Knotting, "the joining of two cords," is an old and revered art form in China and an integral part of Chinese life. Since ancient times, Chinese knots have been used for a variety of practical and decorative purposes: to record events, aid in fishing and hunting, wrap and tie items, embellish personal attire, jewelry and fashion, ornament other works of art, and communicate. The intricate knot work and magnificent color combinations not only lent elegance to everyday objects, or a touch of gaiety and enchantment but were an aesthetic expression of Chinese folk symbolism, expressing wishes for good fortune and wealth or the joys of love and marriage. In craft book Chinese Knotting, author Lydia Chen first traces the origins, history, and symbolism of this fascinating craft, before taking the reader through the fundamental elements necessary for tying Chinese decorative knots--the materials, implements, and main processes. Step-by-step instructions are then given for the 11 basic knots, which provide the building blocks for the 14 compound knots-combinations and variations of the simple knots-that follow in the next section. The final section presents 41 knotting projects of varying difficulty. Detailed instructions, clear diagrams, and color photographs, combined with an exciting assortment of creative applications, will help readers discover the relaxation, artistic satisfaction, and beautifully personalized ornamentation that Chinese Knotting can offer.

Turn fabric scraps into clever projects with Fat Quarter: Home, part of a fantastic new series of stash-busting sewing books for beginner and intermediate crafters. There are 25 quick and easy projects to make, all from half a yard of fabric or less. Each project features easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions and beautiful photography, as well as a comprehensive tools and techniques section. Fat Quarter: Home is packed with ideas for using up leftover remnants of fabric to make a range of practical items for your home, as well as great gifts to give to friends and family.

Tassels are fashionable, fun and easy to make! The 20 projects in this book include a wonderful variety of tassels, made using a range of easy techniques and a few inexpensive materials. Carolyn Schulz has put her jewellery-making expertise to good use to create gorgeous bag charms, decorative key fobs and fashionable jewellery. There are folk-inspired tassels created using colourful threads and frayed fabric strips, leather tassels and small, simple tassels combined with beads and ribbon used to make colourful earrings and brooches. The basic tassel-making technique couldn't be easier and is explained at the beginning of the book, and all the projects have easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions. No previous crafting experience is necessary. The materials used are widely available, and most can be sourced from scraps and left-over fabric, yarn and threads.

Trade in your sad sack for a flashy new backpack in brilliant kraft-tex-the textile that looks like leather but sews like fabric. Weaving kraft-tex into beautifully textured panels, you'll learn advanced bag-making techniques: adding interior and exterior zippered pockets, a cargo pocket, adjustable straps with buckles and eyelets, purse feet, and a swivel hook. The perfect accessory for your backpack, the woven wristlet attaches to the bag, but you'll love to carry it solo!

Sewing secrets for getting the most from your serger. If you own a serger, or are contemplating getting one, then you'll want to learn all the techniques, tips, and tricks for mastering this specialized sewing machine. Sewing Essentials: Serger Techniques, an instructional guidebook and DVD workshop combo, is about to take your skill to the max. Thoroughly covered in a book and DVD package. Read the informative guidebook for detailed yet easy-to-follow written steps, accompanied by over 200 vivid photographs. Watch the DVD as popular instructor and sewing expert Pamela Leggett demystifies the serger, making it more fun to use. And then see what you'll create! In no time, this double-whammy approach will have you navigating your serger like a pro. Go way beyond basic raw-edge clean ups Learn spool-threading secrets - the elixir for successful serger use! Adjust tension and control the fabric feed Sew basic stitches and seams, lickety-split Use flatlock stitching to secure heavy fabric Embellish with decorative stitching Create heirloom-quality pintucks and ruffles And more! Build or hone this impressive sewing skill and put it to use right away. Basically, a serger trims the seam and encloses the seam allowance or edge of the fabric, inside a thread casing, all in one step. Once you get the hang of it, you'll marvel that you ever sewed without the multi-tasking capabilities of this machine! Whether you're a beginner or have sewing experience, Sewing Essentials: Serger Techniques will give you the confidence to do more with the serger than you ever thought possible. Even experienced sewers will love the professional techniques, shortcut tips, and insider tricks packed into this must-have reference.

Sew 17 paper-pieced baby animal blocks with Mary Hertel! Mix-and-match blocks into six projects for a sweet nursery set, featuring a cozy quilt, baby bib, adjustable diaper bag, and more.

Design one-of-a-kind art cloth for your favorite quilting, sewing, home decor, and garment projects! This comprehensive guide to water-based resist dyeing techniques makes the process easy to learn (and even more fun to play with) using textile artist Lisa Kerpoe's test-driven instructions for creating depth on a flat surface. Create dimensional effects with ingredients like oatmeal, sugar, and soy wax-mix and match 8 resists with 7 application techniques for endless possibilities. Paint, stamp, stencil, splatter, layer...and come away with soft, touchable fabric. Materials for non-toxic resists are easy to find, starting with your kitchen cupboards!

