Book Description
Cynthia Treen has a way with fabric. She can pick up a piece of cloth and, literally within an hour or two, transform it into something wonderful—a chic wool hat from an out-ofstyle sweater, say, or an elegant blossom from a favorite piece of silk. In Last-Minute Fabric Gifts, the follow-up to the immensely successful Last- Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson, Treen teaches all of us to perform such fabric magic no matter how little sewing experience we may have.
This inspiring book comes with 30 easy projects for quick-to-make gifts ranging from fabric-covered notepads to a tea-dyed sequined scarf to a baby quilt. Arranged by how long it takes to complete each project, the book focuses on gifts that generally require less than three hours of time. What's more, Treen clearly details the knowledge and skills you need to improvise on these projects, allowing you to customize the color, pattern, and texture to suit the occasion. Complete with 70 full-color photographs and a final chapter on innovative ways to wrap gifts with fabric, Last-Minute Fabric Gifts is brimming with creative ideas sure to appeal to novice and experienced sewers alike.
Customer Reviews:
Machine Knitting.......2007-06-08
An excellent book, clearly illustrated with b/w photos, easy to understand instructions and very well presented. Oh yes, the video was handy also.
I Wish More College Textbooks Were This Good & Useful.......2007-06-03
Both of the authors are instructors at the University of Cincinnati in the Fashion Design Program. This is a textbook designed for students to use who have no prior background in machine knitting and are required to produce several graments by the end of the quarter. I believe the authors expect the students/reader to provide the creativity and authors provide the technical knowledge needed to produce what the students have designed. I found the book to be an excellent beginning to understanding and being able to use a knitting machine.
Black and White Knitting Machine Manual.......2006-01-09
Lots of pictures, which are all in black and white.
Close to 90 percent of this book is identical to the manuals that come with the machines - very basic. The DVD does show the casting on, knitting, intarsia, transfering stitches and binding off taking place, but no sound.? I finally got to see a linker in action. There is a chapter on blocking and assembling a sweater. The final chapter has a couple projects . . . a scarf, hat, sweater and slippers. I actually made 2 sets of slippers - which uses the 'short-rowing' technique.
Not a very creative book, I was expecting to learn to do some fancy stitches on my machine. But, if you've lost your manual(s), this is your book.
Useful tool.......2005-09-11
As a complete amateur to machine knitting (or even hand knitting) I found this book to be a very useful. I do not have access to classes of any form for machine knitting in my area and the book/DVD format helped clear up some of the frustrating areas that occur with the learning curve. I expect to continue to use this book/DVD as I learn more & more in this interesting craft.
Book Description
Knitting Tips and Trade Secrets Expanded contains 30% new material on everything from how to knit (and crochet) a better buttonhole to taking the kinks out of your circular needles. Organized by type of tip (yarn tips, tips for knitting in more than one color, tips for garment assembly, tips for machine knitters, crochet tips) for easy reference and illustrated with more than 170 step-by-step drawings, Knitting Tips and Trade Secrets Expanded is a knitting (and crochet) bag necessity.
Customer Reviews:
knitting secrets revealed.......2007-07-12
Our community of knitters share ways to cope with the wide variety of problems encountered in the pursuit of finished products from our needles and hooks. Found it to be an excellent resource and enjoyed reading how resourceful fellow knitters can be.
Knitting Tips and Trade Secrets.......2007-05-15
Lots of helpful ideas and new twists on things you already know. Even though my knitting friends consider me an expert knitter, I will be getting ideas from this book for quite awhile!
Tips even very experienced knitters never knew.......2007-02-16
I have been knitting for over 40 years. This book is full of very useful tips that I never heard of before. Well written, clear instructions and illustrations. Every knitter should have a copy of this book.
a lot of good advice and tips.......2006-12-29
I found this book to be very helpful. It's basically a bunch of little tips and techniques gathered from a bunch of knitters all over the US and Canada. Many of the tidbits I was willing to just pass by, and a some were rather confusing, but I've also gained a lot of good information from some of them, including an easier way to rip back and some tips on multicolor knitting. This book is definitely worth looking at.
Book Description
The bestselling guide to sewing gets a freshening up!
And it’s from Vogue®: the most respected name in needlework.
A trusted classic since 1975, Vogue® Sewing has remained a consistent bestseller and sewer’s favorite. