Book Reviews

From the runway to the beach, the back of a van to a wildflower meadow, this fresh new magazine will be a total hit.

Co-founders Heather and Mindy have collaborated to bring a stunning variety of patterns. This 1st issue sports interview, product review and lots and lots of pictures. Lots of pictures! Full color pictures. Just like the one …

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Awesome Sweets from Awesome Ladies

I’ve been neglecting posting all morning here because I’ve been swamped writing up my own huge, long post over at my other blog. Because the bestest bloggers ever threw me a surprise virtual book release party today! My book, Sugarlicious, hits the shelves today, and this is what these ladies did for me. I cried all morning. I’ll be …

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Custom Crocheted Sweaters – Make Garments That Really Fit

by Crochet Editor

If the cover sweater isn’t tempting enough, you’ll find plenty of other reasons to add this great book to your crochet library.

This book is both a beginner’s guide and a scholarly thesis on how to construct your own sweater so that it will fit you or the person you make it for. Dora Ohrenstein shares her vast crochet experience …

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Cute Crochet For Girls

by Crochet Editor

Cute Crochet For Girls by Lisa Naskrent is one of the latest offerings of Annie’s Attic Crochet. These 8 designs are adorable, sure to please the girls and their moms.

Included in this collection for sizes 2T to 6 years are two dresses, a top and an apron, a hat, kerchief, and tote with the apron, and a cute matching …

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Hearts Book Perfect For Valentines Day

Hearts by b small publishing, £3.99

This cute, compact book shows kids how to cut, stick, weave or cook their loved ones a gift for Valentine’s Day.

From yummy heart sweets to pretty jewelled heart brooches and clever heart wreathes, there are plenty of exciting, creative projects to get stuck into.

Each project is based on one of five themes, …

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Berroco’s Big Kids/Little Kids

Head on over to Berroco’s website to check out their Big Kids/Little Kids pattern book. These patterns use Berroco’s line of easy care yarns, perfect for kids sweaters.

They also have a couple of new yarns, Circus and Vintage Colors. Check them, and the slideshow out HERE…

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Enlightened Polymer Clay

by Jewelry Making Editor

Just as its name implies Enlightened Polymer Clay: Artisan Jewelry Designs Inspired by Nature from Interweave books delivers polymer clay that looks like anything but plastic! The pieces included in this book by Rie Nagumo are delicate and organic. Many of her forms have translucence that adds an extra dimension with light.

Not yet released, you can pre-order your copy …

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Giveaway: Scrap-Basket Sensations

Kim from Magnolia Bay Quilts is giving away a copy of her book, Scrap-Basket Sensations: More Great Quilts from 2 1/2″ Strips. Why? She says she’s celebrating. Jodi, at Sew Scraps Along is featuring her 60 Degree Quilt tutorial on her blog this week. Kim’s book giveaway ends January 28, 2012 at midnight. Go HERE to see how to …

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Coming Soon… Push-up Pops

With all these great books by bloggers coming out, I need to clear some more space on shelves. Just when you thought there was no new clever sweet left to decorate, the push pop came about. And Courtney of Pizzazzerie is clearly the master of push pops ideas. Her book, Push-Up Pops, is available for pre-order and will be …

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Amy Atlas’s Sweet Designs Book Cover Revealed

Seems such a dramatic title for this post, but really, book covers revealed feel just that dramatic. Because while I can refrain from such assumptions metaphorically-speaking, I really do judge books by their cover. Much thought goes into designing a book cover so it captures the essence of what’s inside, precisely so the reader can judge a book by its …

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Meet Marybeth, a quilter and PhD

Must share. Whilst cruising the Internet I stumbled upon this article, Women, Quilting, and Cultural Production: The Preservation of Self in Everyday Life by Dr. Marybeth C. Stalp. Curious, I did a Google search on the author’s name and found out she’s a faculty member at the University of Northern Iowa. She’s also the author of the book shown, Quilting: …

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Process: Piecing a Radiant Star

