1 comments about Eva Zeisel.

1. The book was more informative of Eva's life and persectives on art than another I purchased at greater by twice the price! The photos were excellent and the pieces chosen for representation were all my favorites! The biography can't be passed over, for it is what has developed her into the admirable woman life and hardship has made her. I bought it to give to a close friend who is a potter, but now it's mine to keep! Janet

1 comments about Flea Market Furniture Makeovers.

1. My first encounter with this publication was through our local library. As an avid reader and collector of endless ideas for my home, I found this book to be inspirational. Okay, so my mundane painting classes did not create a Rembrandt, but I still can pull off these interesting projects with a little cunning imagination. For those of us who lack painting skills you can choose a few alternatives for making these items come to life. My choices would be decoupage and/or stencilling. For those with a gifted paintbrush these projects would be fantabulous. One or two of these cleverly executed pieces would be great accent pieces in a home.

5 comments about Chests of Drawers: Outstanding Projects from America's Best Craftsmen.

1. What's wrong with this book?

   1. Most of the projects in the book are for the very experienced craftsman. The projects seemed complicated just to be complicated. I'm not saying they should be super simple either but I think Taunton missed the mark on these.

   2. These projects are for the woodworker who has a full set of power tools in their workshop. I also purchased Tauton's "Tables" book and loved the fact that many of the projects where done with minimal power tools. In this book the concept of "hand cut dovetails" are dovetails done with a jigsaw and a router. Way too many expensive jigs, routers, biscuits and pocket joints.

   Since my next project is a chest of drawers for my son, I was really hoping to find inspiration in this book based on my other purchases of Taunton's books. Unfortunately I found none in this book. The ultimate test for me is to show my wife projects from books to see which one(s) she likes. She also found nothing in this book that we would want to build. Hopefully further book's released by Taunton can avoid these mistakes and make a book which most woodworkers can enjoy.




2. I consider myself an "advanced beginner" as a woodworker. I own Desks, Bookcases, and Beds in this series (and have completed projects from the latter two). Chests of Drawers does not live up to the high standards of these titles for two reasons:

   1. Intentional difficulty-It almost seems as though the author tried to come up with the most complex solution to any joinery problem. For example, is there not an easier way to do the joinery for the Contemporary Chest (a beautiful piece, by the way) besides making 180 loose tenons and 8 dozen mortises? The triple dresser is gorgeous but I am not sure that could be made to the same quality outside of the Thomasville factory.

   2. Lack of variety-I am sure that many of these projects can be modified but if I wanted to substantially modify them, I would just design something myself (something I don't feel comfortable doing yet on a project of this magnitude) and wouldn't need the book. The Pennsylvania Dutch chest, though nice (I mean, I am Pennsylvania Dutch) probably isn't something that needs to take up space in a book called Chests of Drawers. Something in the Arts and Crafts style would have been nice as well as a true Shaker project. Beyond that, one or two variations of a simple, but well constructed chest would have been helpful.

   I was disappointed in this book and cannot recommend it. I probably would have given it one star, but most of the projects are truly beautiful. I am sure someone can make 'em!




3. This book has its good points and bad points. I bought because I was really interested in the chest on the front cover. This chest is probably the most difficult project in the book and it has some very good points.
   
   But other things are lacking. For example, the author doesn't explain how to make the "stiles" of the frame (which are curved in the front plane) flush with the "rails". This is an important aspect that is simply overlooked.
   
   But the most glaring omission is how to finish the piece. The author writes "Apply a finish of your choice." I almost returned the book! The beauty of the chest is that there are two shades of mahogany. The author completely ignores this. Uggh!! (I plan to use potassium dichromate to darken the wood where appropriate--I hope it works.)
   
   Also, I think the author should have given alternative methods for accomplishing the curve on the front. You can make the drawer fronts from thick stock that is curved on the front and flat in back using a bandsaw to make the curve. This eliminates the need for angled dovetails. This method would *greatly* simplify the construction and make it appropriate for intermediate woodworkers.
   
   I certainly would tell a beginning woodworker to stay away from this book. I'd give it a lukewarm recommendation for the intermedate woodworker.



4. I liked this book! I have purchased a number of books lately looking to "notch up" my furniture building skills. There are plenty of books showing general, basic construction technique but most stop short of showing how to make many of the more difficult designs. I really liked the Tall chest and the Queen Anne chest (I am not a fan of contempory styles). This is not a beginners book (unless you want to see what to aim for) but I personnally found it instructive and will add it to my other favorites.



5. This is a good source of creating unique storage furniture for your home. A good source for your library.

No comments about So Simple Upholstery.

5 comments about Contemporary Western Design.

