2 comments about The Complete Photo Guide to Slipcovers: Transform Your Furniture with Fitted or Casual Covers.

1. all the projects are quite easy to make exept maybe one
   grate book to buy.worths the money



2. If you have a bit of sewing under your belt and are familiar with basic sewing vocabulary, this book is easy to follow. The photos are excellent and make helpful guides.
   
   Instructions are provided for making:
   Reversible Seat Covers
   Kitchen and Dining Chairs
   Parsons Chairs
   Ottomans
   Fitted Slipcovers for Upholstered Furniture
   Cushions and Pillows
   Wing Chairs
   Futon and Daybed Covers
   Director's Chairs
   Garden Chair
   Outdoor Chaise
   
   Each chapter has a section on what you'll need (supplies), what you'll need to know, fitting the pattern, cutting directions, and sewing instructions.
   
   If you're at all comfortable with a sewing machine, you'll have your tired furniture covered and looking like new in no time.

No comments about A Theory of Craft: Function and Aesthetic Expression.

5 comments about Collecting Costume Jewelry 202: The Basics of Dating Jewelry.

1. This is one of the better jewelry books around. I had a copy and gave it to my sister who is learning about jewelry. Then I bought another copy to replace it. It is chock full of jewelry manufacturer information as well as patents. Perfect for researching jewelry. This book will become dog-earred just like my first one-I use it that much.



2. This book held my attention for days (not just hours!) because it took hours just to get through it --- which I still haven't!! It is a must for anybody who loves jewelry the way I do. It is a must for the true collector. The photos are fantastic! Enjoy!



3. This was a wonderfully informative book with information that dozens of other books on this subject do not cover.



4. In "Collecting Costume Jewelry 101", Julia Carroll provided a guide to the main makers of (American) designer costume jewellery, which would allow a beginner to get some idea of what is on offer before going out into the market. In the sequel to this book, "Costume Jewelry 202", Carroll starts by assuming that her readers have already started their costume jewellery collections and then proceeds to give advice on how to date this jewellery.
   
   According to Carroll, there are six main methods of dating costume jewellery: using the maker's mark; using patent information; by reviewing vintage advertisements; by the style or design of the piece; by using books and the internet; and by provenance. Carroll then provides as much of this information as possible to her readers to allow them to date their own jewellery using these methods. For each of the major designers whom Carroll has selected (and there are a lot of them), she provides tables of patent numbers and descriptions, pictures of vintage advertisements, tables of maker's marks and information on style. Much of this information I have not seen in any other book. Extra space is devoted to Coro, Vendome and Trifari jewellery. Readers of "Costume Jewelry 101" will recall that in this book Carroll recommended that beginners start by collecting jewellery by Coro, Kramer, Trifari and Weiss, so this is somewhat consistent with that. Although, I feel that she should have also devoted extra space to Kramer and Weiss jewellery to be fully consistent.
   
   As with the previous book, this book is filled with numerous colour photographs of the jewellery, with 2007 values given for each piece. Please note that this book focuses on dating costume jewellery produced between 1935 and 1980, so if you are interested in dating jewellery that is either earlier or later that this, this book may prove inadequate.



5. Nice photography throughout, clear and concise writing, super job by all on a second volume follow up.

5 comments about Everyone's Mandala Coloring Book Vol. 2 (Everyone's Mandala Coloring Book).

1. Author, artist, transpersonal psychotherapist and business person all describe what Monique Mandali is, but do not tell you who she is. I've been privileged to meet Monique and I know that she is a seeker traveling her path. Her walking stick is her love for all, especially children. Ms. Mandali offers a series of four coloring books for children and adults. There are three different delights in the original Everyone's Mandala Coloring Book series, each consisting of 22 designs. While the original three books in the series contain designs by the author, the latest (and perhaps greatest) has 25 peace mandalas from children all around the world. The Peace Mandala Coloring Book is very special because the mandalas are designed by children unencumbered by the pressure of adult living. Further, they bring a variety of spiritual as well as geographical cultures to bear.