Authentic historical costume is essential for any performance, to instantly communicate a period, a social standing, an occupation or an identity. The responsibility of this representation lies with the costume maker, in their knowledge of the design and their accuracy of construction. The Costume Maker's Companion serves as an aide memoire, to novice and experienced makers alike, covering the common garments of the Medieval, Tudor, Jacobean, Restoration, Regency and Victorian eras of British history. Learn the key styles and fashions of each period before step-by-step tutorials and detailed orders of work illustrate the costume construction process for eight popular garments, from the designer's drawing through to the finished piece. This book also covers working with a costume designer; key processes and equipment; flat pattern manipulations; cutting a pattern on the stand; taking a pattern from an existing garment; costume details, including goldwork and flounces and finally, making accessories, including gauntlets, corsets and ruffs. Logically divided by historical period and supported by over 400 photographs, sketches and diagrams, this book will develop the confidence of any costume maker to take on new projects and expand their knowledge.

A beautiful collection of summer projects using the latest Tilda fabrics and embellishments. The designs include angels, garlands, decorations and accessories, all in the seasonal shades of turquoise, green, pink and red. All projects are accompanied by clear instructions, gorgeous photographs and color illustrations, making them ideal for beginners, as well as more experienced sewers. Popular techniques, such as appliqu? and embroidery, are used and full-size templates are also included.

The herbarium approach here offers you a window into the natural character of plants, which lets you make your fabric versions amazing. These wearable projects from naturalist and fiber artist Utopiano don't just visually replicate each plant but represent everything about it-even including invisible elements like scent, power, and presence. Plus, each project includes easy instructions for dyeing your cloth pieces, a feature that helps capture the colors of nature and makes these one of a kind. The herbarium format unfolds like this: first, each plant is collected directly from the field, and its key info and uniqueness are explained. Then, use the patterns that Utopiano offers you here to create fabric versions for wearing or display. Make a chic Frilly Pansy brooch with petals dyed in multicolored layers. Create the cold-resistant edelweiss using velvet to capture the plant's dense hair and thickness. Feel the pure joy of translating blooming flowers into fabric with your own hands! Includes full-size templates for every project.

Have beautiful nails right in the comfort of your home with this YALSA Quick Pick Award Winner and #1 New York Times bestselling cure for the common mani. Black Lace. Summer Citrus. Hot Pink Zebra. Get ready for nails that will get you noticed! Catherine Rodgers, creator of the popular nail art YouTube Channel Totally Cool Nails, shares her secrets in DIY Nail Art. Packed with easy-to-follow instructions and helpful tips for recreating Catherine's stunning looks, you can create one-of-a-kind nail art designs without ever stepping inside a nail salon. Inside this colorful guide to all things nails, you'll find seventy-five eye-catching designs including never-before-seen styles like Argyle, Light Burst, and Spiderweb Nails. Complete with step-by-step photographs so you can nail your look every time, DIY Nail Art will have you saying goodbye to the nail salon-and hello to fashion-forward nails at home!

Experiment with stitch, fabric and thread to create your own unique textiles. This inventive book is a treasure trove of over 40 inspiring practical exercises, a rich and creative exploration of fabric and stitch, and a fascinating all-round read. Elizabeth Healey's approach to sewing is that it should be fun, and not like a chore or an exam we need to excel in. Her aim is to simply encourage you to pick up a needle and thread and get sewing! The exercises draw inspiration from around the world: create corded works of art inspired by Milton Glaser's iconic Bob Dylan poster; create bold embroidered African masks; layer up and cut away to create Mola applique; use bleach and fabric paint to create Aboriginal dreamtime lizards; create knotted works of art inspired by ancient Mayan counting systems; embroider varsity cross-stitch letters or try out decorative Japanese book binding. Alternatively, try a host of other techniques such as quilting, printing, dyeing, couching tumbled crockery, creating pleats and puckers and needlelace. Packed with stitch galleries and bursting with slow sewing ideas, the book also contains 'behind the stitches' features: illuminating insights into sewing movements such as Boro textiles, Gee's Bend quilting and Dorset buttons.

This book is packed with a selection of beautifully designed cross stitch patterns to suit all skill levels. The themes include flowers, cupcakes, summer days, wedding and baby samplers, afternoon tea, butterflies, and floral garlands. Many of the designs can be easily personalized by adding names and dates using the alphabet charts available. The author's love of nature and her sense of color have been lovingly captured within its pages. Inspired by her home and garden, the pretty cross stitch projects within this book are designed to fill a home with delightful stitching.

Add Shadow Weave to your repertoire with Susan Kesler-Simpson's easy-to-follow instructions. Susan's approach is to first break down the structure of Shadow Weave so that any level weaver can understand how alternating light and dark threads in both warp and weft can present a dominant motif outlined with an identical shadow. She walks you through how the structure builds and weaves, and once you comprehend how the weave structure works, you will be able to weave any of the 25 project patterns in the book. You will also have the knowledge to transform other drafts to Shadow Weave, or to design your own Shadow Weave pattern.

Beginners and experienced crafters alike will treasure this expert guide to making one-of-a-kind teddy bears. These full-size basic patterns include adorable costumes for the bears and are easy to customize. Step-by-step instructions and more than 150 diagrams explain everything from choosing the right fabric to adding the final touches. Sixteen color and 11 black-and-white photographs perfectly illustrate the possibilities for creating plush companions. The founder of the magazine "Teddy Bear Review, " Ted Menten has written 19 books on the subject and conducts teddy bear-making classes around the world. This guide features his well-tested techniques, which include tips on how to add distinctive facial expressions and other individual, expressive traits that transform ordinary crafts projects into truly personal keepsakes and gifts.