I am digging the fresh colors Jennifer from That Girl…That Quilt used in this work in progress (WIP). She’s making a Radiant Star, a traditionally difficult quilt pattern. But Jennifer tried a technique out of Eleanor Burns’ book Radiant Star Quilts from her Quilt in a Day series. She said she couldn’t do it in a day, but the reason …

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Book Review: Terrarium Craft: Create 50 Magical, Miniature Worlds

by Home and Garden Editor

Book Review: Terrarium Craft: Create 50 Magical, Miniature Worlds Terrariums. Teeny, tiny worlds filled with pretty stones, soft sand and tiny living plants. A beach scene might include some found driftwood and seashells, while twigs and moss will be more prominent in a forest scene. They’re beautiful to look at and gratifying to create. They’re amazing conversation pieces and guests in your home can’t help but smile as they …

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Review: Whimsey Box

by Recycled Crafts Editor

Did you grow up getting some kind of book or magazine monthly? I did and I just L.O.V.E.D it! It was so exciting when you knew it was about the time of the month when it would arrive. Now I can relive the excitement with this super cool WhimseyBox. And so can you! As a mixed-media craft designer the …

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Finishing Made Easy – Buttonholes, Bands and Borders from Interweave!

Brand new, from Interweave, the DVD set is also downloadable in instant video and hi-def video.

Decide ahead of time the cast on and bind off that will enhance your project perfectly, bands, borders and hem ideas, eyelet ideas, icord methods and much more!

From Interweave, Click HERE for the full deal!…

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Book Review: Sweat Shop Paris: Lessons from a Sewing Cafe

by Recycled Crafts Editor

Sweat Shop Paris: Lessons from a Sewing Cafe by
Martena Dusss and Sissi Holleis is a really fun and inspiring book. It most definitely has the “Paris” look. Which I totally loved as someone who craves other culture’s creative spirit! The style of the projects are mostly of the alternative hip style while the tutorials and how-tos are solid fundamentals. …

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Tube of Cookies and Sugarlicious Sneak Peek Giveaway

Yikes, I almost forgot to tell all of you that I’m hosting another giveaway over at my other blog. I’m giving three winners a sneak peek booklet of my new book, Sugarlicious (out next month) that my publisher cooked up and some swirly decorated cookies that I cooked up. For all the details and to enter, CLICK HERE.

(This …

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Sew Kawaii Book Review

Sew Kawaii by Choly Knight $19.95

This book comes with 22 simple sewing projects. The step by step pictures will guide you through sewing techniques to create the most adorable. lovable little creations. The projects are aimed at kids or those young at heart and anyone who can pull off Kawaii bags whilst still looking like an adult.

Lots of fun and …

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Brand New – (To Me) Machine Knitting/Serial Killer Novels….

A series of 6 novels, this machine knitter is also a serial killer. I can’t tell you much about it, because, as I said, I’ve just learned about this.

You can get your over at Smashwords, HERE

I’ll be back, I’m going back to see if I can get these for my Kindle app!

…

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Grab a cuppa: Modern Blocks pool

Fans of the book 99 Modern Blocks by Susanne Woods have a Flickr group to show off any blocks they’ve made from it. One of my favorite blocks from the book is Slot Machine, created by Angela Pingel from Cut to Pieces. Loving the neutral color scheme. You can find it here or here. Grab a cuppa and …

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If It’s Robyn Chachula, It’s ‘Siimply Crochet’

by Crochet Editor

Are you a Robyn Chachula fan? If not, what’ wrong with you??? This book of 22 ‘Stylish Designs for Every Day’ is a great collection of beautiful pieces that you’ll actually wear and use. In addition to the designs of Robyn Chachula, there are other designers patterns included – names you know like Omdahl, Chan, Ventura, and others

I love …

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Book review: Jewish Threads

by Needlework News Editor

Even though I’m not Jewish, I love Jewish Threads: A Hands-On Guide to Stitching Spiritual Intention into Jewish Fabric Crafts by Diana Drew with Robert Grayson. The book includes instructions for 30 needlework projects–beautiful, practical, meaningful objects for the Jewish home or place of worship. So why does that interest me?

Because the book is much more than a …

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Sneak Peek of Sugarlicious