Difference between revisions of "Newest Crafts Reviews"

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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Molly Manners and Alex Worrall
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|isbn=0811771741
|title=The Mindless Colouring Book: Art Therapy Exclusively Available to Anyone with £8.99
+
|title=InstaKnits for Baby
 +
|author=Melissa Leapman
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Can I let you into a secret? Promise not to tell anyone, but I do wonder if a lot of adult colouring books are not just a little bit too ''worthy''.  They're all very intricate and rewarding when you've finished, but I was chatting to someone recently who mentioned that it might take generations to complete her colouring bookI mean, where's the ''fun'' in that?  When I relax I want to have a good time, enjoy myself and feel better at the end of itA good laugh wouldn't go amiss.  Anyone disagree with that?  I thought not.
+
|summary=Melissa Leapman's ''InstaKnits for Baby'' gives us a collection of knits from toys to blankets. Some will be quick knits - others are of the 'long, cosy afternoons in front of the fire' varietyThe projects are divided by the time they'll take to complete - less than five hours, five to ten hours, ten to twenty hours and more than twenty hoursAll the projects are attractive, modern and useableI perhaps show my age when I wonder about 'social-media-worthy projects' but that's me being picky.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1780722958</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Sarah Walsh
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|isbn=1635866243
|title=The Colouring Book of Beautiful Gift Boxes: Christmas
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|title=The Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook
|rating=5
+
|author=Kristina McGrath and Sarah Walworth
 +
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=When you give a small gift, it's often difficult to wrap it appropriately.  If you wrap a small object, it looks ''insignificant'' and if you've gone to the trouble of finding the appropriate gift for someone that's the last thing you wantIf you pad it out a little, it ends up looking like a game of pass the parcel.  You can, of course, buy a gift box but they're expensive for what they are and they're hardly individual.  The answer lies in ''The Colouring Book of Beautiful Gift Boxes: Christmas''.  The cover price is £9.99, so that works out at less than 42p for each of the 24 boxes which - as you're colouring it - will be unique.
+
|summary=''I quickly discovered that putting words and numbers on a page wasn't enoughCreating a pattern that was correct, clear, concise, and consistent required a great deal of trial and error, patience, and perseverance.'' (Introduction byFrancoise Danoy)
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857638033</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
A friend recently showed me a knitting pattern for which she'd paid good money.  The first line of the instructions began: ''Cast off 100 stitches...'' It was clear that no good could come of this - the instructions didn't get any better - and (finally) PayPal obliged with a refund when the seller refused as she couldn't afford the repayment.  The pattern looked pretty, but the creator didn't have the basic knowledge and skills to enable her to connect with her knitters.  She should have read ''The Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook''.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Zoe Ingram
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|isbn=1529507987
|title=Press Out and Colour: Birds
+
|title=The Repair Shop Craft Book
|rating=4
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|author=Walker Books and Sonia Albert (Illustrator)
|genre=Crafts
+
|rating=4.5
|summary=Ten beautiful birds which start life as detailed line illustrations by Zoe Ingram are then coloured in by anyone of any age who is capable of having reasonable control of a felt-tip pen or a crayonYou've got to remember to do both the back and the front and whilst it would be nice if they matched it's in no way essentialIf you're skillful, so much the better, but the designs are decorated with foil which catches the light and gives that sheen which you see on the edges of birds' feathersWhen you've finished colouring you gently press the pieces out from the pageI experimented with pressing them out first and then colouring, but the pieces were easier to colour actually in the page.
+
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857637673</amazonuk>
+
|summary=I love ''The Repair Shop''It's my go-to programme when I want to be cheered up.  After a hard day, there's nothing better than watching experts repair treasured items without ever mentioning what they're worthYou see, the value is in what these possessions are worth to the people who own them and the memories they holdNo expense appears to be spared and the experts spend as much time and effort as is required to achieve the desired resultRegular viewers know the experts and they're all brilliant at explaining what it is they're doing. But how did they start?
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Kelsey Elam
+
|isbn=0760379912
|title= 100 Simple Paper Flowers
+
|title=Super Easy Quilting for Beginners
|rating= 5
+
|author=Editors of Quarry Books
|genre= Crafts
 
|summary=''100 Simple Paper Flowers'' is an easy-to-follow guide to creating impressive floral artworks that could almost be mistaken for the real thing. Whether it is a craft project, something to brighten up a room, or a full-on display for a big event, the book has plenty of styles and designs to fit the occasion. And unlike real flowers, your paper creations will never die.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782403086</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Elisabetta Stoinich
 
