5 comments about The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing (Singer).

1. I found the book to be very informative. I bought one for myself and as a gift for my 34 year old son. For the beginner like my son, you just can't go wrong with this book. It covers so much, like recommends and explains the tools you'll need, how to lay out a pattern; it even has projects to sew.I recently resumed my hobby of sewing and some things just don't change over the years. The photos help so much. I highly recommend this book. I had the books spiral bound at Kinkos making it so easy to lay flat.



2. Simply put, THIS is the best sewing book. I have many, and this one continually is the one I go to for reference. The pictures are large and explanations are clear. It is a compendium of the Singer series of books, and I also have many of the single subject books like "Sewing with a Serger" and "Sewing Essentials" but this book collects the various important topics in sewing and gives you a handy paperback for reference. Sturdily made, and lasting in application. At this price you can't miss.



3. Since I still have not received this item after weeks of waiting it is impossible to review it. I can say this, however, I will not be placing any further orders with this vendor.



4. Have only skimmed through this, but am looking forward to getting back into sewing with it after a 25 year hiatus! The instructions are very clear and the pictures are great.



5. I am a middle aged male whose last sewing class was in Jr. High. I have tried my hand on very small projects (pen holder, pillow), with no instruction and some success. That said, I'd guess I'm part of the target market for this book. Some reviewers say this book assumes you know how to sew, and since I have a machine, there is a little truth to that. The problem is, how many pages should a beginner book spend covering your machine? Well, if you are truly new then you need a lot of comparative information and really that's something you can only get through dealers and seamstresses/tailor's, because a lot of your questions are probably covered by the manual and are also a matter of personal preference. This book doesn't cover a lot of this area- but I don't count that against it. I suggest new sewers do what I just outlined (see dealer or seamstress/tailor and ask), read their manual if they already own a machine or go to the library and browse the sewing section. If you go into the process entirely blind you'll unneccessarily spend money on a lesser book covering basics that may be machine or user specific.
   
   That said, I bought this book hoping to get enough from it to actually sew a garment or project after reading it. I'd say your chances of that as a new sewer are not impossible but not great. The reason is the topics seem kind of rushed over and out of context. It's as if someone assembled a bunch of articles but didn't take the time to explain how each one interrelates to the next. The pictures are nice but there could be more. All in all I was disappointed with this book.
   
   Since I've bought this book I've had a chance to look at a few other books in the same category (luckily my library has a pretty good selection). In hindsight I think the much better book is the New Complete Guide to Sewing (Readers Digest). It covers a wider range of topics and puts it all together, which is very important if you're to make heads or tails out of the vast language of sewing.
   
   Best of luck to all new sewers out there!

3 comments about Art Deco Textiles: The French Designers.

1. Art Deco Textiles is an informed and informative survey of art deco fabrics which packs in color examples drawn from a diverse range of designers in the field, from Marrot and Benedictus to Chanel. Alain-Rene Hardy's research through museum holdings, manufacturer's archives and private collections alike produces an unparalleled reference 'Bible' of both hand made and machine-made textiles, creating an outstanding textile oriented history and survey of the entire field.



2. I'm a textile and clothing designer and have a large collection of print reference books. Since I first purchased this book it has been the first book I pull out when I want inspiration. Because of that I have also given it as a gift to several other designers, and it has become one of their favorites too. The collection is inspired and diverse and the printing shows beautiful detail. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves great contemporary design, as well as those interested in vintage textile design.



3. Terrific forward that puts the work into context. The images are wonderful -- the colors have printed well to the pages, good amount of detail. A fascinating period in textile design, well handled.

5 comments about Knitting Around.

1. EZ has out done herself! I loved reading this book, just for the enjoyment factor.it is well wrtten and has wonderful ideas. i can't wait to make the stonington shawl!



2. This woman is the Einstein of knitting. I had knitted for years when I found her work. I can't tell you how much she improved my knitting and made life easier for me. Buy anything you can buy by her if you're even a half serious knitter. Unfortunately she has passed away so we no longer have her with us.



3. As the title implies, this book contains musings on knitting, along with a lot of Elizabeth Zimmermann's history. It doesn't *advertise* itself as a pattern book; it is a book on the craft of knitting, and how it has influenced one (very famous) knitter's life. There are some patterns included; chapters of designs alternate with "digressions," personal essays that I found immensely entertaining. I don't usually read all the pretty print in my knitting books, but I enjoyed the writing style and the life history *immensely*--Zimmerman is engaging in print.
   