   Monique Mandali has given us something special. Not only do we find drawings to color that can aid in health and serenity...Everyone's Mandala Coloring Book Series is additionally special because they represent the best part of Monique Mandali, her love!




2. I purchased the whole series. At times different forms call for my attention and the additional selection is definitely appreciated. The variety is quite good. They range from simpler to complex, with open spaces which leave room for my own variations. The author's designs seem to create a sacred space in which the individual's own light can shine, even if all they want to do is simply "color" a bit. I would expect this flexibility to make them accessible to people with widely varying skills: children, many disabled persons, the elderly, the imaginative and the gifted artist, as well and most of us who are somewhere in between. Yet they are undemanding so that no one need miss out on the calm center and its healing.



3. I recently discovered the Mandala and being the inquisitive person that I am I decided to try my hand at creating my own. This is just one of the coloring books I orderd by this author. Very enjoyable!



4. A wonderful book...big designs (not to complicated) gives enough room for coloring paterns...just be careful with the markers, pages are thin and colors go through it(luckly there is one design per page only)...have fun.



5. Purchased as a gift but would be embarrassed to give it. Very few Mandalas for $10.00. Very overpriced!

5 comments about Animals: 1,419 Copyright-Free Illustrations of Mammals, Birds, Fish, Insects, etc. (Dover Pictorial Archives).

1. This is just packed full of brilliant illustrations of birds frogs fish girafee spiders butterflies you name it , throughly recommended for any one who loves botanical illustrations or engravings , really good source material for artists or designers.very nice book but rember it is a paper back not that that matters to me.



2. Used several of these drawings in projects. Books like this are great for those of us designers who aren't the best freehand drawers.



3. Wow - the enormous numbers of animal life is astounding and the book clearly shows this. Unfortunately the images are quite dark and the book is very thick (you get your money's worth - image-wise), so scanning them for use in various artistic media is difficult. Therefore, I bought two of the books and plan to cut one of them up (that hurts to say for I treasure books of all types). This way I can control the scanning and modification using software to bring out details and highlight an image to my satisfaction. And finally, the classic images are impressive and I applaud the author for his selection of animals from all realms of life on earth.



4. A present for my daughter-in-law and the illustrations were incredible. She is an artist and will make good use of this book.



5. This book has the most awesome animal drawings I have ever seen. The fact that they are wood engravings is more than remarkable!

3 comments about Creative Stained Glass: Modern Designs & Simple Techniques.

1. After I began taking a stained glass class, I ran to the library and the bookstore. My instructor is good, but he's only one opinion. I must have looked at a dozen books, but this is one of the two that I brought home. I'm certainly glad I did.
   
   Like many such books, there are three sections: basic techiques, projects, and a gallery that shows what you can do (but offers no instruction -- just an ooh-ahh opportunity).
   
   The techniques section is among the best I've encountered. In a sense, the info that beginners need is all about the same: the supplies you need, the types of glass available, etc. However, Creative Stained Glass always seems to have just a little more info that do the other books... maybe it's just four paragraphs about the kinds of solder instead of two, but at this point you need all the info you can get.
   
   That first section is 40 pages, which is more than most books devote to the basics. The writing is friendly, too.
   
   In addition, the projects are pretty! I've seen far too many stained glass books in which half the projects are, well, lame. The glass equivalent of a crying clown painted on velvet. The projects are more likely to be leaded rather than to use copper foil; most beginner books seem to choose copper. Each project has about three pages of instruction, plus the patter; my one quibble is that it often doesn't tell you by how much to enlarge the pattern.
   
   I'm not positive I could have learned stained glass wholly from this or any book (this is one area in which a hands-on class makes all the difference), but this one would have given me the most confidence.
   
   Overall, I've gotten the best advice from this book. I'm glad it's in my library. You should probably grab a copy, too.