|title=Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights: A Colouring Classic
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=''Wuthering Heights'' is one of the classics which has stood the test of timeAt the time of its publication in December 1847 reviews were mixed, not least because of the start depictions of mental and physical cruelty and it certainly wasn't in line with how Victorians felt that life should be livedBut the book hung in there and before long it was considered superior to Emily Bronte's sister Charlotte's ''Jane Eyre''.  There have been films, adaptations and now - a colouring book.  But does the book capture the nature of the landscape and the people who inhabited it a hundred and seventy years ago?
+
|summary=I learned patchworking from necessity: old or outgrown clothes needed to be turned into something new and usable when I was in my twentiesIt would be a while before it became a pleasure rather than a chore but I've never felt completely at home with quilting.  I needed something a little more stylish than my usual buttons or knots.  ''Super Easy Quilting for Beginners'' seemed like a good place to startSo, how did it stack up?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848693281</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Chellie Carroll
+
|isbn=0760379874
|title=Bram Stoker's Dracula: A Colouring Classic
+
|title=Super Easy Knitting for Beginners
|rating=4
+
|author=Carri Hammett
 +
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=There's no choice in the matter - you're going back to Transylvania in the late nineteenth century, to follow Dracula's attempts to move to England in search of new blood and to spread the undead curseOnly this time you're not reading Bram Stoker's classic, but using pens and crayons in this colouring classic full of bloodthirsty vampires, gothic patterns, dramatic landscapes and nightmarish figuresIt's eerie, it's dramatic and it's great good fun.
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|summary=I learned to knit in the nineteen-fifties: it wasn't a choice, it was a requirement.  Girls learned to knit and to embroider and boys did wood and metal work.  My knitting wa accompanied by a lot of criticism and quite a few tears: it was a long time before I realised that there was pleasure to be had in the skillNearly seventy years later it's the only thing that keeps my hands at all supple.  The turning point was a booklet published by Patons which gave all the basics and some patterns.  I've been looking for something simple to recommend to people who'd like to master the skill.  So, how did ''Super Easy Knitting For Beginners'' work out?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184869329X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Paul Kidby
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|isbn=0760373531
|title=Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book
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|title=Cozy Knits: 30 Hat, Mitten, Scarf and Sock Projects from Around the World
|rating=4.5
+
|author=Sue Flanders
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=It was Sir Terry Pratchett whose chose Paul Kidby as artist for ''The Last World'' and the covers of the ''Discworld'' novels from 2002 onwards and it was a marriage made in heaven, with the one complementing the otherKidby himself says that designing the characters with pencil and paint ''challenged and amused him beyond measure.'' The writing conjured clear imagery and it was his job to capture the humour and richly-textured stories on paperKidby and Pratchett shared interests in nature, folklore, science and history as well as a love of Monty Python and the bizarre and to my eyes at least the result was more, far more, than the sum of the parts.
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|summary=Just occasionally you encounter a book of knitting patterns that seems to meet your every need.  Right now, it's bitterly cold and we're in the sandwich filling between two storms: I need socks, scarves, hats and mittens.  They have to look stylish, keep me warm and be so cheerful that they make me feel betterIf that sounds like a lot to ask, have a look at ''Cozy Knits'': it has thirty designs for those necessary items and I don't think that there was one of them which I couldn't see myself wearingWe start with an introduction by Nancy Bush which gives some of the history of knitting.  It's not essential but it's a nice extra.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1473217474</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=LucasFilm
+
|isbn=0760373558
|title=Star Wars: Colouring By Numbers
+
|title=Nordic Knits
 +
|author=Sue Flanders
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=I've never had any talent as an artist: I once earned the comment from an art teacher that I would struggle to draw a straight line with a ruler, but it's something I've  always wanted to be able to doFor a while in my teens I was seduced by oil-painting-by-numbers kits, which promised to allow me to produce paintings of horses grazing in the fields or boats at anchor in the harbourIn fact all I ''really'' produced was a mess - literally ''and'' artistically.  I've had slightly more success with adult colouring books, providing that they didn't require too much skill, although I did succeed in establishing that Benedict Cumberbatch would not look good [[Sherlock: The Mind Palace: The Official Colouring Book by Mike Collins|with a spray tan]]If I was going to produce anything worth looking at then I needed a great deal of help with shading.
+
|summary=I was so delighted by Sue Flanders' [[Cozy Knits: 30 Hat, Mitten, Scarf and Sock Projects from Around the World by Sue Flanders|Cozy Knits]] that I didn't need any persuading at all to pick up her ''Nordic Knits''.  This delivers forty-four patterns inspired by textiles and local traditions from Norway, Sweden and IcelandThere are a few sweaters or jackets but the majority of patterns are for smaller items such as mittens, gloves, hats and bagsAll are bright and cheerful and very cosy.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405284781</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Coco Balderrama and Laura Coulman
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|isbn=1635864070
|title=David Bowie: Starman: A Colouring Book
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|title=Knit 2 Socks in 1
 +
|author=Safiyyah Talley
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=David Bowie's death in January 2016 came as a shock to me: we were much of an age and he'd always seemed so ''vital''.  But his final album, ''Blackstar'', seemed to foretell his death and was a commercial success, coming in at number one in the UK Top 100 Albums Chart, and the ''David Bowie Is'' exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum is the most successful exhibition ever staged by the V&A. But what of a more relaxing memory of the man who was part genius and part chameleon?
+
|summary=If you've ever started knitting a pair of socks, finished the first one and either got bored by the idea of doing the same thing all over again, or started on the second sock and lost the first before you finished it, this is the book for you. Where is it that single socks go to hide? Safiyyah Talley has developed a system that allows you to knit two socks in one, divide them up and have a perfectly finished pair of socks. Sounds good? It's clever and well-thought-out.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0859655504</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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|author=Danielle Kroll and Nghiem Ta
+
{{Frontpage
|title=Pattern Play: Cut, Fold and Make Your Own 3D Animal Models
+
|isbn=1529393930
|rating=4
+
|title=Making a Living: How to Craft Your Business
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
+
|author=Sophie Rochester
|summary=Here's a neat idea for you.  Provide pages with animal prints on one side - only by animal prints, I mean the sort of colours and pattern which you see on animals, not paw prints!  Some are subtle and others are rather more in-your-face.  On the reverse of these printed pages provide a cutting line so that you can cut and fold the paper and it becomes a 3D model of an animal.  Provide some stickers which replicate faces, tails or beaks - or whatever else you feel needs highlighting - and number these so that they get into the right place.  All you need to add to the mix is a pair of scissors, parental supervision if necessary for the cutting, a little imagination and you have hours of fun.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847807321</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Martin Handford
 
|title=Where's Wally: The Colouring Book
 
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
+
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Are you looking for something relaxing, easy to complete and which will allow your mind to wander freely as you gently colour in a pleasing design?  Do you want to indulge your imagination and use the colours which tempt you at the moment, content that it will not affect the finished creation?  Would you like large spaces which you can shade in large swoops as it pleases you?  Are you aiming for a soothing finished product which is easy on the eye?
+
|summary=''Starting a creative business has never been easier.''
 +
 
 +
''If not now, when?''
  
