2 comments about Simple Silk Ribbon Embroidery by Machine: Step-by-Step Techniques for Beautiful Embellishments.

1. I just got this book. I have not done any of the exercises in the book but can hardly wait to start! Very clear instructions. Lovely color pictures clearly show how to do each step. Written directions add clarity. She makes use of clock settings for exact placement of ribbon for each element in silk embroidery designs.



2. This beautiful instructional book has clear, concise directions for "machine" embroidery with silk ribbon!!!!!! Since I do not own, nor can I afford a NEW embroidery machine, imagine my delight to discover this book that I can use my 30-year old Kenmore zig zag machine!!!!!!!!
   
   The photographs are gorgeous! And there are many ideas for use of this technique.
   
   Thanks for may opinion.

5 comments about 100 Afghans to Knit & Crochet.

1. Got this book at the library. It had so many great afghans that I liked, I had to buy it. There is something for everyone in here. I challenge any hard-core crocheter or knitter to NOT find more than 1 pattern that they are dying to try.
   
   And Amazon had a paperback version that with a $5.00 coupon I had, I was able to get the book for less than $10.00 (and that includes shipping and handling).
   
   WHAT A DEAL!
   
   Thank you Amazon.



2. This book has a huge selection of afghans. Most of them are joined motif styles but a few aren't. Even though the book says "Knit & Crochet" knitters beware--this book isn't going to give you much bang for your buck. There are only 3 or 4 knit afghan patterns. But, if you're an avid crocheter you've got a life time of work to do in this book.



3. There seems to be an error in the #91 Cable Classic pattern. Row 14 is a wrong side row, but the instructions have you make the cable twist here
   Not possible! Please correct this or help me in completing an otherwise lovely afghan.



4. I love this book. The patterns are beautiful and relatively easily.
   
   KNITTERS BE WARNED! There aren't that many knitting patterns.



5. It will take you a lifetime to make all these afghans, but they are all a feast for the eyes. There is something for every taste and skill level.
   Happy crocheting and knitting!

5 comments about Crochet Squared: 30 Easy Crochet Projects Made from Simple Squares.

1. I own a lot of crochet books, and a few days ago I reorganized them in the bookcase and realized once again that "Crochet Squared" is one of my absolute favorites. I am surprised at the number of people who rate it so low - it has suggestions that are relatively easy for the novice crocheter, and beautiful and creative ideas for someone with more experience. It is inspirational to me.



2. I bought this book expecting the garments to be in interesting novelty yarns and based on square and rectangle shapes, beautiful photos and certainly, that is what you get, hence three stars. But what you do not get are well written or complete instructions [there is some serious errata too].
   
   It is almost impossible to buy the yarns suggested today, and since there are no substitutions listed, other than very general suggestions in a small chart at the end, you are pretty much on your own figuring out a uniform gauge and hook size.
   
   The photos are terrific... the pieces well presented, but there is a disconnect between the instructions and what you see in the finished garments. While every single item's instructions call for single crochet using large hooks, several of the photographs seem to show other, elongated stitches, the cover shawl among them. I experimented, but could not duplicate the look of the long stitches with the hooks, yarns and stitches called for.
   
   Also, there are not really 30 projects. There are many duplications, just in alternate yarns with minimal instructions for those. For example, the 3 lovely looking "shrawls" have instructions for just 1, with the others only described by yarn colors, finished measurement for one of them [not the other] and main yarn. No yarn amounts, no hook sizes, nothing else. What's worse, the master instructions are incomplete. It says to make 2, but there's not one word about joining or seaming the two pieces together. To confuse things further, there are no instructions or yarn amounts listed for the single yarn Ocean Mist. Orange You Glad says you only make 1 seamless piece out of many yarns. What about Ocean Mist? It doesn't say.
   
   An experienced crocheter can probably figure out how to make the projects work, but beginners, beware.



3. I was pleasantly surprised at how great the book was. This is the first crochet book I have ever owned because I could never understand how to read a pattern book. The book walked me through picking the correct needles, understanding the language, and selecting optional yarns. I felt at ease with the lesson in the beginning and the suggestion to start with easier projects. By the end I felt like I could tackle any project in the book.
   
   The one thing I will say is sometimes I did not agree with the color or yarn choices. I like how at the end of the book there were suggestions of other yarns to select to achieve the same results. I have to say I was just excited to learn some new stitches.



