No comments about The Knitter's Year: 52 Make-in-a-Week Projects-Quick Gifts and Seasonal Knits.

4 comments about Gooseberry Patch Halloween.

1. I was not impressed with this book. In fact I was rather disappointed in it. It is mostly just a rehash of their recipes posted in other books with some pretty pictures thrown in. There were few crafts and a handful of costumes. This is not of the same quality as their Christmas books. If you collect Gooseberry Patch then you will want it but if you are looking for inspiration for Halloween beware, you may not find it.



2. I love everything Gooseberry Patch and this book is great too! The pictures are great and it is filled with fun recipes and Halloween party ideas! Great price for what you get too.



3. Great Halloween book to add to your collection - Gooseberry Patch does it again with another great book! Creative and fun ideas - you will be pleased!



4. I received this book in the mail this past week and just can't seem to put it down. It is chock full of excellent autumny/Halloween decorating ideas and crafts, as well as scrumptious recipes and beautiful pictures. Gooseberry Patch has really outdone themselves with this book! Be sure to check out Amazon's "search inside this book" feature as it really gives you some good insight to what's in this great book! You won't be disappointed with this book!

2 comments about Christmas with Southern Living 2010: Great Recipes * Easy Entertaining * Festive Decorations * Gift Ideas.

1. While this edition contains many new recipes, which I intend to try, the decorating section is uninspiring. I found nothing special. Many of the photos featured are reprints from past issues of the now-defunct Southern Accents or from last December's Southern Living Magazine. Dana Wolters is evidently Southern Living's new darling decorator, and her featured work is unimpressive. The "spa crafts" are reprints from Christmas with Southern Living 1995 through 1997. I've been collecting these books since 1986, and all I can say is: "DISAPPOINTING!"



2. I'm pleased with the 2010 issue - Southern Living appears to have listened to its readers and Christmas with Southern Living 2010 includes more recipes than I remember in past years (I found these interesting: roasted meyer lemon-peppercorn game hens, stuffed pork loin chops, a section on Mexican-inspired items and one on Cajun-inspired items, bananas foster cake, chocolate brown sugar cake with caramel filling, eggs benedict casserole, cinnamon apple-stuffed french toast with caramel syrup, double cheese tartlets (blue & gouda cheeses are used), baked mostaccioli, loaded potato soup & chocolate peanut butter pretzel bites). There is still a large decorating section and, in SL tradition, it leans toward larger-scale homes but offers some items which could be modified & incorporated into typical readers' homes (there's a cute retro mantel, which uses small metallic Christmas trees & glass ornament/figurine Santas; a "Williamsburg-ish" mantle of simple decoration with fruit; creating a small tree using a bare deciduous tree branch with "ornaments" attached (I don't like SL's choice of ornaments, but this could be modified); hanging small wreaths from a stairway bannister with the 12 days of Christmas icons hanging inside the wreath (this would also be cute using old Christmas cards) and a few ideas on how to tuck a little Christmas into small corners with vases, stockings, simple table decorations, etc.). I was pleased to see that several non-food gift ideas were presented, which will allow readers to give lovely Christmas presents without overspending (gardener's hand scrub, lavender eye pillow and various bath oils & bath salts - SL put the bath salts in a clear plastic ball-shaped ornament, which was cute). It's not SL's best year (the decorating is not geared toward your average home &, while gorgeous, isn't always practical) but it's much better than what I've seen in recent years and, as with the 2009 issue, not a repeat of ideas in prior issues (a common SL trick if you follow it over time). If possible, I would recommend previewing a copy before ordering but if, like me, you order this every year I believe you will be pleased (especially if your primary goal is obtaining recipes & looking at pretty pictures).

No comments about The Farm Chicks Christmas: Merry Ideas for the Holidays (Country Living).

No comments about Fa la la la Felt: 45 Handmade Holiday Decorations.

2 comments about Vintage Notions: An Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing, Fashion and Fun.

1. I bought this book after reading the review and article in the spring 2010 Stitch magazine. They included the Magic Apron pattern. Based on the review, I expected a lot more in the way of sewing techniques and patterns. This book is really just a reprint of Inspirations, a booklet put out by the Women's Institute and Mary Picken. The information is fun to read and much of it still applies today. However, the patterns are not as numerous as I expected, nor are they varied. 5 of the patterns are for aprons. Others aren't even patterns, just directions for monogramming or an article about cross stitch. The author could have deleted the 2-3 essays at the beginning of each chapter and added more crafting/sewing articles, which is what I purchased the book for. Including some of the lessons so often mentioned in the book would have added to it enormously.
   
