No comments about Trapunto and Other Forms of Raised Quilting.

3 comments about Best-Selling Bazaar Patchwork (For the Love of Quilting).

1. "Best-Selling BazaarPatchwork" has many lovely projects to make that will catch the eye of the disearning buyer and are quickly made by the quilter! The projects are fun and easy to make and satisfying when finished. The book contains something for almost everyone, both prospective the buyer and the quilter. It also has some great bazaar tips for the bazaar organizers as well as the sellers that give your bazaar and bazaar tables that extra special touch. Every quilt guild should own a copy!



2. "Best-Selling BazaarPatchwork" has many lovely projects to make that will catch the eye of the disearning buyer and are quickly made by the quilter! The projects are fun and easy to make and satisfying when finished. The book contains something for almost everyone, both prospective the buyer and the quilter. It also has some great bazaar tips for the bazaar organizers as well as the sellers that give your bazaar and bazaar tables that extra special touch. Every quilt guild should own a copy!



3. Don't buy this book if you are looking for just quilting projects or a book about quilting. This book relies more on the "Bazaar" and less on the "Patchwork side of things. Most of it is about setting up and selling quilt "themed" items. There are only two full size quilts in the entire book and they are not that great.

No comments about Quilts: Identification and Price Guide (The Confident Collector).

No comments about Assisi Embroidery: Technique and 42 Charted Designs (Dover Needlework).

2 comments about Feathers That Fly: How to Design, Mark, and Machine Quilt Feather Motifs.

1. I purchased this book sight unseen based on the author's description. Once I received it, I was disappointed in the lack of new information or insights. Most of what is provided in this book is more thoroughly presented in other machine quilting books. The only "new" technique presented is a description on how Caryl Fallert creates her machine quilted feathers. I also found the exercises and sample quilts uninspiring. I would heartily recommend Guide to Machine Quilting by Diane Gaudynski and Infinite Feathers by Anita Shackleford instead. At a minimum, view the book in person so you can decide whether its worth spending your money on.



2. I found this book excellent. It inspired my creative quilting side and was easy to follow in a logical, progressive way that had me learning through small projects that were not so challenging as to be offputting. A resource to continue to refer to.

1 comments about 60 Civil War-Era Fashion Patterns.

1. The patterns in 60 Civil-War Era Fashions are all drawn from Peterson's Magazine, one of the ladies' magazines most familiar to Civil War re-enactors and costumers. The pattern dates range from 1860 to 1869. The patterns have been enlarged somewhat to fit the book pages, and the book says they have been redrawn, but otherwise they are just like the ones in the original magazines. Patterns in 1860s ladies' magazines tend to be only roughly scaled (that is, they are not drawn to true scale and cannot simply be enlarged without re-drafting). These patterns are no exception. Each pattern includes a brief description of the garment, but no sewing instructions. No period supplementary information (such as dressmaking instructions or fashion columns) was added to make up for the lack of it. However, a highly experienced pattern-drafter and seamstress, who has no access to original issues of Peterson's, will be able to make use of this book.

3 comments about The Ultimate T-Shirt Book: Creating Your Own Unique Designs.

1. This book is great for looking at great designs but hardly one to use to create a t-shirt. There is no in depth directions to make any of these t-shirts. I was interested in making new designs for my t-shirts (tie dye) and this book is totally useless. You really have to guess at what they are doing since there are not many directions to follow. For example: They tell you to use c-clamps to secure it between wood- well how is it positioned, what size wood ? Everything is very vague in the directions. They show only one picture of folding a t-shirt and that doesn't show you anything of how to position it. I have been tie dying for 10 years and hoped for more in depth directions to create new designs. I guess it is back to the drawing board for me. I wish I hadn't wasted my money on this book. I can go to many web sites to look at great designs if I just wanted a collection of pictures. Very disapointed in this one......



2. Are you one of those people who requires paint-by-number picture kits, and dotes on full step-by-step Martha-style craft instructions? If so, don't bother with this book. If, however, you are capable of finding information on basic techniques once you realize that you want to try them, the many different great ideas in this book are just the thing! I would never have thought to tie-BLEACH a garment before dyeing it, for wonderful lightening-bolt effects, for example. All I need is good pictures of good project ideas, with a little info on what types of techniques and materials to use; I don't need someone to hold my hand and murmur reassurances as I go along. I was amazed to see another review of this book dismissing it for doing what it does so well!



3. This book gives you all the basic information you need to re-create the amazing shirts shown here. If you need such basic information as how to fold a T for tie-dyeing, you need another book. The inspiration here is worth twice the price of the book. Discharge dyeing and overdyeing are used to tremendous effect. This book puts t-shirt art on another level.

1 comments about Klader: Creating Fantastic Clothes.

1. This was a rather famous book when it came out in translation from the Swedish. The combination of biographies of designers (some very ordinary people like factory workers) and ideas made this book a best-seller. It's been out of print for a while, but it still is a standard reference.
   