2. I am a beginner in stained glass & have enjoyed the book very much. I find the technique information very helpful & detailed. The photos are great and give the reader the needed visuals to help you understand well the technique or what the finished product should look like. I am very glad I purchased the book. MC California



3. Great book for basic instructions and classic simple designs. Highly recommend for reference and tips, very easy to follow with illustrations.

5 comments about Becoming an Interior Designer (A Guide to Careers in Design).

1. This book is an excellent source of information for those interested in becoming designers and those already studying interior design. This book explains commerical design well and gives truthful information on what potential employers will expect from a design education. If you are serious about becoming an interior designer, read this book - so you will be completely informed on this fun and dynamic profession. It is not decorating!



2. I recently read Becoming an Interior Designer by Christine Piotrowski, ASID, IIDA, for a critical analysis paper in my english class at OSU. After reading it, I would agree that interior design is more complex than the average person might assume. Throughout this selection, Piotrowski discusses the types of design, the changes in the profession over time, and the educational preparation to gain a better understanding of the career overall. This informative "how-to" book discusses commercial and residential areas of interior design and what is important to know in order to become successful in the rapidly growing field. In her attempt at writing an educational book, Piotrowski uses techniques, variety, and tips that ultimately reveal to readers whether this career is suitable for them. This book is best for anyone who is interested in the field and is looking for a quick light read. I found the book to be repetitive, not necessarily intellectually challenging, but a fun read that can either discourage or encourage one to follow their dream to become an interior designer. So if one has the desire to learn more about this book check out this guide to careers in design.



3. Piotrowski writes about the steps on how to become an interior designer. There are several chapters describing the design process and the different types of design. There are detailed accounts of what is put into residential and commercial spaces. She takes a look at the future of the profession. There are several testimonials and showcases for active designers giving their opinions and advice on the profession. This book offers an in depth account on the profession and what is to come in the interior design field. As an aspiring interior designer, this book talked too much about current designer's experiences and not strictly about the profession. The book overall was helpful and knowledgable and I suggest those interested in the field get this book and take it to heart. This book is a fairly easy to read book; it rates only at the twelfth grade level on average. It is appropriate for those in high school and older. It helps inspire those that are looking at the profession and those already in it.



4. I purchased this book for my high school aged daughter who in interested in a career in interior design. The book is ideal for someone like her. It provides a good overview of the design process, design specialties (residential, commercial, hospitality, etc), educational preparation required, where jobs are, and general business aspects of the field. A defining feature of this book is that author includes several interviews with people in the field asking practical questions such as "How did you become an interior designer?", "What is the greatest challenge of your work?", "What is the single most important skill an Interior Designer needs to be successful?", "How important is Interior Design education/Certification in today's industry?", "What do you look for in Hiring a new designer?", etc. This aspect allows the reader to hear from several real people rather than just getting a dry Occupational Outlook view. The interview responses are practical, sobering (you realize how much work it is!) and inspiring. Just right for helping someone make an informed choice.
   My only knock against this book is that at $23 it is a bit pricey for a paperback with only black and white photos. It strikes me more as a $15 book. I might look for a used copy. That said, it has been very valuable and I would buy it again.



5. I bought this book because I am interested in going back to school for a 2nd degree in Interior Design. This book gives a great breakdown of the industry. It breaks down the different specialities and highlights the major points in each specialization. It also discusses education and certification. I love the Questions to Interior Designers section, because they interview practicing interior designers. I have made my final decision to go back to school and this book has helped alot in my decision making process.

5 comments about The Complete Book of Crochet Stitch Designs: 500 Classic & Original Patterns.

1. As a beginning crocheter, I am positively eating up books with new crochet stitches and styles and techniques and ideas. When I picked up this book at Borders to flip through, I was thrilled to see--500 stitch patterns!
   