1. With her book, Contemporary Western Design - High-style Furniture & Interiors, Thea Marx has created a masterwork in words and pictures; capturing the essence of this truly authentic, dynamic school of American design and the skilled, dedicated artisans, achitects and designers who pour their passion and inspiration into the furniture and homes captured in this book. Writing with flair and insight, Ms. Marx displays an insiders understanding of her subject. Throughout the book, her prose and images breathe life into each piece featured. This book is a must have for anyone interested in the American West, the spirit of creativity or superb craftsmanship. Bravo, Thea, a job beautifully done.



2. We spent several serene hours with Thea Marx's book of Contemporary Western Design. Reading her favorable Amazon reviews, it is obvious that both Ms. Marx's book and western design are appreciated well beyond the west.



3. I love this book! The author, Thea Marx, has done an exquisite presentation of bringing the best of the best together. Her book takes American design to a new level. A beautiful keepsake to share with friends and family. Renee Gabet- Ceo Annie Oakley Perfumery



4. If you like the western lifestyle this book is for you.This book shows you that your old idea's about western furnishings is a thing of the past.You can dream about the old west with a new twist.It's all here the stunning furniture you never thought of as rustic western is here for you to drool over in all it's glory.Lose yourself in a world you never thought of as the west.This is for todays cowboys and indians.



5. I am an interior designer. I have been adding to my collection for "lodge" and "mountain" and design which incorporates both contemporary and rustic elements. I was basing my purchase of this book on the front cover, coupled with the phrase, "Contemporary Western Design". Very deceiving. Only one or two pages of this book had photos as contemporary as the cover, and two were exterior photos. Everything else was cowboy chaps and leather and lodgepole. Not happy with this purchase.

No comments about Quick and Easy Upholstery: 15 Step-by-step Easy-to-follow Projects (Quick and Easy (Cico Books)).

3 comments about Upholstery: A Complete Course: Revised Edition.

1. If you're looking for a step-by-step guide or a source-book, look elsewhere. This book is a general introduction to the history of upholstery, with general descriptions of traditional and modern upholstery techniques, of more value to those considering upholstering as a vocation or to the serious hobbyist than to the casual do-it-yourselfer.



2. Like the other book from the same author, this one is a great reference for traditional techniques. It provides a clear insight on how to do very high quality upholstery. It may not be the reference you need on practical and modern techniques required in today's workshops to compete. It is a great reference anyway.



3. I picked up this book and upholstered my sofa. True to the title, this really is a complete course. I am a Prop Professional and have done both quick & dirty, and "real" upholstery. Any problem I've come up against or question I've had, this book addresses. It also has a lot of great information about setting up workspace. If you want to learn upholstery or learn it better, this is what you need.

1 comments about Easy-To-Build Adirondack Furniture (Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin).

1. I've bought several expensive books on the subject ironically this is the only one I use. The instructions are concise and simple to follow. Very nice pieces... Buy this first and save yourself some money and aggravation!

5 comments about The Space Planner: A Home Decorating Design Workbook.

1. Pretty cool, wish it had a dry erase marker with it and less book. I mainly just wanted the stickers to map out models I do.



2. if u just got a new home, or u are planning a move in the future this book is for you, it helps u decide how to organize and decorate every room, you cant go wrong with this one, great tips and ideas!!



3. When we purchased our first home we had a million things to purchase and plan out when it came to rooms. This workbook has nice large grid pages as well ad"budget sheets" to help you figure out how much you are spending on paint/accessories.
   
   This book went everywhere with me from getting carpet estimates to picking up gallons of paint.
   
   The book even has a few pages of pockets to hold inspiration pictures as well as plastic furniture pop outs in the back to use when planning.
   
   In terms of all the work books of this type I looked at I was most happy with this simply designed medium sized one.



4. This is a very complete space planner, templates for all sizes and shapes of furniture, and quite a bit of advice on space planning. However, the scale used was just too small for comfortable use. I ended up using my own larger scale graph paper and made my own larger templates, which is what I've done for years. None of the space planners available use a large enough scale in my opinion. But this is a very complete book and guide -- providing you have 20-20 vision.



5. hi
   
   It is almost a month and steel didn't receive the book{ The space planner}. what kind of review i can give? my credit card was charge right away but the book never came.
   Kathy.

1 comments about Simple Soft Furnishings: 50 Stylish Sewing Projects to Transform Your Home.

1. Sewing projects can transform a home, especially with Katrin Cargill's Simple Soft Furnishings: 50 Stylish Home Sewing Projects To Transform Your Home in hand, which provides 50 projects ranging from cushions to fine curtains and table linens. Five key areas of the home where soft furnishings apply are reviewed in the course of project tips, which include how to avoid common problems. Materials list, color photos, and step-by-step instructions make Simple Soft Furnishings particularly accessible to beginners.