4. I was disappointed with this book. The pictures are pretty and the colors are pretty that is about all I liked about this book. Out of the 30 easy projects I counted only about 6 that were made from SQUARES the rest were strips/rectangles. I was expecting designs that were put together like you would a granny square project. In other words make a bunch of squares and then connect them to make something. The other thing that bothered me was the way they counted 30 projects. Many projects/patterns were shown in different colors or yarn. They counted each as a separate project because it was made with a different color or yarn.
   I wouldn't recommend this book.
   
   Sueln



5. This is a great book! It makes crocheting look mod and hip, instead of something for "little old ladies". All of the designs are elegantly simple to execute and simply elegant to wear, so it's fun for beginners. I also love the opening introduction to crocheting hooks, yarns and technique.

2 comments about Turning Strips & Squares Into Table Sets.

1. Had I seen the inside of this book before purchasing it, I would not have purchased it. I bought this book because I liked the picture on the front and I wanted some new ideas for placemats. Unfortunately, I did not find anything outstanding in this book. Most of the projects are so easy that a seasoned sewer could look at the pictures and make the item with no pattern. There are a few projects included (table runner and potholders) that are raw edge applique. They are very unappealing. I would never waste my time making them. They are simply various size circles cut out and appliqued on top of each with a raw edge. The circles in her project picture appear to be cut by hand as they look uneven and sloppy. I probably should have returned this book.



2. This is a very practical book to make home decor items. The pictures jump off the page and make you want to begin all the projects at once. Instructions are clear and easy to follow. End results are exactly as pictured. Wonderful book!!

4 comments about Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies in Ribbon Embroidery & Stumpwork.

1. I have ordered one of the kits out of the Flower Fairies book. I was so excited when I received this project as there was more than enough threads and ribbons for two projects! The colors and quality of the merchandise was excellent. I can harldy wait to get stitching. Thanks again.



2. I am really excited to start stitching all the Fairies in this book! I have ordered and received each Fairie kit from Di Van, the artist herself! I have been ordering her kits on the Internet (dicraft.co.za) for the past 2 years. I have had nothing but excellent service. Her staff is wonderful. If you have any questions before you place your order, you can E-mail them and due to the time change, you will hear back either the same day or the following day! The kits always come complete with lots more ribbon then you need to finish the projects. Sometimes I share the ribbon with another friend and we have plenty! I live in the U.S.A. and have no problems ordering directly from her in South Africa! The finished projects are beautiful!
   I love the beautiful Fairies Book! I now own almost every book she has published! Try ordering from them! You will love it!



3. I agree with Gratis's review. Any book abot CMB's Flower fairies catches my eyes too. When I spotted this book, I can not help getting this book. It is a beautiful book. A lot of pictures indicating the steps how to make a beautiful piece. You can even image finishing a flower fairy in embroidery without actually doing it. However, you have to buy the stuff all the way from South Africa. I checked it. A kit will cost around $70.00. It is a little bit expensive. However, compared with time invested in making one, you decide if it is worthy.



4. Mary Cicely Barker's fairies have always had the power to capture my imagination, and this book is no exception. The major problem I have with it is that if you want to work any of the projects, you are virtually locked in to using Di van Niekerk's own products and Chameleon threads (also from South Africa). It would not be impossible to use other ribbons and threads, but it would take a great deal of time trying to find just the right colour in other brands. Sadly there are few suppliers of the recommended threads and ribbons in this country, making these very expensive projects.
   
   The book on its own though, is gorgeous.

2 comments about Not Your Mama's Stitching: The Cool and Creative Way to Stitch It To 'Em.

1. Kate Shoup Welsh, Wiley, 2008, ISBN 978-0-470-09516-4. $14.99
   
   Don't you just love this title? It's lways bothered me that needlework, especially needlepoint, had such a stuffy reputatio. I kee[ thinking about Cosmo's wife in the movie Topper.
   
   So I am as happy as can be with the developments which are making stitching unstuffy.
   
   And this book really delivers on its promise, starting from the very beginning and delivering instruction and great projects in an engaging style.
   
   The book is divided into two sections. The first covers the basics including what to buy, a history of needlework, techniques, and stitches. It's outstanding at showing the different types of materials, how techniques differ, and what supplies to buy. Something I rarely see in any beginner's book are the charts which display coverage of different threads, different types of fabric & the techniques used on them, and what size needle to use. It's one of the most useful parts of the book, With this you won't end up with huge mismatches in materials.
   
   In the chapter on techniques you will learn more useful stuff like how to tape and mount fabric, ways to start your thread, and finishing techniques. The stitch chapter has enough different stitches to get you started.
   