   If you're looking for more of a historic peek into the time period, this is a great book. If you're looking for a vintage pattern/techniques book, this is not the book for you.



2. Amy Barickman's Vintage Notions is a joy to read, and I'm going to have fun trying the recipes, advice and patterns written for the women of our grandmother's (or great-grandmother's) youth. Barickman has created a beautiful book; inspiring and in some cases, as relevant today as it was in the 1920s and 30s. If this seems unlikely, just look at the women embracing the personal satisfaction of learning to cook, create, gain independence, and make the best of themselves, whatever that may mean to them. Read the book and you will understand what I mean.

5 comments about The Cardmaker's Workbook: The Complete Guide to Design, Color, and Construction Techniques for Beautiful Cards.

1. Nice illustrations, easy to follow instructions, inspired lots of other card making AND scrapbooking ideas that were not included in the book. Very happy with this purchase!



2. Great cardmaking ideas. Lots to share and covered many techniques that I thought were far more difficult than they were to do. I'll use this book often.



3. This book is great for card ideas. It offers great advise and step by step instruction to make fabalous cards.



4. What an excellent resource for everything paper. Full of techniques and great ideas. Also if you have ever wondered how to use specific scrapbook tools and techniques, this book is your one stop answer. Love it and highly recommend it to anyone that scrapbooks or makes cards. Definitely a "must have" referance guide for beginners and experts alike.



5. this book has helped with various aspects of color harmony and also of balancing applied pieces of card or fabric on main cards. it's tips have helped me when designing cards.it's also given me new ideas to try out.

5 comments about Extreme Halloween: The Ultimate Guide to Making Halloween Scary Again.

1. I love this entire series and the author's website. Someday when I have enough time, I will build a vegetable monster but until then, it's great to thumb through the books and laugh like a mad scientist.



2. The party ideas were really helpful and now I know what NOT to dress my son in this year for Halloween. The pictures were great!



3. Book has some really great, but really time consuming and expensive ideas. Would have liked more in the area of home decor and less on gags.



4. This is a must have Halloween book. The costumes are hysterical and the party food section is very creative. Every year I look forward to Tom's newest edition of this book so I can share it with my family, friends and co-workers.



5. I bought a couple halloween books for an upcoming party I am hosting. This book has a lot of good ideas and creations. The decorations and such are mostly "budget" conscious and look like it. All in all, for the money, you can't beat it!!!! Buy it if you love this holiday.

No comments about Homemade Christmas: Tried & true recipes, heartwarming memories and easy ideas for savoring the best of Christmas..

5 comments about Creepy Cute Crochet: Zombies, Ninjas, Robots, and More!.

1. I've just started trying out some of the patterns in this book and they're just my style! There are a few non-traditional crocheting methods used in the book, which could benefit from larger pictures. Other than that, it's really cute and easy to follow.
   
   I was a little disappointed to find that there is a ninja pattern, but no pirate. Who is my ninja supposed to fight now?
   
   EDIT: Turns out there are additional instructions on the author's website: [...]
   
   And there's a group on ravelry for this book that's really nice and willing to help newbies!



2. these definitely make cute gifts and this book has a great circle starting tip! Some suggestions for beginners trying this out... Don't use cotton your first try. try acrylic or something with give. it is a pretty hard pattern book for a first timer if you are reading the diagrams. great idea book since she gives you the basic body that you can riff on... Capitol Hill Zombies, Anyone???



3. I bought this book last month and I really love it! I'm planning to do all of them this summer, right now i don't have the time with college, but i did do the devil and for starter i made the standard head and body in orange and my boyfriend took it for himself, he put my friendship bracelet as if it was a head band and it turned out fine. So you don't have to limit yourself by just the pattern you see in the book, but you can create more from the ideas that the book gives you. I totally recommend it, even if you're a beginner. I didn't know some of the stitches and went to youtube and learned how to do it. Anyways a good book!
   
   Btway, the book just gives you some stitches, it parts from the idea that you already know crochet, so that's why i had to look up some stitches on YT.



4. This is a great book with great projects! I've already completed three of them and I am a newbie to crochet. it has rally inspired me to complete a variety of other types of projects.



5. I'm not a avid crocheter, but I've been crocheting since I was a child. The directions weren't the easiest to understand. That being said, once I figured out what I was supposed to be doing I really enjoyed the book. I've made several of the featured creatures and a few of my own design. They are adorable and fun. I've been giving them to everyone. They make nice cat/dog toys too, just becareful of the embelishments.