5 comments about Snippet Sensations: Fast, Fusible Fabric Art for Quilted or Framed Projects.

1. I discovered this book after watching the author on a sewing tv program. I really like the impressionist art style and thought what a great way to combine two art forms. However, in the tv show, she showed how to make flowers. They are NOT included this book. I did make the wreath that she discusses in the book and in one afternoon, I had a beautiful wallhanging. The step by step directions are great. Don't be intimitated by the samples she gives, just go for it!!



2. As an artist, but not a seamstress, I found this book to be very complete as far as instruction in this method of creating fabric pictures. I found the method to be very simple to create interesting, original pictures from scraps of material Having no previous experience with fusible web, I had no problem following the directions and creating enjoyable pictures to give as gifts and to sell. I was not interested in the quilting directions included, but think snippet sensations. is a marvelous new hobby anyone should be able to do with ease



3. After receiving this book, I read it cover to cover twice! I couldn't wait to get started. This is so much fun. The author explains every step thoroughly. There are a lot of pictures to help guide one as well. Once you get started on the technique, you can't stop. I love 'painting' with fabric. This author perfected the technique. Definitely worth buying.



4. I have had a heck of a time starting to quilt, as I am afraid of color selection, that is- until I bought this book! This is the most fun I've had in years! The designs are beautiful, fun, and belive it or not, EASY! I am just a beginner! You can complete a project in about a day! This book is fantastic! The other snippet book is wonderful too! If you don't buy these books, you are a crazy quilt!



5. I'd been dying to make the flying eagle that's on the back cover, but I had some difficulty with the instructions, which untilmately lead to a dud project. They weren't specific about which pieces NOT to add 1/4" to, as well as the sample progression photos were not all taken of the same project. I ended up with a flying torpedo/pidgeon/hot dog because I added 1/4" to the white head & tail. The rest of it was fine. Sigh.

5 comments about Welcome Home: Kaffe Fassett.

1. This book features pictures of his home working areas, his sources of inspiration and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts exhibit which I went to many times; so I got the book as memento of the exhibit and the class on color application that Kaffe taught there a couple of years ago which I was fortunate to attend. Anything he does is terrific as far as I am concerned. The book has quilts and rug patterns which look wonderful. This book was fun for me, as I am always looking for suggestions on how to create a comfortable working area in my very small living space, and liberating ways to work with color. Kaffe will always be my favorite art teacher -- he continues to be great source of encouragement and inspiration.



2. Absolutely Beautiful. He is a master of color design and employs the essence of the earth with the soul. A keepsake that will be cherished forever.

   This book is wonderfully written and his work is inspirational. Knowing the fabric choices and patterns are available is great comfort. His work in his home can also be yours.




3. This book features photographs of Kaffe Fassett's
   home where he apparently does most of his work.
   Beware, this book is not for the exponent of
   monochromatic themes. Mr. Fassett lives with his
   art and the colors in his house explode from the
   pages of WELCOME HOME.

   The artist says that "the house is like a constantly
   changing set." In fact, his entire home appears to
   be a working studio. On page eleven there are
   pictures of the same room decorated in two distinct
   and different styles, where even the fireplace mantle
   has been changed.

   From the papered or hand painted walls, to the quilts,
   needlepoint rugs, chairs and pillows, the home abounds
   in colors, textures and patterns. It's a treat to
   just look at the photographs. If you feel so inclined,
   the instructions are given for making some of the
   quilts, rugs and pillows.

   It's interesting to view the home environment of a
   successful working artist and to see how different
   objects are collected and used as sources of future
   inspiration. I particularly enjoyed the pictures of
   Mr. Fassett's blue and white pottery collection which
   is also a favorite of mine. I also liked seeing his
   bookcase, which from the point of view of a book
   collector, looked well used and filled with cherished
   books.

   The section of the book called Museum Tour, shows
   various exhibits of Mr. Fassett's work as a textile
   artist. These photographs are from his show at the
   Minneapolis Institute of Fine Art.

   I highly recommend this beautiful book.




4. If you're in a design or artistic rut and need something to "jump start" your creative visions again, this book is well worth owning.

   Fassett challenges all the truisms of decor and many of the fundamental rules of art, and celebrates life and color with his fabulous visual concepts. Savoring each photo in this book... Well, it's like eating the best sherbet in the world, but for your creative spirit.

   If you want your environment to enrich you and welcome visitors with extraordinary and JUICY colors (and color combinations), it's worth finding a copy of this book. I recently acquired a copy (after being "on the fence" about it for too long... what WAS I thinking...?) and wish that I'd snagged a copy sooner.

   I honestly can't think of any kind of art or artist that wouldn't be very positively influenced by this book.