   The second section of the book has 24 projects, including ones from well-known stitchers like Amy Holbrook of AMH Designs and Jenny Hart, author of Sublime Stitching: Hundreds of Hip Embroidery Patterns and How-To. Each project tells you up front the technique, the cost, and the skill level needed.
   
   The instructions are clear and really complete. Diagrams, line drawings, and charts are large and easy to read.
   
   Best of all each project has one variation. Sometimes this is an coordinating project, sometimes it's another project using the same technique, and sometimes it's a variation. But they all capitalize on the information presented with even more to spark your imgination.
   
   Do you know someone who wants to learn to stitch but thinks it's too hard? Are you looking for fun projects? Do you know someone who takes an unstuffy approach to needlework -- Get them this book, they'll love it and so will you!



2. I was looking for a book to learn some basic embroidery techniques, and for some simple, fun project ideas that were not too "old-fashioned" or flowery. But this book went too far in the other direction, and was too trendy and sassy for my liking.
   
   Although I did like some of the project ideas and designs, this book mostly spent more time trying to be cheeky and hip (with project titles like "Laptop Dance" for a laptop case design, or "Tie Me Up" for a man's tie project that no man I know would ever wear, or "Wash Your Damn Hands" on a hand towel) than just teaching skills and techniques. It was way too wordy, trying too hard to be fun and funky. The instructions were not very concise or easy to follow, and there were hardly any photos or diagrams to show techniques.
   
   I returned this book, and found a book in my library that is exactly what I was looking for, and will be ordering that instead: "Embroidery Basics" by Betty Barnden.

4 comments about Transparency in Textiles.

1. Excellent photographs and explanation of the projects of the work presented in this publication. This takes, collage, layering, stitching, fusing etc., a step further. If you're not into Surface Design with mixed media you can always use this for a fabulous coffee table conversation piece.



2. If you are a beginner in textile art then this would be a great book to have in your library. It's an attractive glossy book, the instructions are very clear, and it covers a lot of techniques. However I was personally disappointed in the book for several reasons.
   
   Firstly I found that most of the information I already had in other books e.g. "Surfaces for Stitch: Plastics, Films & Fabric", "Layers of Stitch: Contemporary Machine Embroidery", "On the Surface: Thread Embellishment & Fabric Manipulation", and "Complex Cloth: A Comprehensive Guide to Surface Design", and any embroidery technique book.
   
   Secondly, it took a broader view of the term "transparency" than I would have, and many of the pieces are quite opaque.
   
   Thirdly, I thought a lot of the examples of the textile art were downright ugly, although I know this is a very personal and subjective judgment.
   
   Finally, I think a better title would have been "Transparency in Textile Art". Some techniques would be transferable to textiles for clothing, but most would not, unless you're making something in the wearable art category.
   
   The full list of techniques in the book are:
   
   running stitch on sheer fabric, sheer fabrics layered with stitch
   traditional shadow embroidery, and seed stitching, on sheer and net
   layering sheers with bondaweb
   random pleating, gathering and folding on sheers, held in place with free hand machine embroidery
   Brushing wax on fabrics, and using wax as a resist for dyeing (both fabric and glassine/translucent/plain paper)
   Mono-printing onto tissue, layering between organdie, applying wax and iron, then over-stitching
   Oiling paper and over-stitching
   Embroidering onto soluble/burnable fabric e.g. Lutrador, Solvy, then dissolving/burning away fabric
   Weaving open-weave fabrics using embroidery threads on a simple card frame
   Making silk paper
   Wool felting (thin layers of colored wool allow underlayers to show through, or leave holes to make a lacy effect)
   Stitching on sheers in lots of different threads, to achieve layers of varying translucency
   Stitching, painting and printing on acetate sheets (OHP Sheets), cellophane, PVC, old photographic film, and clear film
   Hand sewing together sheets of hard acrylic sheeting (drill holes first)
   Drawing, burning, painting, bending hard acrylic sheeting
   Heat laminating textiles between hard acrylic sheeting
   Using acrylic painting gel mediums on textiles
   Pouring polymer resins on textiles
   Casting resin shapes encapsulating textiles
   Fibre optic fabrics (A single, incredibly general, page. How I WISH this had been more covered in more detail than to say "you can readily purchase the necessary equipment to add these lights to your work". I would love to - what equipment do I need? Tell me how, please?)
   Using natural and artificial lighting to show off the transparency
   Incorporating wire-wrapped semi-precious stones
   Incorporating metal shims
   
   There's also a chapter on getting inspiration and developing designs, and another on presenting your work
   
   An important note about wax. The author suggests brushing wax onto your fabric, letting it cool, then over-stitching on the machine. If you use paraffin wax and then put the fabric in your sewing machine, the wax will flake off in small pieces, drop through your feed dogs and cause mayhem. You'd want to use a micro-crystalline wax which is more flexible.
   
