5 things every Craft book should have

Over the years I have bought (and sometimes been given) quite a few craft books. Mostly sewing, quilting and embroidery books. I choose craft books for their instructions or certain techniques, for their patterns or sometimes just because I think they will inspire me to try something new.

I thought about why I like some books better than others, I think there are a few points that everyone will agree on and others are possibly more prone to discussion (and yes please let me know what you think). In no particular order here's a few things that I think every Craft book should have.

1. Clear instructions, written in normal every day language, that are supported by well drawn diagrams or good photos. Generally I like diagrams better than photos for instruction, especially for (embroidery) stitches.

Patterns inside Lotta Jansdotter's book 'Simple Sewing'

2 A good and practical layout.  A font that is readable. In some cases a spiral bound book can be handy. Actual paper patterns in the book (for sewing and embroidery) I just find that if I look for a project and see that I have to enlarge a pattern I'm often inclined to find another one that doesn't involve enlarging the pattern.

Sophie Simpson's book 'Storyland Cross Stitch'  with beautiful illustrations by Julianna Swaney

3. Stylish and creative illustrations and good photography. Ok maybe not a 'must' for a craft book because Not Very Stylish Books can be a great resource too of course but it's so nice and inspiring to leaf through a beautiful craft book like Sophie Simpson's Storyland Cross Stitch. If I ever get to write a book I hope it will be just as stylish as Sophie's book.

Lucie Summer's book 'Quilt Improv'

4. A distinct personal style or vision. Often these are books in which all the projects are designed by one person. Quilt improv by Lucie Summers is a good example. She has a unique style and inspiring (new to me) approach to quilting (free hand cutting curves!).

5. I love craft books that implement confidence and make you want to explore and try out new techniques. I learned the basics of sewing with Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing and Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing got me into quilting. The quilt in Amy's book is really simple and might be frowned upon by serious quilters but it was the perfect first step for this non-quilter to start with!

So what do you think is important in a craft book?  What makes you want to buy (and use!) a book? What annoys you in craft books you have bought? What is your favourite? Let me know!

Ode to a book about Stuffed Animals

This is not a proper book review,  it's an ode to a wonderful handbook about sewing Stuffed Animals! Although I don't sew stuffed animals on a regular basis, as soon as I heard about Abby Glassenberg's book Stuffed Animals From Concept to Construction I (pre)ordered it immediately and I'm glad I did! This is a hugely informative hand book, a reference guide that will teach you everything you need to know to make the adorable projects in the book as well as tips on how to design your own stuffed animal (if you wish to).

From stuffed animals I made from other books and patterns in the past (including a rather wonky turtle years ago and a sweet hedgehog more recently that I will show on the blog soon) I had already noticed that sewing soft toys requires a whole different set of skills than for example sewing quilts or clothing. Luckily for us, Abby covers all the specifics of sewing and designing stuffed animals in her book. The projects come with several lessons each to teach you different things: from sewing gussets to making cupped ears, to putting a 'growler' or music box in your stuffed creature (have a peek here to see all the projects and lessons!) The projects range in difficulty from a simple fish to a classic Teddy Bear which involves using more advanced techniques. Another thing I really like about all the projects is that they are appealing to children. Which may sound obvious but sometimes it's the little things that make a stuffed animal a success (or not): the zipper-mouth of the dinosaur, the lion's lovely manes, the tiny baby Kangaroo in it's mothers pouch etc. The patterns in the back of the book are all, save one, full sized and can be downloaded from the publishers site as well (yay!).

This book is a great manual to add to your crafty library if you are interested in developing your own stuffed animal designs but also if you want to impress your family and (young) friends with some cleverly sewn stuffed animals with lots of character.

Stuffed Animals. From Concept to Construction by Abby Glassenberg was published by Lark Crafts.

p.s. I couldn't help but thinking while I was reading Abby's book that I would really love to see more 'in depth' quality craft books like these published on other subjects as well. Not merely projects and a quick 'basics' chapter but teaching news skills and techniques in great detail!

Crafty books

These are some of the Embroidery books I own.  As you can see I like to use floss to bookmark interesting pages. :)  My birthday is coming up in a month and I wouldn't mind adding a few good books to my 'library' so if you have any good tips please let me know! I'm especially looking for books with stitches and techniques, not so much books with patterns or projects (because I generally make my own). Tips for awesome quilting or sewing books are welcome too. Thanks!