   The designs included in the book are not necessarily difficult, but Zimmermann's instructions come from a decidedly early period, and are really only decipherable by knitters with a bit of experience already. Web help can probably be found for many of these classics, though; I know of one LYS that's having a class on Zimmermann's Mitered Mitten design. The Norwegian (fair-isle, stranded, or colorwork) mittens are *beautiful* and I plan to use the chart (designed by Zimmermann, not a traditional Norwegian design) for my own first Fair Isle project.
   
   I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who's considering creating their own knitting designs, because of the way Zimmermann discusses the evolution and the changes made through successive "generations" of her own patterns.
   
   An enjoyable read with some fun designs for experienced knitters, excellent mending/recreating insights, and pattern generating ideas.



4. This book is the only one that I did not have from Ms. Zimmerman... many of the pages are devoted to a family photo album, and drawings made by her... apparently, they are used to fill up the book, which I bought because I like to knit, and her instructions and ideas are very good.
   The moebius scarf instructions are included and some socks that are basic ones to have...
   May Bingham, Atlanta, GA



5. With the resurgence of knitting, it's refreshing to rekindle the methods and skills and tricks of world-renowned Elizabeth Zimmermann. The biographical information written into the text makes Elizabeth and her knitting expertise come alive. Her lessons helped me easily relearn Continental Knitting techniques. Her short-cuts may seem complicated, but if followed step-by-step, the knitter gains speed and streamlines his/her work. I can't wait to finish one project and start another--or why not keep one in the car, one at work, and another by the TV? Elizabeth Zimmermann is a Master everyone should learn from!

5 comments about The Prairie Girl's Guide to Life: How to Sew a Sampler Quilt & 49 Other Pioneer Projects for the Modern Girl.

1. Jennifer Worick has written another zesty, tidy, and oh so fantastic tome, this time on crafts from the great mid-west and "pioneer times". As with her previous books (which I recommend highly--especially "How to Live with a Man and Love it!") she injects her sardonic sense of humor into even the most basic of craft projects. As a pie maker, I thoroughly enjoyed the recipe for the Rubarb pie, and intend on getting one in the over this fall. For anyone who wants a quirky, vintage (yet simultaneously avant garde), and feel good read that allows you to escape from the modern world of email, texting, and teleconferences, this book is for you.



2. Jennifer Worick has compiled a collection of practical old fashioned skills that can still apply in our fast paced society of today. Combined with her personal and often humorous recollections of growing up on a small farm in Michigan, this book makes for a fun read. Written with the adventerous and often rough and tumble lifestyle of prarie women at heart, I also felt that it's a great book for men who enjoy embracing the American pioneer spirit that's inevitabely in all of us.



3. There's something incredibly soothing about reading about how to make candles, soap, and quilts, even if you never plan on taking the time to actually create all of them yourself. Jennifer Worick writing style is funny and light; spending hours reading this book feels like an escape in itself. And it even convinced me to have a tea party.



4. Old fashion skills that fit wonderfully into modern life. The Prairie Girl's Guide to Life is great! It's filled with useful skills that can be applied and used now.
   
   You know you've always wanted a rag rug, but couldn't quite figure out the logistics. Candle making, check. Spin yarn! Now you can give it a whirl too!
   
   Best part, it's separated into Kitchen, Bathroom, Bathroom, Bedroom, Parlor, and Barn and Beyond sections. Added bonus...Prairie Lingo, so you can feel all big bugs with your mad skills.
   
   You'll be like Laura Prairie Girl...but with indoor plumbing.



5. The Prairie Girl's Guide To Life is the perfect gift for an old hippie-type (me), and for a modern girl with a sentiment for "how it was in Nana's day". Hectic day at work? This should be added to your collection of soothing, come-down-off-the-ceiling easy reads. A paragraph or two, you're suddenly breathing deeper and are thinking homey type thoughts.

2 comments about Mosaic Patterns: Step-By-Step Techniques and Stunning Projects.