Sorry: you've got the wrong book.
+
I know that I'm not alone in having wondered whether or not I could turn my hobby into a business.  There's a lot of motivation to do so: I make more items than we can sensibly use and there are a lot of people who have been delighted to accept what I make as gifts.  Selling would offset the costs, which can be quite considerable and it could be fun to do, couldn't it?  But where to start?  What do I need to think about?  Well, the first thing anyone who is considering turning a crafting hobby into a business should do is to read ''Making a Living''.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406367303</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Serge Bloch
+
|isbn=1635862353
|title=3, 2, 1... Draw!
+
|title=The Sandalmaking Workshop
 +
|author=Rachel Corry
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
+
|genre=Crafts
|summary=I can't draw.  I've never been able to drawA blank sheet of paper and a pencil frightens me. I thought I was probably a little bit old to change my ways but then I discovered ''3, 2, 1... Draw!'' and there might have been a movement within the tectonic plates of my brainIt's a drawing book which isn't about blank pages: it's about imagination and inspiration, with the first encouraged and the second delivered by the barrow loadI've just had more fun than I thought possible with pencil and paper!
+
|summary=A sandal-making workshop?  I couldn't really believe it, mainly because I'd always thought that you'd need more equipment than the average home was likely to be able to contain but I was intriguedRachel Corry started sandal making accidentally - a small fire destroyed some of her shoes.  One pair had come apart and she could see how the sandal was constructed.  Then she realised that she couldn't afford to replace all her shoes.  Could she combine these two facts to create a new and worthwhile craft? She showed quite a few people her first pair and they all either wanted to know how to do it - or if she'd make them a pair. A new career was born.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847807240</amazonuk>
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}}
 +
{{Frontpage
 +
|isbn=1783784350
 +
|title=This Golden Fleece: A Journey Through Britain's Knitted History
 +
|author=Esther Rutter
 +
|rating=5
 +
|genre=History
 +
|summary=It was December and Esther Rutter was stuck in her office job, writing to people she'd never met and preparing spreadsheets.  The job frustrated her and even her knitting did not soothe her mind.  January was going to be a time for making changes and she decided that she would travel the length and breadth of the British Isles with occasional forays abroad, discovering and telling the story of wool's history and how it had made and changed the landscapeShe'd grown up on a sheep farm in Suffolk - '' a free range child on the farm'' - and learned to spin, knit and weave from her mother and her mother's friendThis was in her blood.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Various Artists
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|isbn=Chou_Make
|title=Doctor Who: The Colouring Book
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|title=Make and Play: Nativity
|rating=4
+
|author=Joey Chou
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=In my youth colouring books were popular for children: they helped to teach some valuable skills. But teachers, 'experts', thought that they stifled creativity and once you'd mastered being able to stick within the lines they were whisked away as being 'childish' and you were restricted to artistic completion of maps in geography or illustrations of experiments in science.  The fact that colouring could be relaxing and fun had been forgotten. Fortunately times have changed: adults are encouraged to relax with one of the hundreds of colouring books now available and I'm delighted to see a resurgence of the idea for not just the youngest children but for those who're a bit older too.
+
|summary=I always feel a slight disappointment for children at Christmas when they're presented with a tree to decorate with a box of ornaments and a nativity scene (sometimes quite precious, so it's Not To Be Played With) which is set up Somewhere Safe.  Where's the imagination, the creativity, the sense of pride in that? How much better to have a child create their own nativity scene, which they can then play with?  That's exactly what they get with Joey Chou's ''Make and Play Nativity''.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141367385</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Mike Collins
+
|isbn=099334030X
|title=Sherlock: The Mind Palace: The Official Colouring Book
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|title=Can You Draw the Dragosaur?
|rating=5
+
|author=Peter Lynas and Charlie Roberts
 +
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Colouring books for adults are all the rage at the moment, but one of the problems with popularity is that the books do tend to become a bit, well, ''samey''.  Once you've coloured in one peacock's tail, it's not easy to get inspiration for another and there's a limit to the number of flowers, patterns and mystical beasts which you can attach to the fridge doorWe've seen all sorts of variations, such as mindfulness, but what we really want is something ''fresh'' and with a bit of something extra to get the brain cells goingWelcome ''Sherlock: The Mind Palace''.
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|summary=You're going to get a hint of what this book's about very quicklyWhen you see the title page, you'll find out what the book's called and that it's been written by Peter Lynas.  Then we move on to who has done the illustration - and there's a gap.  ''You'' are going to put your name thereIt's ''your'' responsibility to provide the pictures for this book about one of the largest creatures ever to roam the earthThere's some help available, but your name is on the title page - and you have work to do!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1785940430</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Natasha Slee and Becca Stadtlander
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|isbn=1635860334
|title=Style Guide: Fashion From Head to Toe
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|title=Why We Quilt
 +
|author=Thomas Knauer
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=In ''Style Guide: Fashion from Head to Toe'' we have a guided tour through fashion from the eighteen nineties to about 2010, taking a decade or so at a time and exploring several aspects of each decadeFor instance the period 1890 to 1914 is divided into ''The Belle Epoque'', ''Out and About'' and ''The Orient''.  Each division has a picture to be coloured but rather than being a picture of ''one'' garment, there's a montage of garments and accessories from the period: ''The Orient '' has eight different pictures - of the triangle bag, a fur-trimmed shawl, kimono, pleated gown, a folding fan, a Ballet Russes costume and slippers and finally a turban.  On the reverse of each picture is a keyThe article is numbered on the main picture and in the corresponding key you'll find some historical information and some colour details.
+
|summary=I've often wondered about the story that patchwork quilting began as a way for women (and myth would have it that it was always women) to make an extra blanket out of material which would otherwise go to wasteThis undoubtedly ''did'' happen but when you think about it, you need an awful lot of material to make a quilt and the time could have been better spent if all that was required was beddingLike Thomas Knauer, I've come to the conclusion that it began as an art and has largely continued down that same road with fluctuations in popularity over the years.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847807348</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Axel Scheffler, Emily Gravett et al
+
|isbn=1419726625
|title=Draw It! Colour It! Creatures
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|title=The Mitten Handbook: Knitting Recipes to Make Your Own
 +
|author=Mary Scott Huff
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=Colouring books for adults are all the rage at the moment and it's too easy to forget that adults are not the only ones who benefit from the calming, soothing therapy of colouring or the improvement in hand-eye co-ordination which comes with practice.  Children's picture books have tended to be flimsier and not put together with quite such panache or by such well-known names, but we now have a children's colouring book to bridge the gap.  ''Draw It! Colour It! Creatures'' has projects from 43 artists, well known in the field of children's book illustration, all packed together in a stylish book with flaps so that you're not going to lose your place.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1447290704</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David Hollis
 
