Difference between revisions of "Newest Crafts Reviews"

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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Serge Bloch
+
|isbn=0811771741
|title=3, 2, 1... Draw!
+
|title=InstaKnits for Baby
|rating=4.5
+
|author=Melissa Leapman
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=I can't draw.  I've never been able to draw.  A 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 brain.  It'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 load.  I've just had more fun than I thought possible with pencil and paper!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847807240</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Various Artists
 
|title=Doctor Who: The Colouring Book
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|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.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141367385</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Mike Collins
 
|title=Sherlock: The Mind Palace: The Official Colouring Book
 
|rating=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''.
+
|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>1785940430</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Natasha Slee and Becca Stadtlander
+
|isbn=1635866243
|title=Style Guide: Fashion From Head to Toe
+
|title=The Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook
|rating=4
+
|author=Kristina McGrath and Sarah Walworth
 +
|rating=4.5
 
|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 decade.  For 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 turbanOn the reverse of each picture is a key.  The article is numbered on the main picture and in the corresponding key you'll find some historical information and some colour details.
+
|summary=''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)
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847807348</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
A friend recently showed me a knitting pattern for which she'd paid good moneyThe 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 repaymentThe pattern looked pretty, but the creator didn't have the basic knowledge and skills to enable her to connect with her knittersShe should have read ''The Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook''.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Axel Scheffler, Emily Gravett et al
+
|isbn=1529507987
|title=Draw It! Colour It! Creatures
+
|title=The Repair Shop Craft Book
|rating=4
+
|author=Walker Books and Sonia Albert (Illustrator)
|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
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|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 ArtThe 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 aestheticsAimed 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.
+
|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 doingBut how did they start?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806112</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Lydia Crook
 
|title=Christmas Paper Play
 
|rating=4.5
 
|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 do.  The 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.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782402470</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Amber Anderson
 
|title=The Little Book of Colouring: Animal Kingdom
 
|rating=3.5
 
|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 functional.  No 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 good.  What's not to love about colouring?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1784296457</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Anastasia Catris
+
|isbn=0760379912
|title=Colour Me Mindful: Birds
+
|title=Super Easy Quilting for Beginners
 +
|author=Editors of Quarry Books
 
|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 secretNow colouring is mainstream and there's a considerable range of design books to choose from.  Orion 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?
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|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 start.  So, how did it stack up?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1409163105</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Eglantine de la Fontaine et al
+
|isbn=0760379874
|title=My Magical Oasis: Art Therapy Colouring Book for Creative Minds
+
|title=Super Easy Knitting for Beginners
 +
|author=Carri Hammett
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|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.
+
|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>0859655350</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreviewplain
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{{Frontpage
|title=The Creative Colouring Book for Grown-Ups
+
|isbn=0760373531
|rating=4
+
|title=Cozy Knits: 30 Hat, Mitten, Scarf and Sock Projects from Around the World
 +
|author=Sue Flanders
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Johanna Basford was not the first, and nor was she an overnight success.  If 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=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 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>1782433287</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Lucy Engelman
+
|isbn=0760373558
|title=Field Guide: Creatures Great and Small (Field Guides)
+
|title=Nordic Knits
|rating=4.5
+
|author=Sue Flanders
 +
|rating=4
 
|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 wordThat is, of course, until now, and the phenomenon that is building rapidly – that of mature colouring-in booksHere 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=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>184780635X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreviewplain
+
{{Frontpage
|title=Gorgeous Colouring Book for Grown-Ups
+
|isbn=1635864070
 +
|title=Knit 2 Socks in 1
 +
|author=Safiyyah Talley
 
|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=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>1782434461</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
 
|author=Paula Briggs
+
{{Frontpage
|title=Drawing Projects for Children
+
|isbn=1529393930
 +
|title=Making a Living: How to Craft Your Business
 +
|author=Sophie Rochester
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|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=''Starting a creative business has never been easier.''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908966742</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
''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''.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Hannah Davies
+
|isbn=1635862353
|title=The Big Beautiful Colouring Book
+
|title=The Sandalmaking Workshop
 +
|author=Rachel Corry
 
