Category Archives: Needlework/Arts/Crafts

This is a wonderful set of designs for a wide variety of crocheted stuffed animals. The book is written in British terms, so those who follow the US terms will need to adjust their brains around the stitches. I have a page of conversion terms that I have put together to remind me – so I just sit that to the side and refer back to it when I have to change stitches. I’ve done this for years and find it helpful.

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“My Crochet Animals” by Isabelle Kessedjian is a lovely book of crocheted animals. There are 12 different animals that are worked from standard patterns. Each has their unique little touch that makes them stand out from the others. In addition to the animals, there are 35 different pieces of adorable clothes and accessories.

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This book is a re-release of the 2003 book of the same name by Pauline Turner. You may want to check your existing books to be sure that you don’t already have it. It does not seem to have been updated, merely re-released.

That was good for me as I don’t have a copy of the original book. Ms. Turner provides very interesting historical information about crochet and makes conclusions based on her research. Additionally, and more importantly to me, she provides excellent information about various types of lace crochet.

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Overall, I am impressed by the quality of this kit. The kit includes enough yarn to finish two Star Wars projects, specifically one each of Yoda and a Stormtrooper, and after that you will need to purchase additional yarn, fiberfill, safety eyes, and other assorted items to finish more of the characters. The kit does not say exactly what size the yarn is but it seems to be at most a worsted weight 4 and it appears to be acrylic and/or wool rather than cotton. It does state that the models shown in the book were made with either weight 4 or 3 but doesn’t detail which is which.

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Overall, I am impressed by the quality of this kit. The kit includes enough yarn to finish two Winnie the Pooh projects, specifically one each of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet and after that, you will need to purchase additional yarn, fiberfill, floss, and felt to finish more characters. The kit does not say exactly what size the yarn is but it seems to be at 4 worsted weight and it appears to be acrylic and/or wool rather than cotton. The colors of yarn included are: light gold (yellow), black, dark red, light pink, medium pink, and dark pink. The red in the kit seems much darker than that shown in the photo on the front of the box while the light gold (yellow) is much more drab than the modern Winnie the Pooh. It looks like a great color if you were crocheting a Classic Winnie the Pooh. The felt included is black. The floss is black and appears to be cotton. Also included is a tapestry needle (for the floss), an inexpensive crochet hook in size 4.00 (US G/6) and fiberfill. There are also fairly detailed instructions including many diagrams.

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I have been enjoying needlework as a craft for almost 40 years and have, in fact, been made my living in the craft for more than 15 years. I have many books about needlework (with more of an emphasis on cross stitch as that is the medium I design in) and I have never seen a book more inclusive of such useful information. This book is truly a definitive work on stitches and materials. With all the many years that I have been working with needle and thread/yarn, there was so much in this book that was new and that I could use to learn and grow with.

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“Stitch It Simple” by Beth Sheard is a cute book of 25 fairly simple projects which can be hand sewn or by machine. The emphasis of the book is on hand sewing, which is great, as it teaches a hand art that doesn’t rely on an expensive machine or electricity to accomplish. I first learned to sew in elementary school using some of the same stitches that are illustrated in this book and to this day, many years later, I am as likely to pick up a needle and thread to repair a seam as I am to pull out one of my sewing machines.

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“Handbag Workshop: Design and Sew the Perfect Bag” by Anna M. Mazur is a gorgeous book which walks the reader through the process of making handbags.

I have a lot of experience both in sewing and in crafting so many of the skills needed to make these handbags are ones that I am comfortable with. I would hesitate to recommend this to someone with no sewing machine machine experience though the crafting skills are ones that could be learned on the fly.

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This is a fantastic book on many facets of quilting. While the book focuses on modern quilts, the skills taught in the book apply to all genres of quilting.

As the book is a compilation of ten workshops, rather than a book written by a single author, each of the segments reads as a small book written by someone who is an expert at that particular quilting skill. The workshops include: The Principles of Color, Working with Solids, Working with Prints, Improvisational Patchwork, The Alternate Grid, Circles and Curves, Paper Piecing, Large-Scale Piecing, Modern Machine Quilting and A Study of Modern Quilts. Each workshop (except the last) includes a project or practice exercises that involve that particular field of study. There is also a good number of templates are included at the end of the book. The section on A Study of Modern Quilts has a large number of color photos of various modern quilts, along with a blurb by the quilt artist regarding the making, inspiration, or comments about the making of the quilt.

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This is a gorgeous book with 25 patterns of adorable hats for babies. The sections are divided by season with a great choice for each one. I really liked that the book included some hats for girls, some perhaps a little more for boys but the majority of which were fairly gender neutral.

I have crocheted hats for babies and for infants but have only knitted standard preemie hats. I have been looking for baby hats which would inspire me to try my skills at more advanced knitting.
I am an intermediate knitter with visions of someday being more advanced. The projects in “Holiday Hats for Babies: Caps, berets & beanies to knit for every occasion” look to be an excellent way for me to try new skills and techniques on smaller, easy to finish projects.

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