Crafts & DIY Reviews, September 15, 2011
Sep 15, 2011ART INSTRUCTION
HEATHER HALLIDAY, American Jewish Historical Soc., New York
Cambridge, Melanie. Oils. Collins: HarperCollins UK, dist. by Trafalgar Square. Oct. 2011. 96p. illus. index. ISBN 9780007301171. $13.95. ART INSTRUCTION
As its one-word title implies, this short guide to painting in oils uses a minimalist approach. Cambridge ( Success with Oils ), who teaches painting, presents short lessons on color, technique, composition, subject choice, and painting outdoors. She works to dispel the myth that oil paintings must be large, difficult, time-consuming undertakings and shows that oil paint can be used in a quick, free, spontaneous way on your vacation or around your home. This title will appeal primarily to beginning and intermediate painters.
Tait, Wendy. Flowers in Watercolour. Search, dist. by IPG. (What To Paint). Oct. 2011. c.112p. illus. index. ISBN 9781844486588. pap. $21.95. ART INSTRUCTION
The publisher’s new “What To Paint” series offers workbooks aimed at those who have a strong desire to begin painting but are unsure of what their subject should be. These books provide specific step-by-step instruction including outline drawings that readers can trace to use as basis sketches for paintings. The tracing process is explained well, and readers can photocopy these pages. Each of the 24 painting exercises in this book includes specific tips on palette colors and flower texture detail. Watercolor painting teacher Tait’s guide is best suited for beginner hobbyist painters.
CRAFTS
NANETTE DONOHUE, Champaign P.L., IL
Nguyen, Duy. Cocktail Napkin Origami. Sterling. 2011. 128p. illus. ISBN 9781402780387. pap. $9.95. CRAFTS
Origami is a craft with a low entry threshold—all you need is something flat, square, and foldable. Nguyen’s ( Über Origami) quirky approach is to use square cocktail napkins to create standard origami animals and a few party-ready creations, including a high heel and a baseball cap. If you’re planning to try this as a bar or party trick, you’ll need to practice—the more complex creations require 30-plus steps. The approach is illustration heavy, so beginners looking for textual explanations may be disappointed, but visual learners and origami veterans should be able to follow along. With a starter set of square cocktail napkins.
Sutton, Derrick. How To Sell Your Crafts Online: A Step-by-Step Guide to Successful Sales on Etsy and Beyond. Griffin: St. Martin’s. Oct. 2011. c.224p. illus. index. ISBN 9780312541262. pap. $21.99. CRAFTS
Online craft marketplaces such as Etsy and ArtFire have made it easy for crafters to sell their wares online. But how do you market them in the increasingly crowded handmade marketplace? Sutton, who operates a successful online craft business, provides a wealth of tips and tricks to help crafters get noticed and grow their business. The content is Etsy-centric, and Internet-savvy sellers will find some of the advice obvious, but crafters looking to start or grow an online business may appreciate Sutton’s guidance.
do it yourself
KAREN ELLIS, Taylor P.L., TX
Gleason, Chris. Art of the Chicken Coop: A Fun and Essential Guide to Housing Your Peeps. Fox Chapel. 2011. 160p. illus. index. ISBN 9781565235427. pap. $19.95. DIY
Many are seeing the benefits of urban farming and with chickens the small livestock of choice, there are a growing number of titles on the topic. This slim book focuses on housing. Gleason included a chicken coop design in his Backyard Projects for Today’s Homestead, but the seven hip coop designs here are new and fresh. Colorful, attractive illustrations display the stages of construction. The guide is well organized and features helpful tips from other city flock owners. This delightful little book is highly recommended, especially in areas with urban flocks.
fiber crafts
NANETTE DONOHUE, Champaign P.L., IL
Bara, Brett. Sewing in a Straight Line: Quick & Crafty Projects You Can Make by Simply Sewing Straight. Potter Craft: Crown Pub. Group. 2011. 160p. illus. index. ISBN 9780307586650. pap. $22.99. FIBER CRAFTS The Best of Kooler Design Studio. Leisure Arts. Sept. 2011. 208p. illus. ISBN 9781609003555. pap. $24.95. FIBER CRAFTS Budd, Ann. Sock Knitting Master Class: Innovative Techniques + Patterns from Top Designers. Interweave. 2011. 184p. illus. index. ISBN 9781596683129. pap. $26.95 with DVD. FIBER CRAFTS Gilstrap, Patti & Seryn Potter. Flirt Skirts: Learn How To Sew, Customize, and Style Your Very Own Skirts. Potter Craft: Crown Pub. Group. 2011. 128p. illus. index. ISBN 9780307586698. pap. $21.99. FIBER CRAFTS interior design Balbes, Xorin. SoulSpace: Creating a Home That Is Free of Clutter, Full of Beauty, and Inspired by You. New World Library, dist. by PGW. Oct. 2011. c.256p. index. ISBN 9781608680375. pap. $14.95. INTERIOR DESIGN
Beginning sewing projects can be plain and dull. Bara, who writes a sewing column for the popular Design*Sponge website, presents a collection of projects that require minimal sewing skills but deliver maximum excitement and charm. The projects, which include garments, home decor, and gifts, are simple yet chic, and the step-by-step directions include ample illustrations. Although these are beginners’ projects, Bara doesn’t shy away from introducing more advanced techniques or slightly intimidating fabrics such as vinyl. Beginning sewers looking for projects beyond pillowcases and simple rectangular tote bags will enjoy this charming collection.
Donna Kooler’s brand epitomizes traditional needle arts, and this collection of cross-stitch patterns from four of the Kooler Design Studio’s most popular designers will please fans of traditional cross-stitch. Projects include classic and modern samplers, Bible verses with colorful borders, and nature-inspired designs. All designs are fully charted and include suggested colors of DMC embroidery floss. No new ground is broken here, but cross-stitch books are few and far between these days, and this is a solid collection of projects.
There’s a bounty of marvelous new sock knitting books publishing this season, most targeting experienced sock knitters interested in exploring new stitch and construction techniques. Budd’s ( Getting Started Knitting Socks ) addition features patterns by a number of popular designers, including Cookie A, Anne Hanson, Chrissy Gardiner, Anna Zilboorg, Meg Swansen, and Nancy Bush. The projects are organized by construction (top-down or toe-up) and technique, and ample notes are provided for each pattern. One of the highlights of the book is the supplementary DVD, which includes a 95-minute knitting workshop with Budd. This is an excellent addition to sock-knitting collections.
Brooklyn designers and boutique owners Gilstrap and Potter focus on fit in their first pattern collection, which features variations on three basic skirt styles. A-line, pencil, and flared skirts work well with many body types and are simple to construct in their most basic form. Gilstrap and Potter walk sewers through the construction of a basic skirt in extensive detail then present variations on each style. The clear, step-by-step approach and friendly tone make these projects suitable for adventurous beginners and beyond. Don’t let this book’s trendy, youthful styling fool you—these garments could easily be worn by women of all ages.
Balbes, co-owner of the interior design firm Temple Home, explains his eight-step holistic approach to interior design. Using his experiences with his clients’ and his own homes as examples, he first discusses the elimination of clutter—including the psychological reasons why it accumulates—then continues with an explanation of how to discover and create one’s own personal design style. Although no photographs are included (books such as Grace Bonney’s Design*Sponge at Home and Christiane Lemieux’s Undecorate can fill that gap), this volume will provide the impetus to begin the process for those seeking a clutter-free decor that reflects their taste and nurtures the soul.
