, AND MORE tells how to sew multiple layers of thread to create fine blends of color and depth in some 13 projects. A home sewing machine and a variety of threads are all that's needed to create works of art in a range of useful forms: earrings, brooches, bowls, bags and more. Outstanding for any needlework crafter seeking something different. Not suitable for library lending but perfect for gift-giving is the 'Little Box' series of boxed instructions ($19.95 each). Crafters and needlework enthusiasts receive clear directions on portable project cards perfect for slipping into a bag for on-the-go project ideas. BRACELETS AND EARRINGS covers some twenty bracelets, many with matching earrings, which display different styles and contemporary, easy projects.

This is a whole new area of creativity for me. The book is beautiful to browse through. I'm finding that I can easily start and finish a project with no confusion and feel proud of what I've done! I am sure that after completing a few more described pieces, I'll even be ready to branch out on my own. Fun!!

What a creative, fun and easy use for all the beautiful threads available for home artists! This book is well written with detailed and easy to follow instructions. If you are one of those who need to see the pictures to figure it out, Sculpted Threads has full color photos at each step in the sewing process. The project gallery of photos will draw you in with the vivid colors of the thread art pieces and sparkling accent beads.

I've already tried two of the jewelry projects and both came out looking just as they should in less than an afternoon. I can't wait to dig deeper and begin working on an art bowl made completely of threads.

Creating purses and bowls with "just thread"? WOW! This book shows you just how do to that plus other things such as earrings, brooches and embellishments.

If you do machine embroidery or quilting, you will have some idea of how this works. Stabilizers, thread and free motion machine feet are all something you are already familiar with. Ms. Hawks takes you through the steps in easy to understand language and with plenty of photos to guide you along.

You begin with step-by-step instructions on making a brooch. Zigzaging your way across the stabilizer, flipping the piece over and doing it again and again and again until you get enough layers of thread that you see no light coming through, you now have your first square of the brooch done. See how simple that was?

The other sections of the book describe jewelry findings and shows photos of what these are or how to use beads or cording to enhance your projects. With over 60 pages of projects and the instructions to go with them, this book will keep you busy for many, many days to come.

This is the ultimate hybrid of reference book and page-turner, thanks to Harry Helms' superb writing style. Prose is liquid, even in the sections that have a lot of reference information. Absolutely recommended.

This is the ultimate hybrid of reference book and page-turner, thanks to Harry Helms' superb writing style. Prose is liquid, even in the sections that have a lot of reference information. Absolutely recommended.

I picked up the first edition of this book when I first became interested in shortwave radio about five years ago. Even now I still love going back to it. Harry Helms writes in such a clear and readable style, it's easy to find yourself breezing through chapter after chapter. Harry presents just enough technical information to give you a good understanding of the principles, without putting you to sleep with lots of equations and theory. This book is a great resource for those casually interested in short wave as a hobby and are looking for a book that will just "tell it like it is"...in a no-nonsense fashion. If you're interested in ham radio at all...I can also highly recommend All About Ham Radio by the same author...written in the same informal and easily readable style. Thanks for getting me on my way Harry!

As a newcomer to Shortwave listening, I found that Harry Helms' "Shortwave Listening Guidebook" has been the perfect introduction. It covers the technical aspects (such as the different parts of a shortwave receiver and how to use them, radio wave propagation, and antennas) in enough (but not too much) detail to be of use to the casual listener. There's an overview of the various shortwave bands, as well as what you may find between the bands. The many aspects of shortwave listening are covered, from listening to major broadcasters such as the BBC to such specialities as trying to hear distant stations, "pirate" broadcasters, and so on.

All in all, armed with both this book and "Passport to Worldband Radio", anyone should be able to enjoy shortwave listening.

If you are a serious silk painter, this is the book for you. Beginners need to start with the first Susan Moyer book which contains a plethora of info for those just starting. If you silk paint as a hobby or just for fun, this is it! Suusan Moyer obviously loves silk as much as you do!

This book contains a lot of basic, hands-on info on equipment and practical aspects of silk painting technique. What I have noticed most, is that everytime I go back to this book as my skill and experience increase, I grasp and learn more. Things I didn't pick up at all on from my earlier readings suddenly become real and make sense. This book concentrates heavily on wax, gutta and screen printing techniques. Roketsu-zome and alcohol techniques are covered in a very step-by-step, practical way. There is a lot of surface design, as well as garment design info. If you are interested in block printing, bleach discharge, or shibori, you would do better to choose another title. Complex Cloth by Dunneworld is another fabulous textile book that covers almost every technique. Highly recommend!

I hope this book will be back in print. It is beautifully illustrated and shows more than the standard silk painting techniques. The author introduces us, step-by-step, to various Asian techniques, which are really interesting. This book is written for beginning and advanced silk painters, so she also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of various dyes, waxes and resists, how to use them on various silks, and which tools (both Western and Asian) work best -- accompanied by lots of photographs so that you know what she is talking about.
It's a book worth having.

This is Moyer's second book. You need to understand her first book well before getting this one. But then DEFINITELY get it. Several other silk painting authors have followed a good first book with terrible 2nd and 3rd ones. That is certainly not true of Moyer. This book is every bit as excellent as her wonderful first book.