   However, after flipping through the book, I was hugely disappointed. All of the stitches are done in the same rough off-white yarn that doesn't do that much to show off the stitch detail. In some (most) cases, it actually washes it out so much, you can't really tell if it's an attractive stitch pattern or not! And that nasty rough yarn... come on. It's just ugly. There are so many better choices available that would have been much more aesthetically pleasing.
   
   I also disliked that none of the stitches have names. They are all numbered. After reaching the end of a book of 500 stitch patterns, are you really going to remember, "Hey, that was stitch #137 that I really liked?" No. More likely, you're going to remember words like "trellis," "shell," or "lattice." Something that you could at least look up in an index to quickly find what you were looking for.
   
   Hoping for so much when I picked up this book. So disappointing.



2. I was recently asked by a friend to crochet a baby blanket for his sister. I didn't have a pattern that I wanted to make so I consulted this book and found at least twelve different patterns that I wanted to try. I am so happy to have such a great reference of different styles to try. It is exactly what I was looking for and recommend it to anyone looking for a wonderful variety of stitch designs to choose from.



3. Anyone who crochets will find many reasons for singing the praises of this book whether one crochets using written instructions and/or diagrams. I taught myself to crochet decades ago and collected 1,000s of pattern books along the way; in spite of all my books, this one fails to disappoint and it's a very welcome addition to my library.
   
   I chose to ignore one scathing review in particular as a few moments research showed the reviewer has an established pattern of returning the majority of the books she orders. People like this need to visit their local bookstores or library and physically inspect the latest books rather than waste Amazon.com's time and money to play a game of "book ping-pong". I have yet to return a book due to the lame "I didn't like it" excuse, but then again I'm not the type of person who feels the need to harvest the latest crochet patterns for free by simply stating the book is below my standards and requesting a refund for it.
   
   I can only hope that such unfair, untrue and critical reviews will be tempered by her desperately needed purchase and consumption of Remifemin (non-returnable, of course).



4. This is a wonderful stitch pattern compendium. Hundreds of patterns, with a photographic table of contents, and instructions in both written and charted formats. One of the most useful crochet stitch dictionaries I've found, and I own several.



5. This book features many stitch patterns and their variations. It doesn't delve too deeply into post stitches or textured stitches, although there are enough I think for most readers of this book. However, it does thoroughly cover everything else. It's a very large & thick book and has been proving itself a very good reference. I find it helpful to see the variations on a basic pattern, as I most often like those better and it's interesting to see how changing just one stitch in a pattern can alter the whole look.
   
   I'm grateful the editors decided to use one color yarn for all the swatches & a similar color layout for all the pages. I find even the color of yarn can change the appearance of a swatch, so having all the swatches in the same yarn/color provides the brain an easy comparison with all the patterns. Recently there seems to be this push to make the stitch reference books colorful and happy, with this abject fear that if any two pages are uniform in appearance, we're all going to get soooo bored we'll fall asleep reading it. That's great for kids or if you need to be inspired by pretty things, but I'm choosing a pattern for a design and I want my stitch reference to be my workhorse in that endeavor & not a distraction. And I'm really happy there are written instructions AND charts.
   
   My only problem (and reason for giving 4 stars, not 5) is the yarn used to stitch up the samples. It's a fuzzy kind of yarn. In the pictures you can make out the stitch textures a bit, but the fuzz factor obscures those details and almost makes the photo look out of focus. I can only assume that a person not familiar with photography decided on the yarn and thought it looked pretty or gave the swatches a softer appearance. It just plain doesn't work & was a really dumb move on the editor's part. If you're looking to see what a pattern would look like in a mercerized cotton, you might be frustrated. Basically, you have to view these patterns with a softer eye in order to get over the fuzz factor.
   
   For the shear number of stitches and variations, I would definitely recommend this book. For most people, this book will serve very well, both as a reference for designing and for clarification of certain stitch patterns in purchased designs.