5. I've always admired Kaffe Fassett so when I saw that this book was available at my local library I just had to borrow it. The colours do not disappoint and his home does not either. It is a continuous creative work in progress but it also looks very comfortable and lived in. I am not a crafty person but thanks to this book I went out and bought a latch hook, some hessian and found the bag of scrap material buried deep in a cupboard and now have a new easy hobby for in front of the TV that cost me less than $10 to get started with. His projects are achievable even for beginners and there is something for everyone. The beauty of this book is that it gives ideas and also an insight into how this fascinating man lives. It is not a specialist book but rather a broad overview of Fassett's interests.

4 comments about The Lacy Knitting of Mary Schiffmann.

1. I highly recommend this book as either a first lace knitting book or to add to a collection because it is both helpful and beautiful. I have purchased other lace knitting books but because of their complexity I had never used them to produce a piece of lace. The author of this book, Mary Shiffmann, taught lace knitting and includes in the book a list of projects designed to help novice lace knitters develop their skills. I was able to pick up this book and without other help teach myself to knit lace. Also helpful is that all the patterns are charted. The book is an interesting mix of the author's personal history, discussions about lace, and lessons. It also contains an excellent variety of patterns (from easy to complex), projects and suggestions. I plan on working my way through many of the patterns.

   The book has an artful approach that shows the beauty of hand knitted lace.




2. This book is very well put together. I have been knitting for 20 years and love the patterns in this book. There are a number of advanced patterns for more experienced knitters, something difficult to find these days, and a number of simpler patterns for novice knitters. I only wish it had more patterns and hope that they will come out with a second book.



3. The cover is deceptive in that it shows several lace doilies, but what you see on the cover is what you get in the book. Most of the stitch patterns are found in most pattern books. The only part of the book that is truly unique for the experienced lace knitter is the few lace edging patterns. Not worth 17.95 for those few patterns.



4. While this book was not exactly what I was expecting (Ohrenberg shawls, etc.), it was indeed highly useful. Mary Schiffman provides many different types of lace for knitted lace, including edging or borders, samplers, shawls, and a skirt. Her style is relatively straight-forward yet not for the faint of knitting heart. There is much to be learned in this book and it has many useful yet beautiful applications. I would recommend this book for the more advance knitter who is looking to explore the possibilities of knitted lace and design garments using lace techniques.

5 comments about Traditional Hardanger Embroidery (Dover Needlework Series).

1. I absolutely loved the designs but they were way too advanced for a beginner like me. I would like to see step-by-step instructions or a few samplers included with the harder patterns.



2. This book is an excellent source of older style Hardange patterns. While there are no graphs, the pictures are clear enough that the Hardanger stitcher with some experience can easily handle the designs, which are typically more complex and more densely decorated than the current trends in Hrdanger. A must have for a Hardanger junkie!



3. This is an excellant book for an adventurous novice and a delight for the advanced Hardanger enthusiast. There are no graphs but the pictures are clear and numerous, and there are some directions and close-up pictures of unusual motifs. The style of the work is unusual, densely rich and complex. For the advanced stitcher, a look at a different style of Hardanger and for the novice, an attainable goal to shoot for!



4. Instructions are unclear; you have to read them several times. Does not discuss needles, thread, sewing versus hoop stabbing, nor explain how to carry thread behind invisably so that your work looks good from both sides. The designs are nice and the explanations might be helpful for experienced hardanger stitchers.



5. Priscilla Publishers was a venerated long-time needlework designer and publishing company. Their various books are utter classics. I don't understand the criticism of this exquisite book. Who said it was for beginners? Just browsing through the exasperatingly black-and-white photos is a delight to the eye. If you need to get into hardanger more easily--which is certainly understandable and highly encouraged--go up this page and purchase any one of these other great, more modern books. I own all of them but one and think are a great introduction to this stitching. Do some of those projects and then return to this book. This artform is greatly rewarding and you will produce wonderful stitchery that will fill you with pride.

No comments about Fox and Geese and Fences: A Collection of Traditional Maine Mittens.

5 comments about Beading With Peyote Stitch: A Beadwork How-To Book (Beadwork How-to Book).