|title=Practical Landscape Painting: Materials, Techniques & Projects
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Art
 
|summary=Almost any of us can visit the countryside and capture the view in our memory or on our camera with comparatively consummate ease.  However capturing it in paint is more difficult and yet something some of us (me included) dream of.  It was therefore with great excitement that I picked up this compact book of seven lessons in landscape painting.  As I believe (with good evidence) that I have the artistic ability of a house brick, it would be a challenge but I also have a dream to follow.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782402802</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Teal Triggs and Daniel Frost
 
|title=The School of Art: Learn How To Make Great Art With 40 Simple Lessons
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=Written with an interesting approach, this book treats the reader as a new art student to The School of Art.  The five professors of the school take the student through 40 different lessons, looking at a huge range of ideas right from how to draw a line, perspective and proportion, composition and aesthetics.  Aimed probably at senior school children it could, however, also be used by older primary children who are particularly interested in art, and if you were working through the book with your child then a younger child could also try out some of the lesson ideas and suggestions.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806112</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Lydia Crook
 
|title=Christmas Paper Play
 
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Christmas is a time of joy and goodwill to all men, but it can also be a time of bad weather, of being stuck in the house and feeling like you have nothing to doThe holiday period can need filling and for a crafty kid there are loads of activities that can be done simply by using paper; including creating their own decorations or making the best letter they can for Father ChristmasIf only there was a handy book that contained loads of great Christmas crafting ideas in one place.
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|summary=I love mittens - they're so convenient and much easier to get onto (and off) cold hands than a pair of fiddly gloves.  They're not something you regularly see in shops, so I knew that if I wanted new pairs I would have to knit them myselfWell, actually, that's my rationalisation of the situation: in truth, I love knitting mittensThey have just enough technique to make them satisfying, plenty of quick work and a pair of warm mittens in a few days. Patterns, though - where do you get them from?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782402470</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Amber Anderson
+
|isbn=1621137775
|title=The Little Book of Colouring: Animal Kingdom
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|title=Handbag Workshop: Design and Sew the Perfect Bag
|rating=3.5
+
|author=Anna M Mazur
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=After years of doing craft work which must be ''useful'', I've discovered the relaxing benefits of colouring.  I'm doing it to please me: it doesn't need to be perfect or functionalNo one but me is going to judge the finished articleAll it needs is to be done, slowly, peacefully and at my own pace.  The choice of colours is mine and mine alone.  If I want to drop the finished page into the paper recycling then that's my prerogativeIt's sheer indulgence on paper, lasts longer than a bottle of wine and does me more goodWhat's not to love about colouring?
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|summary=I love handbags, but I resent paying the prices demanded by manufacturers of 'good' bagsAdditionally, I often find a bag I like but the colour/shape/size/capacity/internal layout isn't ''quite'' what I had in mind, so I end up spending rather a lot of money and compromisingThe solution is to make my own bags and whilst I was confident about sewing fabric bags, I was nervous about using leather, not least because leather isn't very forgiving when it comes to mistakes and it's usually more expensive than fabricI needed helpAnna Mazur's ''The Handbag Workshop'' came to me free through NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1784296457</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Anastasia Catris
+
|isbn=1632506386
|title=Colour Me Mindful: Birds
+
|title=The Knitter's Dictionary: Knitting Know-How from A to Z
 +
|author=Kate Atherley
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=About half a century ago I mentioned to someone that colouring was relaxing and enjoyable and received a lecture on my lack of creativity and willingness to use what other people had drawn for my own ends.  I still did colouring - at a time when there were considerable pressures in my life over which I had no control - but it was just that it became my guilty secret.  Now colouring is mainstream and there's a considerable range of design books to choose fromOrion have published three by Anastasia Catris: this book, {{amazonurl|isbn=1409163067|title=Colour Me Mindful: Underwater}} and {{amazonurl|isbn=1409163083|title=Colour Me Mindful: Tropical}}.  So, how do they stand out from the crowd?
+
|summary=I've been knitting for well over sixty years, following patterns of varying complexity with success.  I've knit Aran sweaters, socks by the dozen and I'm currently knitting blankets for a charity to sellThere hasn't been an occasion when I've been stuck and people have often come to ''me'' for help when ''they've'' been stuckWould a knitter's dictionary really be of any help to me? I was surprised by just how much I got out of it.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1409163105</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Eglantine de la Fontaine et al
 