1. MOSAIC PATTERNS: STEP-BY-STEP TECHNIQUES AND STUNNING PROJECTS explores the use and application of the pattern in mosaics for either ceramics, glass, marble or granite tiles. Nineteen step-by-step mosaic projects serve as examples for different patterns which can be created by color or shape, and which feature a range of techniques and materials. Any working in mosaics will find it enlightening as to the possibilities, and general-interest libraries strong in crafts will find it a bright, appealing lend.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. Over the past two years I have been carefully selecting and purchasing books on mosaics to use in the craft. This is by far my favorite book for technique and "how to" ... it has a great variety of materials and applications that can be translated to mosaic designs/projects of your own making/imagination. I would recommend this book for anyone's mosaic library.

5 comments about Beyond the Basics: Gourd Art (Beyond the Basics).

1. I really liked this book and found it one of the best for gourd artists. There are so many styles, examples, techniques, designs and suggestions.
   
   It is fabulous for the beginner through the expert. A definite book for your collection.



2. Great Book even for beginners, easy to follow steps allows creative people to quickly hone their gourd crafting skills.



3. Beyond the Basics Gourd Art is an excellent book, with exquisite photos, and diverse projects presented by several different artists. A must-have for gourd enthusiasts of all levels!



4. I baught and loved the hard cover of this book. When I saw the paperback version with the fish gourd on the cover (a picture of a
   different equily beautiful gourd apears on the hard cover version) I thought yahoo, David Mcfarlane wrote a new book,Gourd art 2. Boy was I wrong. Its the same book, a very good book but the same. Rookie mistake, live and learn.



5. WONDERFULLY INSPIRING BOOK - I just LOVED it - have studied all the examples and will use them to try my own carvings and paintings on Aussie gourds.
   THANKS for writing the book.
   Melody Haskins (Downunder, in Australia)

5 comments about The Bandsaw Book.

1. I bought the bandsaw and figured I better have a book to help me along. I bought this book with the hopes it would help. It has and will some more in the future.
   
   I did find some of the information redundant as to what was written in the owners manual. But, there are great sections on how to tune up your saw, jigs, projects and a whole lot more. This book is in my shop with me and I find myself referring to it.
   
   I would recommend for both novice and seasoned woodworkers. There is just a lot of good useful information.



2. I bought this book because I've been in the market for my first bandsaw for a few months. I've been researching the topic a lot and came across a recommendation for this book in a forum somewhere. Given Amazon's great price I thought what they heck. I found this book to be very informative and pointed out a lot of things I should be looking at when determining which saw to buy that I had not though of. It did this without knocking any brands or given slanted praise to any brand either which I really liked. I don't really like taking a recommendation from an author who recommends a brands that sponsors him. Definitely worth the money and the time.



3. If you are thinking about buying a bandsaw or are new to them, get this book! This book is packed with information that is helpful for buying new or used saws. It explains the differences in blades and what you need for different uses.
   
   This book will save you money and guide you to the right saw for your needs. Well worth the price!



4. I knew I wanted to buy a 14" bandsaw, but knew nothing about bandsaws and wanted a good overview. It accomplished that.
   
   I get the impression that the author expected the reader to select the topics of interest and just read those. As a novice, I read the entire book straight through and as a result, got a bit tired of the repetition I went through.
   
   It is an easy read and I learned effectively. I still have a couple questions, but was able to narrow my saw selection to two.



5. In my humble opinion,,The Bandsaw Book is a great book for woodworkers at all stages of woodworking. It had what I knew and what I had forgotten PLUS!
   If you have a problem getting that woodworker a gift,The Bandsaw Book would be a great idea for a gift. I'm glad I thought well enough of myself to give me one!

5 comments about The Altered Object: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration.

1. I am so deeply in love with this book! Each idea is fresh and new and the pictures make everything really clear. I haven't even finished it (although I've had it for quite a while) because I'm trying out the new mixed media ideas on projects as I go.....kinda savoring each section and saving the rest for later ...so many ideas! So little time!



2. This is a nice book and has some great ideas. But I don't work in metal or wood so it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. If you are interested in 'tin' or other metal mediums then this would be a very good book for you to see. I usually check books out of the public library first to be sure they are what I'm looking for but the library didn't have this book so I bought it sight unseen.
   
   It is a very good book with a lot of nice photos.



3. I had been eying this book for awhile now and was surprised when my husband got it for me for Christmas. I love it! It's well laid out and has very lovely photos. Quite inspirational!



4. A well-illustrated compendium for this particular gentre of work. Informative at several levels,sound techniques,excellent projects and interesting contributions from various artists in the field. It exists at a variety of levels,enabling a wide range of abilities from practising artists to beginners, to gain inspirational information. A bonus is the artist's biographies and web-sites. A good companion to "Altered Art'



5. This book is full of fun projects that will provide much inspiration if and when I ever get around to tackling the field of altered art.

