In honor of National Library Week I am highlighting books as encouragement to get others to check out their library.
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If you like crafts AND libraries and live in the Northern Kentucky or Cincinnati area, you might be interested in the Craft Menagerie monthly, Tuesday night, program. April 28 we will be making no-sew t-shirt bags and May 26 is etching glass mirrors. Tweet me and I’ll send you registration details!
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This 416-page book has 32 projects and techniques, templates, materials & tools, buyer’s guide, index and photography credits. This is my kind of book because when I say I’m a crafter, people ask what kind of crafter? I respond all sorts and I get a raised eyebrow look. Outside of sewing, I am not a needles crafter (no knitting, crocheting or quilting – no interest) but I will try just about anything else, including rubber stamping, photo crafts, paper crafts, candle making, etching glass, beading, printing and just generally making gifts and my place livable with the supplies I find.
The New Handmade: Simple Sewing for Contemporary Style (That Patchwork Place)
The cover of this book caught my eye, specifically the pocket-tote that is displayed. This 112 page book has 22 projects of purses/bags, cases/zipped bags and home items. If you are looking for a nice tutorial on how to do a zippered bag, this is a good book to read. Actually, all the projects have plenty of photos or easy to read drawings, like they use drawings that represent the fabric of the project to help with placement of pieces-very helpful for a visual learner like myself.
Again, you will see some duplication of projects this one has a laptop cover, but the difference is that the flap is triangular like an envelop, which is what I wish I would have done with mine. The dinner party grocery sacks are great because it calls for oilcloth, which makes the sack stand up by itself-key when bagging your own groceries!
This is the kind of book I wish I would have had a couple of years ago when a rash of friends were getting married because I could have made matching potholders and oven mitts. Now, I’ll keep that idea in mind for gift giving!
Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials
With sewing in the title you can deduce this is a sewing book with ideas of projects that are either with organic projects or repurposed.
The sections on tips are about what to look for when shopping the thrift store, items to salvage, a list of stitch lounges, how to reduce textile waste and more. As for the projects, the end product might be something you have seen but getting there may be a different route like an apron made from a button down shirt or a wind shield protector from Capri Sun pouches. One project I would like to try making or incorporate into a catch-all bag is the double water bottle bag so I can tote my SIGG water bottle and smoothie cup into work. I carry a purse, book bag and lunch bag and juggle bottles and cups in my hands!
Note: This review was made possible by checking books out from my local libraries. No compensation was provide to me for this review.