   If you like the sound of these techniques, and you don't already have information on them. then you will love this book.



3. This book by batsford offers something different. It explains how you can incorporate and use the aspect of transparency into your own work, without being a step by step guide making it a very useful addition to my library. I love the new techniques working with hard plastics, the burning and bending bit in particular. And the consideration of using light and the shadows as part of the design is inspired.
   I love it and so do all my friends. Brilliant!



4. I was really excited when I first saw this title because I have been working with transparency in textiles myself. I was hoping that this book might help me along the path. I also think that Batsford is a great publisher. This book does offer some very interesting techniques; using wax, stitching to distort, resin - many techniques that result in transparency - but transparency with rigidity. It's a good book really and I am certain that for many this will be a 4 or 5 star! It just was not quite what I personally had been hoping for.

5 comments about Bead Embroidery The Complete Guide: Bring New Dimension to Classic Needlework.

1. This is well presented, with a logical order to the stitches and combinations. The illustrations are very good. As someone who has beaded for a long time but had no idea about the correct way to do many things, this is an eye-opener. I'm thoroughly enjoying learning from this book.



2. I just got this book today and came straight here. I THOUGHT I knew it all (as far as embroidery) and was looking for a beginners guide for my sister....sorry sis, gonna have to get your own! LOL -- this truly is an awesome and "Complete Guide". My copy is the hard cover and spiral bound (to open flat). The book is compact in size and absolutely LOADED with clear info & pictures. The gallery has several inspirational ideas and the projects are interesting. The projects are a good way to practice your new talent, but --- this is a GREAT teaching guide. The clear photos have really inspired my imagination already! GO FOR IT!



3. This is a great book. A must have, especially for the new beader.
   You'll refer to it all the time.



4. 
   I first learned to embroider when I was seven and have continued a love of traditional thread embroidery. This book's value is as an illustrated dictionary of sewing stitches. The instructions are clear and the examples are very helpful in understanding how to sew each stitch. In addition to the frequently used thread embroidery stitches, it also has many less common or obscure stitches. Without question, this is an excellent reference book for hand sewing stitches.
   
   As such, if your goal is to add beads to decorative stitches on a cloth ground, this will be an superb book for you. However, as I was interested in a book about bead embroidery, i. e., works that are predominantly made of beads, this was not a useful book for me. While nicely done, the beading aspect is demonstrating how to add a few beads to the thread stitches.
   
   All in all, a very nice book but make sure that it matches your sewing or beading needs.



5. I just received this book today and, boy, am I excited!! At the beginning of the book are photographs of every single stitch covered in this book and on what page you may find the explanation for it!! Each stitch has a written description on how to execute it, a diagram of needle placement and a photo of the finished stitch. A great, easy to follow book for beginners and veterans alike. Each stitch is graded by level: Easy, Intermediate and Advanced. The author has even included more than one diagram on those stitches that require several "steps" to complete. I have embroidered quite a bit in my life but am new to bead embroidery and I can't wait to get started on some of the really cool projects included at the end of the book. A must have reference for anyone wanting to learn bead embroidery. I LOVE THIS BOOK !!

No comments about Sew Magical for Baby (Leisure Arts #4859).

5 comments about Block Magic, Too: Over 50 New Blocks from Squares and Rectangles.

1. i just love this book-ir has been shared and used a lot in my quilt class--just love it.



2. I have used both of the Block Magic books on several row quilts. The directions are clear and you can choose the block size you want from 4" through 12". The quilt layouts she suggests make lovely gifts or a wall hanging for yourself. Enjoy



3. This book gives you so many options, good instructions, well worth the money.



4. directions are easy to follow. Makes interesting shapes and especially good for children's projects.



5. I decided to purchase this book since I liked the first Block Magic. I thought it may be too much of a duplication to the first, so I planned to give this book to my sister. Well, I just ordered another book to keep. The blocks are different and I am very pleased with color choices in the pictures. I have a hard time selecting colors for quilts and then putting the blocks into a pleasing quilt presentation. This book has more good ideas. Another wonderfull addition to my quilt book library. My sister and I are planning to trade finished blocks thru the mail, so much fun!