5 comments about Paula Pryke's Flower School: Mastering the Art of Floral Design.

1. This book is amazing! Detailed, gorgeous photos and instructions to create the best floral arrangements of your life. New ideas on every page, lots of suggestions for supplies and techniques.



2. I would never contest the beauty of this book, but I found the lessons section to be lacking in terms of specificity. After all, this book is meant to be instructive. The instructions were often much too general for someone actually trying to learn floral design. Sometimes the generality is along the lines of 'put the twigs in the vase, put the roses in the vase,' while at other times it is more specific. In essence, the real process of placement is sometimes excluded.
   
   Also, many of the arrangements are of a similar style, round and mouned, and though this is a particular style, I would have appreciated fewer examples of this type of bouquet, which I consider to be less complicated to make. As a florist, I would recommend this book to other florists looking for interesting ideas for using alternative floral materials such as food. I would also recommend this book for beginners needing very basic informatioin, such how to use greeneries and basic floral tools.
   
   I would not, however, recommend this book for beginners or florists hoping to make commercial sorts of arrangements. After all, her book is the "art" of floral design, not the "economics" of floral design. Many commercial floral arrangements make more economical use of stem length and amount of flowers. This is not universal, but it is something to keep in mind when deciding who to buy this book for.



3. This book is being used as a text book for an advanced floral design class I am taking. Very useful for the advanced or beginning floral designer. Pictures are very detailed.



4. Beautiful book on fresh flower arranging. Lots of information and lovely photographs. There is good technical information regarding the basics of arranging flowers in general. Her designs are beautiful but personally, not something I would want to reproduce. They are too edgy. She is obviously very talented. If you are looking for a book on silk flower arranging, try Decorating With Silk & Dried Flowers by The Home Decorating Institute. Even if you are more interested in silk flower arranging, there is still a lot of good information about color, line, texture, etc. in this one.



5. This was supposed to be a NEW book. All the pages were stuck together on the bottom of the book and when I got them apart you can see a huge water stain. This was the first time I had ordered from Amazon and I will never do it again!!!!!

5 comments about Handcrafting Chain and Bead Jewelry: Techniques for Creating Dimensional Necklaces and Bracelets.

1. Whether you're just starting out or have been creating chainmail jewelry for a while, Plumlee's first book provides solid introductory information-from an overview of included chain styles to the tools, materials, and techniques needed to complete them-along with plenty of inspirational photos of original chain patterns. In addition, the techniques for creating clasps and earwires are easy to follow and produce great results. Some of the photos of gold wire seemed a bit green in my copy, but this is just a cosmetic issue that could have be corrected by the printer. Solid technique and instruction here. [...].



2. I absolutely love this book. It gives you step by step instructions. It also shows you every tool needed. I appreciate the cultural background given at the beginning of the book. The only problem I had was with the time it takes to complete a piece. I stick with it because I love the outcome.



3. All the chains used are variations of the Byzantine style - but he does some really cool stuff within that narrow chain window.



4. Love this book! It was recommended to me and I would recommend it to anyone interested in chainmaille. Lots of ideas and great directions.
   Jeanne, NJ



5. Wondering which book to pick up as your very first foray into chain mail jewelry-making? This is it! The first 52 pages are worth it's weight in jump rings. Plumlee uses the first 13 pages to explain the basics, the Byzantine chain and how to use Pi to figure out the right diameter for your jump rings. He jumps right into tools all the while keeping it simple. No fancy tools here, you can pick up your much needed mandrels at the yarn store - they're knitting needles.
   
   A chapter on wire skills takes you step by step through the winding, cutting and making clasps. Pictures accompany each step and helps a beginner to learn the process visually.
   
   Overall the pictures with accompanying directions throughout the book are superb. They make learning how to create each project virtually foolproof.
   
   I'm particularly fond of the Inca Puno Chain - it's fluidity enthralls me. It's one of three components, the
   Double Chain, the Inca Puno Chain and the Byzantine Chain. The remainder of the book combines these chains in clever and unique ways that you'll just have to buy the book to find out. They are all lovely!
   
   So, if you want to learn chain mail and don't have the slightest idea how to go about it - this book will reach out, grab your hand and lead the way with its perfectly executed step by step directions and accompanying photos.