|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 myselfUsually I am tasked with drawing various family members, or vehicles, or animals, and then we colour them in togetherThis 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=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 constructedThen she realised that she couldn't afford to replace all her shoesCould 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>1780553498</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Anna Weltman
+
|isbn=1783784350
|title=This is Not a Maths Book
+
|title=This Golden Fleece: A Journey Through Britain's Knitted History
 +
|author=Esther Rutter
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
|genre=Art
+
|genre=History
|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!
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|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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782402055</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Mariko Nakamura
 
|title=Sew Japanese
 
|rating=4
 
|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 thatIf 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 sawThere'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''.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1909397407</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=David Esterly
+
|isbn=Chou_Make
|title=The Lost Carving: A Journey to the Heart of Making
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|title=Make and Play: Nativity
|rating=4
+
|author=Joey Chou
|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
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=I believe that it is now an established worldwide fact that dinosaurs are awesomeI 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.
+
|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 SafeWhere'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>1612125204</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|title=Beautiful Patterns
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|isbn=099334030X
|author=Various Authors
+
|title=Can You Draw the Dragosaur?
 +
|author=Peter Lynas and Charlie Roberts
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=If you are going to make a colouring book aimed at adults I say do it 100% and go all out.  You can keep your minimalist landscapes or your naïve animals; give me a page packed to the gills with something that needs filling inThis can make a creative colouring book for grownups feel more like a military operation, but at least you will have fun doing it and improve your skills.
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|summary=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 earthThere's some help available, but your name is on the title page - and you have work to do!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782432787</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|title=The Paint Book
+
|isbn=1635860334
|author=Miri Flower
+
|title=Why We Quilt
|rating=5
+
|author=Thomas Knauer
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Craft blogger Miri Flower challenges bored children everywhere with her lovely new series of art books, which utilise basic materials that can be found in most homes. ''The Paint Book'' outlines seventy simple projects which encourage kids to get crafty and creative with paints. It's going to get messy, so house-proud parents turn away now...
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|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 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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>071123583X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|title=The Pencil Book
+
|isbn=1419726625
|author=Miri Flower
+
|title=The Mitten Handbook: Knitting Recipes to Make Your Own
|rating=5
+
|author=Mary Scott Huff
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Summer is almost over. Gone are the carefree days playing outdoors in the sunshine with friends. Here come the rainy days and dark evenings, heralding the inevitable cry of: ''I'm bored!''. Author and craft-blogger Miri Flower (fantastic name!) comes to the rescue of harassed parents everywhere with her new series of art books which encourage children to utilise simple materials to create fun games and artwork. ''The Pencil Book'' sees the humble pencil takes centre stage, with seventy projects to keep kids engaged and amused.
+
|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 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?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0711235848</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Pauline Brown
+
|isbn=1621137775
|title=The Complete Guide to Quilting Techniques: Essential Techniques and Step-by-Step Projects for Making Beautiful Quilts
+
|title=Handbag Workshop: Design and Sew the Perfect Bag
|rating=5
+
|author=Anna M Mazur
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=''Quilting'' is a generic term covering patchwork, quilting itself and appliquéAll three require different skills and you'll find them all covered to a greater or lesser extent in this gorgeous book. There's an introduction covering the origin of the skills - patchwork developing amongst the pioneer women of early America for whom it was an essential way of keeping their families warm, as did quilting and for much the same reasonAppliqué is rather more decorative and luxurious and the original appliqué quilts were made to commemorate special occasionsDon't think that quilting is a craft mired in the past though - over my lifetime I've seen numerous developments and tried many of them for myself.
+
|summary=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 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>1782401679</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Richard Merritt, Amanda Hillier and Felicity French
+
|isbn=1632506386
|title=The Neon Colouring Book
+
|title=The Knitter's Dictionary: Knitting Know-How from A to Z
|rating=4.5
+
|author=Kate Atherley