|title=My Magical Oasis: Art Therapy Colouring Book for Creative Minds
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|summary=It's not often I can review a book and mention how it changes your brain, but that's apparently the effect of the colouring-in-for-adults phenomenonThere's a science behind it all that attests how alpha waves, a slightly more childlike, accepting, relaxed form of brain activity, are used by our bonces when we colour – and as opposed to the braver, thinking, active beta waves they're something the mind could do more of, especially in this kinetic, plugged-in, 24/7 lifestyle. So whereas I normally review books to help my readers make their mind up, here I'm mentioning this volume because it allegedly would change your mind.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0859655350</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreviewplain
+
{{Frontpage
|title=The Creative Colouring Book for Grown-Ups
+
|isbn=1440248850
 +
|title=Modern Patchwork Home: Dynamic Quilts and Projects for Every Room
 +
|author=Vivika DeNegre (Editor)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Johanna Basford was not the first, and nor was she an overnight successIf you're salivating over the ''Enchanted Forest'', having finished her ''Secret Garden'', you are one of those many people indulging in the new/old hobby of adult colouring-in (adult perhaps only because her titles smack more of soft erotica than colouring-in books).  The hobby is rapidly killing off Sudoku as the pastime of choice for many – either on the train or sitting with half an ear to the soaps.  It's fun, it opens the mind to other thoughts in quite a meditative way, and it needs no instructions – much like, again, Sudoku, even if newspapers persist in telling us them even when nobody on earth is left to need them.
+
|summary=The problem with a craft which is largely based on traditional designs is that what results from your labours is also traditional, or - depending upon what light you shine on it - old-fashionedVivika DeNegre has curated a collection of patterns from today's top designers.  As a word of warning, if you read ''Modern Patchwork Magazine'' you may well find that there's nothing new in the book, but if you're new to the magazine this could well prove to be a delightful collection from the back catalogue.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782433287</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Lucy Engelman
+
|isbn=Pallant_Star
|title=Field Guide: Creatures Great and Small (Field Guides)
+
|title=Star Wars Millennium Falcon Book and Mega Model
 +
|author=Katrina Pallant and Neal Manning
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Call me fuddy-duddy, but I have never seen the need to review a book via video – with Youtube and other sources becoming full of people giving their thoughts about the latest hot release the idea has never appealed to me, when there are also countless ways for one to share opinions by old-fashioned written word. That is, of course, until now, and the phenomenon that is building rapidly – that of mature colouring-in books.  Here at the Bookbag we can easily prove we've read every word of the books by being eloquent, informative and opinionated about what we examine, but even I admit four paragraphs regarding a picture book we ourselves have to finish off may leave some members of our audience wanting to see the results.
+
|summary=One of the unexpected results of making a rough-and-ready sci-fi film back in the 1970s, was that George Lucas left a whole generation capable of spelling Millennium. In amongst all the iconic inventions for the film, his design team left him – and us – with a very loveable, very fast and very asymmetrical space ship. How is it balanced when the cockpit is stuck out one side? What is that dish-like array doing on what seems to act as the top? And where can you get your own? Well, beyond the rarity and great cost of the Lego model, I can at least provide one answer to those three pertinent questions, and that answer is… here.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184780635X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreviewplain
+
{{Frontpage
|title=Gorgeous Colouring Book for Grown-Ups
+
|isbn=McLelland_Press
 +
|title=Press Out and Decorate: Unicorns
 +
|author=Kate McLelland
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=So, when I mentioned on Facebook that I had a nice new grown-up colouring book to review, I discovered a secret little group of friends who all confessed (instantly and with glee) that they have succumbed to the new relaxation craze of grown-up colouring!  They had tales of how tricky it was to stay inside of the lines, how long one picture could take, and how relaxing the whole thing is.  I dug out my old tin of pencils, and settled down to give it a try.
+
|summary=It's the weekend and I've been indulging myself. There's something about a unicorn which appeals to me and a little bit of research into a book of press-out unicorns, clouds and rainbows seemed like the ideal way to spend a Saturday morning. You get twenty designs in the book and they're all decorated with pink foil: even if you don't want to add any further colouring they're still going to look great, but because the pages are a substantial card you have the opportunity to use crayons, felt tips or even paints to add your own personal touch.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782434461</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Paula Briggs
+
|isbn=V&A_Embroidery
|title=Drawing Projects for Children
+
|title=Embroidery: A Maker's Guide
|rating=5
+
|author=Victoria and Albert Museum
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=''Drawing Projects for Children'' is a beautiful, full-colour guide that encourages children to use a range of materials to create stunning and thought-provoking artwork. As the author points out, the end result is not always as important as the journey and this book helps children to move away from the more traditional, or 'safe' type of drawing styles and indulge in a little more experimentation and risk taking. The book is ideal for parents to use with their children, but each chapter is a self-contained lesson plan that facilitators and teachers can use with groups.
+
|summary=In ''Embroidery: A Maker's Guide'' we get a brief introduction to the craft by James Merry, embroidery artist, information on the tools you'll need, materials you can utilise and a guide to the stitches you'll be using.  If you're just thinking about starting embroidery and not certain which type will suit you best or someone who's experienced in one area but wanting to branch out this book could be an ideal starting point.  There are over 230 glorious photographs (of items from the V&A collections)  and illustrations covering 15 styles of embroidery and giving all the information and designs you'll need for 15 projects.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908966742</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Hannah Davies
+
|isbn=V&A_Patchwork
|title=The Big Beautiful Colouring Book
+
|title=Patchwork and Quilting: A Maker's Guide
 +
|author=Victoria and Albert Museum
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Although I have two small children, it's been a long time since I just sat and did any colouring by myself. Usually I am tasked with drawing various family members, or vehicles, or animals, and then we colour them in together.  This time I sat quietly by myself with a pack of my son's new colouring pencils, and I quite happily passed a couple of hours colouring in!
+
|summary=Patchwork is a magical craft: you can take relatively small pieces of material and turn them into another piece of material with an entirely different pattern. Quilting converts a topper and a backing fabric with some wadding in between into a fabric of an entirely different weight. Combine the two crafts and you have something more than magical, occasionally fashionable but always deeply satisfying. But where to start, when there are so many different styles of both crafts? One answer is to read ''Patchwork and Quilting: A Maker's Guide'' which looks - as the cover says - at styles from Italian trapunto to Korean jogakbo and then delivers fifteen projects inspired by the V&A collections.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1780553498</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Anna Weltman
+
|isbn=BM_Origami
|title=This is Not a Maths Book
+
|title=Origami, Poems and Pictures
 +
|author=The British Museum
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
|genre=Art
 