2 comments about Making Mathematics with Needlework: Ten Papers and Ten Projects.

1. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly co-edited by Sarah-Marie Belcastro (Co-Director, Hamshire College Summer Studies in mathematics and Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Smith College) and Carolyn Yackel (Mathematics Instructor, Mercer University), "Making Mathematics With Needlework: Ten Papers And Ten Projects" is unique in that it combines mathematics papers with fiber arts project instructions. Each chapter showcases a particular project and that project features sections on mathematics and mathematics education along with detailed instructions for completing the needlecraft project. The featured projects include a Quilted Mobius Band (making a mobius quilt); Diphantine Equations (making a bi-directional hat); Sierpinski Variatins (making a Sierpinski shawl); a Two Knit Stiches Tours; Symmetry Patterns in Cross-Stitch; Algebraic Structure (making algebraic socks); Fortunatus's Purse; (K)Not Cables and Braids (making a pillow of Braid Equivalence); The Graph Theory of Blackwork Embroidery (embroidering a Holbeinian Graph); and making Hyperbolic Pants. Profusely illustrated, the text is fully accessible to non-specialist general readers with an interest in needlecraft, in the mathematics underlying needlecraft, as well as having a very special attraction for math students and fiber art enthusiasts alike.



2. Ok, I'm a bit of a math geek -- I have my masters in math. And I'm addicted to knitting books and yarn (as a quick perusal of my review history will demonstrate). So I ordered this book. Each chapter presents a new concept and a new project. The projects are not your typical fiber arts projects but they are all beautiful. They also should give even the most math-phobic individuals a new appreciation of the math.
   
   I have taught math online to adult college students and this would be perfect "supplemental reading" to show people that math doesn't have to be scary.

5 comments about Getting Started Making Metal Jewelry (Getting Started series).

1. This is a wonderful book to get you started with metal jewelry. Mark Lareau covers the basics such as tools and how to use them. He prioritizes the tools, which is helpful when you're on a budget. The book includes little mini-lessons such as a one-page course on how metals behave--did you know many metals have a crystalline structure?--and a three-page lesson on how soldering works. He even devotes a page to stringing your jeweler's saw! Some of the descriptions come from the kitchen (peanut butter sandwiches, for example).
   
   Lareau has a wonderful, approachable style of writing and takes away any fear you may have of using unfamiliar tools and materials. He follows his lessons with a variety of basic projects which build on the information he's given and which slowly increase in difficulty. Throughout the book are large, clear photos showing just how the steps should look.



2. Other books I have on this subject are awfully advanced, and assume too much prior knowledge. This book has lots of detail in the instructions, both verbal and pictorial. The projects are simple, yet good-looking.



3. This book is clear, thorough, and offers manageable projects that sets the beginning metalsmith up for success. I needed a refresher for some of the ideas I learned in an earlier class, and found the book invaluable.



4. I make welded sculptures and want to venture into jewelrymaking.
   
   I was looking for a book to explain setting stones in bezels plus making really creative silver pieces.
   
   This isn't the book for either.
   
   There are some flat pieces, a bell cap bracelet, a few simple band rings and a few other pieces. Most of the designs didn't seem especially inspired.
   
   I'm sure the book I am looking for is out there. This just wasn't it.



5. Interested in designing your own metal jewelry. Start with this book FIRST. Learn the basics and if you love what you are doing - buy a more advanced book (there are several in various degree of complexity) or one that focuses upon the metal design subject you like best (e.g. cold soldering, chain designs, wire work, casting, setting stones). If you are not a beginner or know a thing or two about metal and how it can be manipulated, do NOT get this book. You will be disappointed and probably sell it or give it away. Therefore, the "GETTING STARTED" portion of the book's title is very appropriate and should be kept in mind when buying this book. A good series of books (there are other subjects in the Getting Started series) that are definitely for those wanting to dabble first before putting lots of money into setting up a studio focused on a particular art form.