   Author Ericson illustrates her book with clear photographs. There is a biography of an elderly and elegant woman who has always worn--white and only white. Even at her husband's funeral. Ideas abound (some with patterns to sew from)--folkwear inspired, Asian-inspired, and funky stuff using office supplies or found objects. I wish I could show you the photos--they are amazing.
   
   If you sew, there are schematics here you can enlarge and use for sewing patterns. If you quilt clothing, there are plenty of unusual ideas. A wonderful book, fun to read and ponder.

No comments about Baltimore Album Revival!: Historic Quilts in the Making.

5 comments about Simple Screenprinting: Basic Techniques & Creative Projects.

1. I recently decided to take up screen printing and bought this book to help me learn the techniques. I've been very pleased with it so far. The instructions are simple to follow and explained well. There are also images illustrating most steps described in the text, useful for visual people. The author goes through the basics, such as choosing a suitable screen and paint and the equipment necessary, so it's easy to get started right away. The specific projects outlined in the book are fun and interesting, though perhaps best used as inspiration for your own designs. Best of all, the author describes several different ways to make prints, including some that don't involve any toxic chemicals.
   
   This book might not be appropriate for advanced screen printers as I'm sure the information contained in it is pretty simplistic. However, it's great for someone like me who knew nothing about screenprinting before I bought this book. I've created some really great images following the instructions of the authors, and I couldn't be happier with the results.



2. This book is well set out with plenty of colour photographs stepping the reader through the processes of screen printing. Written instructions and advice is thorough and simple to understand. Projects are ideal for a novice and provide ideas for imagination. The inclusion of the gallery of other works is inspiring.



3. [...]Have you ever tried the silkscreen printing process? An excellent, well thought out book that can get you started is Simple Screenprinting (Basic Techniques & Creative Projects) by Annie Stromquist, published by Lark books in 2004. (ISBN 1-57990-490-4). The eye of an artist is evidenced throughout this book, which is a visual joy, filled with clear, colorful photographs and appropriate use of "white space."
   
   Assuming the reader is a total novice to screen printing, Ms. Stromquist begins with a brief history of screen-printing, then describes the tools and inks that are used. Next, selection and preparation of the screen itself is clearly described. This is followed by an illustration showing attachment of the frame to special hinges and backboard. As the method is further developed, a paper stencil for defining the printed image is shown and the first project, a stenciled postcard, is begun. The more advanced printmaker will find later in the book that photo emulsion preparations allow a simple and accurate means to create a screen that offers the ability to print photographically derived images. The reader is shown how to register the print so that multiple screens may be used in order to print with different colors and to ensure the image is properly aligned. A very clearly descriptive section shows exactly how to use registration pins and tabs to maintain correct and accurate image registration. The reader quickly discovers that many parallels exist between overcoming screen-printing problems and intaglio or lithographic printing problems that use multiple color plates. This book goes beyond printing only on paper by exploring and explaining how screen-printing is done on fabric. One such project shows how to create place mats or even how to print aprons for a group (maybe even Maryland Printmakers print shop aprons!)
   
   Traditionally, this method had been called "silk screen" printing, but polyester material is now used in place of silk simply because polyester is more readily available and far less costly. Density of the weave of the fabric will dictate the screen's ability to register detail and the system of grading the screen fabric densities is also explained.
   
   Opaque or transparent inks used for screen-printing may be either water- or oil-based. Ms. Stromquist explains how to test the inks using colors with different levels of transparency and shows how the colors combine to create different color results when they are printed one color over another.
   
   There are twenty-six screen-printing projects included in the book. Each one uses a different method to produce the image. The projects begin with a simple single color stenciled post card. This teaches the basic skills and acquaints the user with the tools and technique. Each project requires using a new technique, and as the artist proceeds through the book, competency is developed as the level of sophistication in printmaking increases. Each new technique becomes the basis for learning the next level. T-shirts, Aprons for a Group, posters, a greeting card, and photo-booth portrait are all part of the succession of learning projects. By the time you have walked your way through the projects, you will be a well-qualified screen-print maker and well on your way to producing some interesting new art.
   
   Making difficult and complex concepts so very easy to understand are hallmarks of an experienced and skilled teacher / author. It is a joy to discover a book that is useful, friendly, and easy to understand, and this book is all of that.



4. I've been reading a lot about screenprinting and wanting to try it, but the part that always baffled me was how best, at home, to do photo emulsion stencils. This book explained it really well with photos and lists of easy to get equipment to do it at home. It took the intimidation out of it for me.
   The projects in it are great. I would have liked more cloth projects, but even with that, the ideas were good, and the explanations for how to do layered prints were really well written and easy to understand.



5. I own this book, it's a decent book but I wouldn't recommend it to someone that's looking for basic information. I do like this book and found things that were of help to me but I was looking for a step by step how to and this simply isn't it.