|summary=I have to admit, I wasn't a huge fan of maths at school. Maybe if I'd had this book when I was a child, I would have been. 'This is not a Maths Book' cleverly bridges the gap between maths and art and teaches kids how to make beautiful patterns and shapes by using mathematical principles. We learn about parabolic curves, Pascal's triangle, the stomachion, tesselation and 3D drawings. Because the pages are interactive and hands-on, kids are learning the rules of maths without realising it. After all, there is no reason why maths shouldn't be fun!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782402055</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Mariko Nakamura
 
|title=Sew Japanese
 
|rating=4
 
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=I wouldn't normally find the idea of children's clothes with a national theme appealing as it's all too easy for them to look like fancy dress and kids can be all too picky about something like that.  If you're going to put the effort into making something then you want it to be worn!  But - I took one look at those two kids on the cover of 'Sew Japanese' - and I liked what I saw. There's a distinctive style but what comes across most of all is that they're clothes that kids can play ''in'' and feel comfortable ''with''.
+
|summary=Sometimes you find a delight of a book. On an afternoon when it was unseasonably cold and decidedly wet I discovered ''Origami, Poems and Pictures'' and I was transported to Japan. As the title suggests we're looking at three celebrated arts and crafts: the ancient art of paper folding, haiku poetry and painting. I'll confess that it was the origami which caught my attention, but I was surprised by the extent to which the rest of the book caught my imagination. We begin with something very simple: a boat and in case you're worried, all the entries have a degree of difficulty (from 'simple' through to 'tricky') and this one is at the lowest level.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1909397407</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David Esterly
 
|title=The Lost Carving: A Journey to the Heart of Making
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Autobiography
 
|summary=Bouncing between his studio in upstate New York and the sites of various English sojourns, woodcarver David Esterly's seems to be an idyllic existence. Yet it's not all cosy cottages in the snow and watching geese and coyotes when he looks up from his workbench. There is an element of hard-won retreat from the trials of life in this memoir, but at the same time there is an argument for the essential difficulty of the artist's life. 'Carvers are starvers,' a wizened English carver once told him. Certainly there is no great fortune to be won from a profession as obscure as limewood carving, but the rewards outweigh the hard graft for Esterly.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0715649191</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|title=Excavate! Dinosaurs: Paper Toy Paleontology
 
|author=Jonathan Tennant, Vladamir Nikolov and Charlie Simpson
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=I believe that it is now an established worldwide fact that dinosaurs are awesome.  I have checked the latest edition of Nature and it would appear that this is definitely the case.  Dinosaurs are without doubt the coolest creatures to have roamed the Earth.  Do you know what makes them really great?  The fact that that left fabulous fossils and brilliant bones behind.  Any kid would love the chance to dig up some old bones and build their own dinosaur.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1612125204</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 +
 +
Move on to [[Newest Crime Reviews]]

Latest revision as of 11:59, 30 November 2023

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Review of

InstaKnits for Baby by Melissa Leapman

4star.jpg Crafts

Melissa Leapman's InstaKnits for Baby gives us a collection of knits from toys to blankets. Some will be quick knits - others are of the 'long, cosy afternoons in front of the fire' variety. The projects are divided by the time they'll take to complete - less than five hours, five to ten hours, ten to twenty hours and more than twenty hours. All the projects are attractive, modern and useable. I perhaps show my age when I wonder about 'social-media-worthy projects' but that's me being picky. Full Review

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Review of

The Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook by Kristina McGrath and Sarah Walworth

4.5star.jpg Crafts

I quickly discovered that putting words and numbers on a page wasn't enough. Creating a pattern that was correct, clear, concise, and consistent required a great deal of trial and error, patience, and perseverance. (Introduction byFrancoise Danoy)

A friend recently showed me a knitting pattern for which she'd paid good money. The first line of the instructions began: Cast off 100 stitches... It was clear that no good could come of this - the instructions didn't get any better - and (finally) PayPal obliged with a refund when the seller refused as she couldn't afford the repayment. The pattern looked pretty, but the creator didn't have the basic knowledge and skills to enable her to connect with her knitters. She should have read The Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook. Full Review

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Review of

The Repair Shop Craft Book by Walker Books and Sonia Albert (Illustrator)

4.5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

I love The Repair Shop. It's my go-to programme when I want to be cheered up. After a hard day, there's nothing better than watching experts repair treasured items without ever mentioning what they're worth. You see, the value is in what these possessions are worth to the people who own them and the memories they hold. No expense appears to be spared and the experts spend as much time and effort as is required to achieve the desired result. Regular viewers know the experts and they're all brilliant at explaining what it is they're doing. But how did they start? Full Review