1. One of the few instructional beading books that also makes good reading. Sure, it's a must-have for the beading table, but it's a great take along for commuting, waiting at the dentist, or on the bedside table for inspiration before sleep. The good news: if you are a fan of the original Beady-Eyed Women (the authors have other books), this one has lots of color pictures, and not just in the (40-page!) Gallery section. More good news: Lots of diagrams, and most of them are right next to the text, so people who need both words and pictures can understand the steps. The text-links to the diagrams are easily numbered, and that's a big help. Even more good news: there are some great ideas in this book that I haven't seen in others. The section on making geometric shapes and links is worth the price of the book. The surprise: the picture amazon.com shows as the book cover is not the one on the cover of the book I got. The instructions for the Vicki Star's "Stellar Star" is not included in the book, but the picture is, on p.75. The bad news: The diagrams showing bead placement use blue ink to show existing beads and the same tone of purple ink to show added beads. If you are a diagram user, read under a bright light, or you won't understand what's going on. It would have been a better idea to use contrasting colors for existing and newly added beads in the diagrams. More bad news: In the section on making bead triangles, there is an assumption that if you've done one side, you can figure out the other. Some of us can't, and one more diagram would have been helpful. Instead, after a step-by-step description of the first half of the triangle, we are told, "you don't have to make two steps down or two steps up, but you still have to take the ten-cent tour." As the two-step process was crucial, that final diagram would be a big help. More bad news for beginners: This is the only book I've read (and I own more than 30 books on beading)in which odd-count peyote stitch starts with an even number of beads, and even-count peyote starts with an odd number of beads. In the odd-count, you add another bead in row three, which, as the authors say, "turns the first three rows upside down." In the even-count, there is a diagram (with asterisk footnotes explained on the flip side of the page) that left me confused. I finally got it, but I'm a slow learner, so this may not be a problem for people who are fast learners. The conclusion: Buy the book. The well-explained tips, scattered throughout the book are worth the price of the book. You'll learn something no matter what level you are on, and the color pictures are enough to inspire any level beader.



2. I am an experienced beader and liked this book because it expands on peyote's capabilities.Some examples are: making different shapes in peyote, curling, tubular, free-form,and beading in the round. There is a great project section followed by an excellent gallery section.



3. A comprehensive review of the various types of peyote stitch. Clear instructions and diagrams. Great for a beginner and a good reference for the advanced beader. Has a number of pages of finished products without instructions which may or may not be useful.



4. I bought this book and was very disappointed. There are relatively few projects and the instructions are not that well illustrated and it is very costly for the number of pages. I took a course in Peyote Stitch and the instructor used the Well's book. I would therefore instead recommend the Carol Wilcox Books (both of them). The first (Creative Bead Weaving) has fantastic instructions for all types of peyote and the 2nd (The Art and Elegance of Beadweaving), has the most beautiful projects imaginable. In addition both books cover many other forms of beadweaving. They are about twice as big and cost less and are truly inspiring.



5. If you want to learn how to do peyote you have here a great book with very explained schemes and very easy to follow.it is almost like step by step.

1 comments about Modern Primitive Quilts: Redefining Country Style (That Patchwork Place).

1. Laurie's new book is fabulous, love the folky patterns, and of course the wonderful workmanship - what is not to like about this book. I think it is stunning from cover to cover - Great job. I do not even sew, but this is a coffee table book for me, lucky you if you are a quilt maker, do not miss out on this book.

3 comments about Crocheting Tablecloths and Placemats (Dover Needlework).

1. This book is FULL of elegant lace tablecloths and placemats. If you are ready to dig into some thread crocheting, this book is for you. Crocheting tablecloths is a lost art, but there is nothing more elegant than a table set for dinner with your handmade tablecloth adorning it. The instructions are clear. There are plenty of varied projects to choose from. This book was given to me by a friend and it is now one of my favorites! Many of the projects are made using motifs plus there are many filet projects. In the book's 140 pages there are at least 160 different projects to choose from.



2. A wonderful resource of vintage patterns for crocheted openwork. As most are based on the principle of joining numerous small pieces ("motifs"), the patterns are easily adapted to other uses, such as bedspreads, curtains, et cetera. Some of the simplest motifs can even be rendered in heavy yarn, lending a "period" touch to afghans for the home.
   
   CAVEAT EMPTOR (buyer beware): the patterns are published as they appeared in their original formats, except that several booklets are gathered together in one binding. As such, MISTAKES IN THE ORIGINALS ARE NOT CORRECTED. Experience, skill, and good old ingenuity are sometimes needed to produce the required result. Fortunately the patterns are generously photographed (although NOT of digital quality!), so this is possible.
   
   NOT FOR A BEGINNER or those who prefer not to work at tweaking a problematic pattern. I wish I could bestow three and a half stars: three stars because of the mistakes (the editor simply selected: original texts are not actually edited, nor is any errata page offered), but four stars because of scarcity of the material, which can no longer be found elsewhere.



3. I am really into crocheting with thread and this book did not disappoint or leave that "hunger" wanting. From simple to complicated. All beautiful patterns.

1 comments about Crochet Private Collection.

1. This book has the cutest patterns for any room in the house. Lots of stuffed animals, beautiful afghans and baby clothes, both thread and yarn projects. This is a brand new book, published this year. It would make a good beginner's book as it has a great variety of projects, but a seasoned crocheter will find lots of fun projects.

1 comments about Printed & Lace Handkerchiefs: Interpreting a Popular 20th Century Collectible.

1. "Printed and Lace Handkerchiefs" is a beautiful book to look at, and all the information was fun and helpful!