February Book Reviews part 2 

Easy to Make Curtains & Blinds by Wendy Baker

This book takes you through the different ways of dressing your windows, different types of curtains and blinds, window trims, tiebacks etc.  There is an introductory chapter which goes through the different styles of windows and which dressing suits them best.   There’s also advice on choosing the right type of window treatment, the right fabrics and fittings.

The chapters on curtains and blinds give you step by step instructions on constructing the different styles along with large colourful diagrams and photos. At the end of the book there is a chapter on equipment and techniques.

This book is a useful guide to anyone looking to make curtains and blinds.  It’s easy to follow and gives you all the basics.

This book is published by Anova books and can be purchased on their site here.

Patchwork 200 Questions Answered by Jake Finch

Have you ever wondered what a Lady of the Lake block is?  How to tack a quilt? How to sew curved pieces?  What a fat quarter is?  Well this book answers those questions and many more.  It’s great for someone new to patchwork looking to understand the terminology and techniques, and how to make the different blocks.

The questions are divided into subjects with the first few explaining what patchwork is and what quilting is.  It then tells you about 80 different blocks, what they look like and how they are made.   It then covers patchwork basics, designing patchwork and using colour, choosing & cutting fabric, block construction, binding and finishing and other topics.  There are also templates in the back of the book.

The book, although packed with content is smaller than most books so it a handy size to carry with you to sewing groups, or to keep beside your machine.  It is a very useful guide for anyone new to Patchwork & Quilting.  To see inside the book click here.

This book is published by Search Press and can be purchased on their site by following this link.

The Sewing Machine Accessory Bible by Wendy Gardiner & Lorna Knight

Two best selling sewing authors have teamed up to produce a guide to sewing machine accessories.  The book starts off with a guide to the essential equipment, including threads, needles and fabric. 

It then takes you through the basic sewing machine feet, what they look like and how they work.   Each foot gets a 2 page spread with a photographic guide to using the foot, tips and ideas as to what projects you could use it for.   The rest of the book takes you into speciality and ‘fancy stitching’ feet using the same format as described before.   The book is bright, colourful and easy to follow.

The book ends with a buyer’s guide to sewing machines to help you find a machine to suit your needs.  This book will help you to get the most from your machine and from those feet that you are often unsure how to use.   To view inside the book click here.

This book is published by Search Press and can be purchased from their site here.

Drawn to Stitch by Gwen Hedley

This book guides the reader in using lines in their embroidery and textile art.   However, the book covers much more than that, it covers many techniques such as cold water dyeing, mono printing and tells you how to make different fibrous surfaces.   The techniques alone would be enough to get your creative juices flowing.  

The remainder of the book tells you about a particular style of interpreting lines into textile works and then shows you some of the author’s own work in this style, detailing her inspiration.  It then showcases works by other textile artists to show you other looks that can be achieved.

The book has detailed text and good quality photography throughout.  It is not a book for beginners but any textile artist would struggle not to be inspired by it. 

Drawn to Stitch is published by Anova Books and can be purchased from Amazon here.