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Review of

Super Easy Quilting for Beginners by Editors of Quarry Books

4star.jpg Crafts

I learned patchworking from necessity: old or outgrown clothes needed to be turned into something new and usable when I was in my twenties. It would be a while before it became a pleasure rather than a chore but I've never felt completely at home with quilting. I needed something a little more stylish than my usual buttons or knots. Super Easy Quilting for Beginners seemed like a good place to start. So, how did it stack up? Full Review

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Review of

Super Easy Knitting for Beginners by Carri Hammett

4.5star.jpg Crafts

I learned to knit in the nineteen-fifties: it wasn't a choice, it was a requirement. Girls learned to knit and to embroider and boys did wood and metal work. My knitting wa accompanied by a lot of criticism and quite a few tears: it was a long time before I realised that there was pleasure to be had in the skill. Nearly seventy years later it's the only thing that keeps my hands at all supple. The turning point was a booklet published by Patons which gave all the basics and some patterns. I've been looking for something simple to recommend to people who'd like to master the skill. So, how did Super Easy Knitting For Beginners work out? Full Review

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Review of

Cozy Knits: 30 Hat, Mitten, Scarf and Sock Projects from Around the World by Sue Flanders

5star.jpg Crafts

Just occasionally you encounter a book of knitting patterns that seems to meet your every need. Right now, it's bitterly cold and we're in the sandwich filling between two storms: I need socks, scarves, hats and mittens. They have to look stylish, keep me warm and be so cheerful that they make me feel better. If that sounds like a lot to ask, have a look at Cozy Knits: it has thirty designs for those necessary items and I don't think that there was one of them which I couldn't see myself wearing. We start with an introduction by Nancy Bush which gives some of the history of knitting. It's not essential but it's a nice extra. Full Review

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Review of

Nordic Knits by Sue Flanders

4star.jpg Crafts

I was so delighted by Sue Flanders' Cozy Knits that I didn't need any persuading at all to pick up her Nordic Knits. This delivers forty-four patterns inspired by textiles and local traditions from Norway, Sweden and Iceland. There are a few sweaters or jackets but the majority of patterns are for smaller items such as mittens, gloves, hats and bags. All are bright and cheerful and very cosy. Full Review

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Review of

Knit 2 Socks in 1 by Safiyyah Talley

4star.jpg Crafts

If you've ever started knitting a pair of socks, finished the first one and either got bored by the idea of doing the same thing all over again, or started on the second sock and lost the first before you finished it, this is the book for you. Where is it that single socks go to hide? Safiyyah Talley has developed a system that allows you to knit two socks in one, divide them up and have a perfectly finished pair of socks. Sounds good? It's clever and well-thought-out. Full Review

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Review of

Making a Living: How to Craft Your Business by Sophie Rochester

5star.jpg Crafts

Starting a creative business has never been easier.

If not now, when?

I know that I'm not alone in having wondered whether or not I could turn my hobby into a business. There's a lot of motivation to do so: I make more items than we can sensibly use and there are a lot of people who have been delighted to accept what I make as gifts. Selling would offset the costs, which can be quite considerable and it could be fun to do, couldn't it? But where to start? What do I need to think about? Well, the first thing anyone who is considering turning a crafting hobby into a business should do is to read Making a Living. Full Review

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Review of

The Sandalmaking Workshop by Rachel Corry

4.5star.jpg Crafts

A sandal-making workshop? I couldn't really believe it, mainly because I'd always thought that you'd need more equipment than the average home was likely to be able to contain but I was intrigued. Rachel Corry started sandal making accidentally - a small fire destroyed some of her shoes. One pair had come apart and she could see how the sandal was constructed. Then she realised that she couldn't afford to replace all her shoes. Could she combine these two facts to create a new and worthwhile craft? She showed quite a few people her first pair and they all either wanted to know how to do it - or if she'd make them a pair. A new career was born. Full Review

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Review of

This Golden Fleece: A Journey Through Britain's Knitted History by Esther Rutter

5star.jpg History

It was December and Esther Rutter was stuck in her office job, writing to people she'd never met and preparing spreadsheets. The job frustrated her and even her knitting did not soothe her mind. January was going to be a time for making changes and she decided that she would travel the length and breadth of the British Isles with occasional forays abroad, discovering and telling the story of wool's history and how it had made and changed the landscape. She'd grown up on a sheep farm in Suffolk - a free range child on the farm - and learned to spin, knit and weave from her mother and her mother's friend. This was in her blood. Full Review

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Review of

Make and Play: Nativity by Joey Chou

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

I always feel a slight disappointment for children at Christmas when they're presented with a tree to decorate with a box of ornaments and a nativity scene (sometimes quite precious, so it's Not To Be Played With) which is set up Somewhere Safe. Where's the imagination, the creativity, the sense of pride in that? How much better to have a child create their own nativity scene, which they can then play with? That's exactly what they get with Joey Chou's Make and Play Nativity. Full Review

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Review of

Can You Draw the Dragosaur? by Peter Lynas and Charlie Roberts

4.5star.jpg Crafts

You're going to get a hint of what this book's about very quickly. When you see the title page, you'll find out what the book's called and that it's been written by Peter Lynas. Then we move on to who has done the illustration - and there's a gap. You are going to put your name there. It's your responsibility to provide the pictures for this book about one of the largest creatures ever to roam the earth. There's some help available, but your name is on the title page - and you have work to do! Full Review

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Review of

Why We Quilt by Thomas Knauer

4star.jpg Crafts

I've often wondered about the story that patchwork quilting began as a way for women (and myth would have it that it was always women) to make an extra blanket out of material which would otherwise go to waste. This undoubtedly did happen but when you think about it, you need an awful lot of material to make a quilt and the time could have been better spent if all that was required was bedding. Like Thomas Knauer, I've come to the conclusion that it began as an art and has largely continued down that same road with fluctuations in popularity over the years. Full Review

