Craftsman Drill Review

A couple of months ago, Craftsman contacted me to find out if I would be willing to review one of their products.

Um, yes please!
It was fabulous timing too because Zak’s drill (manufactured by another company which shall-not-be-named) had completely given up the ghost only days before.

Soon after we moved in, we received the mother of all drills from Craftsman—the C3.

Right away, Zak got started finding excuses to use the new drill.

Of course we had to put together our art/Tot School corner

and our bookshelves

The bookshelves are from IKEA (they are the STRIPA shelves, though I can’t find them on the website anymore-the RIBBA shelf might work. Check your local store.) These shelves are great for books because they serve the same purpose as gutters, but are more aesthetically pleasing and cheaper. Just in case you are wondering-the books don’t slide off because there is a little lip on the front of the shelf.

But we didn’t stop there.

During our last trip to IKEA, we were hanging out in the as-is section (my favorite part of the store) and discovered a glass cabinet door that had been discarded among the scraps of lumber.
Instantly, Zak put it in our cart (not an easy feat with two squirmy children).
We brought it home.
Drilled some holes.

Added cute children (though not professional photos-they will be replaced soon!).

And hung it on the wall.

$10 for a custom frame!

I have one more home project that we just finished Saturday (with the help of Craftsman), but I’m so proud of it that it deserves its own post.
Tomorrow.

Find it here.

So ladies, if you want to make your husband happy this Christmas, buy him this drill. With 19.2 volts it’ll make him feel so powerful that he’ll be begging for “honey-do” projects!
A win-win situation.

Zak’s testimonial (I asked him to describe the drill in ten words or less):
Easy to handle, powerful, and manly.

If you love old needlework books with that charming “found in a dusty drawer” sort of feel, Early American Embroidery Designs has a lot going for it. This is not a trendy modern pattern book, and honestly, that is exactly why it stands out. It is based on an 1815 manuscript album and is packed with over 190 historical motifs, which gives it a lovely reference-book quality for stitchers who enjoy heritage designs.

What makes this one interesting is the sense of history behind it. Rather than feeling overly polished or modernised, it comes across as a genuine slice of early American needlework style, with floral, vine, basket, repeat, and spot motifs that would suit all sorts of decorative embroidery projects. That makes it especially appealing if you enjoy traditional embroidery, antique-inspired sewing, or adding old-fashioned detail to household linens and keepsake pieces.

It is also the sort of book that feels more like a design resource than a step-by-step project manual. So if you are the kind of stitcher who likes browsing motifs, adapting ideas, and pulling little elements into your own work, this could be a really fun one to have on the shelf. Sometimes those older reference-style books end up being the ones you reach for most, especially when you want inspiration that does not look like everything else on Pinterest.

For CraftGossip readers, this would suit anyone looking for vintage embroidery pattern books, historical embroidery motifs, or early American needlework inspiration. It has that quiet, useful, slightly scholarly feel, but still in a way that is very approachable for modern stitchers.

This is one for the crafter who loves history, traditional motifs, and embroidery books that feel like little archives of inspiration. Not flashy, but definitely the sort of book that could quietly become a favourite.

Have you read?