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Half a century ago I trained to be a teacher.  My tutors were adamant that children should not be allowed to colour in any outline which they had not drawn themselves.  It 'stifled their creativity' you see, but took no account of the pencil control which it gave, or, indeed, the pleasure of creating something individual - because everyone colours differentlyTimes have (fortunately) changed and colouring books to delight adults and children are now all the rage and yesterday I took an idle look at one, equipped with some felt-tipped pens and a few crayons left behind when my daughter departedHalf an hour, I thoughtJust half an hour.  That's all.
+
|summary=I've been knitting for well over sixty years, following patterns of varying complexity with successI'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>178055270X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|title=The Creative Therapy Colouring Book
+
|isbn=1440248850
|author=Hannah Davies, Richard Merritt and Jo Taylor
+
|title=Modern Patchwork Home: Dynamic Quilts and Projects for Every Room
|rating=5
+
|author=Vivika DeNegre (Editor)
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Apparently, colouring books for adults have become ''de rigeur'' in France, with the book ''Art Therapie-100 Coloriages Anti-Stress'' flying off the shelves as increasing numbers of stressed-out individuals discover the therapeutic value of 'colouring in'.
+
|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-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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782433007</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|title=Explore and Draw Patterns: An Art Activity Book
+
|isbn=Pallant_Star
|author=Owen Davey and Georgia Amson-Bradshaw
+
|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=Explore and Draw Patterns is a beautifully presented interactive workbook designed to spark creativity and imagination. The appeal of the subject matter is universal; everyone loves to doodle, so the book would be equally enjoyable for adults or children.
+
|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>1782401407</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Fiona Goble
+
|isbn=McLelland_Press
|title=Sew Quick, Sew Cute: 30 Simple, Speedy Projects
+
|title=Press Out and Decorate: Unicorns
 +
|author=Kate McLelland
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=I have a patchwork quilt on the go at the moment and it will take me months to complete. But sometimes you want to have the satisfaction of making something which might take hours or a weekend and which is more relaxing and ''fun''.  Sometimes you want a project which you can do with the kids which will encourage them to feel that they can be creative - and which produces something which is relaevant to their lives. I was 'encouraged' to knit tea cosies as a child.  It didn't cut the mustard even then...  I think I might have found the answer.
+
|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>1782400885</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Fiona Pearce
+
|isbn=V&A_Embroidery
|title=Treat Petite: 42 Sweet and Savoury Miniature Bakes
+
|title=Embroidery: A Maker's Guide
|rating=4.5
+
|author=Victoria and Albert Museum
|genre=Cookery
+
|rating=4
|summary=I know that they're not good for me, but I do love cakes.  There's always so ''much'' of them though - and I'm not going to let them go to waste, am I?  I love making them too, but no matter how hard I try they always seem to end up more Little Chef than MasterchefWhen I found ''Treat Petite'' it seemed that I just might have found the answer to my prayersIt's a book of forty two recipes for tiny petit fours, little sponge cakes, jewel-like macaroons and gorgeous savouries.  They're all mere morsels - just big enough to pop into your mouth.
+
|genre=Crafts
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782400982</amazonuk>
+
|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 usingIf 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 pointThere 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.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Lucinda Ganderton
+
|isbn=V&A_Patchwork
|title=The Maison Sajou Sewing Book: 20 projects from the famous French haberdashery
+
|title=Patchwork and Quilting: A Maker's Guide
 +
|author=Victoria and Albert Museum
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=When I was younger I dreamed of going to Paris and visiting the fashion houses. Now I would love to go to visit Maison Sajou, the haberdasher who seems to have everything that someone who works with material could want, so when I saw The Maison Sajou Sewing Book there was no way that I could resist it.  It's a confection of twenty projects, the very essence of French chic, with something for everyone.
+
|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>1782400850</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Susan Beal
+
|isbn=BM_Origami
|title=Hand-Stitched Home: Projects to Sew with Pendleton and Other Wools
+
|title=Origami, Poems and Pictures
|rating=4.5
+
|author=The British Museum
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|genre=Crafts
|summary=I've had extensive experience of craft teachers - both in person and through books - and they fall into two categories.  The first are the ones who want you to be awed by their knowledge and techniques, to know that what they can do easily may well be completely beyond your abilities. The other group are the ones who within minutes have you believing that you can do this, that you're going to find it exciting, rewarding and ''fun''.  Fortunately Susan Beal comes firmly into the second group. Just so that you know where I'm coming from, I've been sewing for over half a century, but for some reason I've not strayed far into the realms of woolen materials. There was a reluctance which I couldn't ''quite'' put my finger on.
+
|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>1621138704</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

1632506386.jpg

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