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Review of

The Mitten Handbook: Knitting Recipes to Make Your Own by Mary Scott Huff

4star.jpg Crafts

I love mittens - they're so convenient and much easier to get onto (and off) cold hands than a pair of fiddly gloves. They're not something you regularly see in shops, so I knew that if I wanted new pairs I would have to knit them myself. Well, actually, that's my rationalisation of the situation: in truth, I love knitting mittens. They have just enough technique to make them satisfying, plenty of quick work and a pair of warm mittens in a few days. Patterns, though - where do you get them from? Full Review

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Review of

Handbag Workshop: Design and Sew the Perfect Bag by Anna M Mazur

4star.jpg Crafts

I love handbags, but I resent paying the prices demanded by manufacturers of 'good' bags. Additionally, I often find a bag I like but the colour/shape/size/capacity/internal layout isn't quite what I had in mind, so I end up spending rather a lot of money and compromising. The solution is to make my own bags and whilst I was confident about sewing fabric bags, I was nervous about using leather, not least because leather isn't very forgiving when it comes to mistakes and it's usually more expensive than fabric. I needed help. Anna Mazur's The Handbag Workshop came to me free through NetGalley in return for an unbiased review. Full Review

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Review of

The Knitter's Dictionary: Knitting Know-How from A to Z by Kate Atherley

4star.jpg Crafts

I've been knitting for well over sixty years, following patterns of varying complexity with success. I've knit Aran sweaters, socks by the dozen and I'm currently knitting blankets for a charity to sell. There hasn't been an occasion when I've been stuck and people have often come to me for help when they've been stuck. Would a knitter's dictionary really be of any help to me? I was surprised by just how much I got out of it. Full Review

1440248850.jpg

Review of

Modern Patchwork Home: Dynamic Quilts and Projects for Every Room by Vivika DeNegre (Editor)

4star.jpg Crafts

The problem with a craft which is largely based on traditional designs is that what results from your labours is also traditional, or - depending upon what light you shine on it - old-fashioned. Vivika DeNegre has curated a collection of patterns from today's top designers. As a word of warning, if you read Modern Patchwork Magazine you may well find that there's nothing new in the book, but if you're new to the magazine this could well prove to be a delightful collection from the back catalogue. Full Review

Pallant Star.jpg

Review of

Star Wars Millennium Falcon Book and Mega Model by Katrina Pallant and Neal Manning

4.5star.jpg Crafts

One of the unexpected results of making a rough-and-ready sci-fi film back in the 1970s, was that George Lucas left a whole generation capable of spelling Millennium. In amongst all the iconic inventions for the film, his design team left him – and us – with a very loveable, very fast and very asymmetrical space ship. How is it balanced when the cockpit is stuck out one side? What is that dish-like array doing on what seems to act as the top? And where can you get your own? Well, beyond the rarity and great cost of the Lego model, I can at least provide one answer to those three pertinent questions, and that answer is… here. Full Review

McLelland Press.jpg

Review of

Press Out and Decorate: Unicorns by Kate McLelland

4star.jpg Crafts

It's the weekend and I've been indulging myself. There's something about a unicorn which appeals to me and a little bit of research into a book of press-out unicorns, clouds and rainbows seemed like the ideal way to spend a Saturday morning. You get twenty designs in the book and they're all decorated with pink foil: even if you don't want to add any further colouring they're still going to look great, but because the pages are a substantial card you have the opportunity to use crayons, felt tips or even paints to add your own personal touch. Full Review

V&A Embroidery.jpg

Review of

Embroidery: A Maker's Guide by Victoria and Albert Museum

4star.jpg Crafts

In Embroidery: A Maker's Guide we get a brief introduction to the craft by James Merry, embroidery artist, information on the tools you'll need, materials you can utilise and a guide to the stitches you'll be using. If you're just thinking about starting embroidery and not certain which type will suit you best or someone who's experienced in one area but wanting to branch out this book could be an ideal starting point. There are over 230 glorious photographs (of items from the V&A collections) and illustrations covering 15 styles of embroidery and giving all the information and designs you'll need for 15 projects. Full Review

V&A Patchwork.jpg

Review of

Patchwork and Quilting: A Maker's Guide by Victoria and Albert Museum

4.5star.jpg Crafts

Patchwork is a magical craft: you can take relatively small pieces of material and turn them into another piece of material with an entirely different pattern. Quilting converts a topper and a backing fabric with some wadding in between into a fabric of an entirely different weight. Combine the two crafts and you have something more than magical, occasionally fashionable but always deeply satisfying. But where to start, when there are so many different styles of both crafts? One answer is to read Patchwork and Quilting: A Maker's Guide which looks - as the cover says - at styles from Italian trapunto to Korean jogakbo and then delivers fifteen projects inspired by the V&A collections. Full Review

BM Origami.jpg

Review of

Origami, Poems and Pictures by The British Museum

5star.jpg Crafts

Sometimes you find a delight of a book. On an afternoon when it was unseasonably cold and decidedly wet I discovered Origami, Poems and Pictures and I was transported to Japan. As the title suggests we're looking at three celebrated arts and crafts: the ancient art of paper folding, haiku poetry and painting. I'll confess that it was the origami which caught my attention, but I was surprised by the extent to which the rest of the book caught my imagination. We begin with something very simple: a boat and in case you're worried, all the entries have a degree of difficulty (from 'simple' through to 'tricky') and this one is at the lowest level. Full Review

Move on to Newest Crime Reviews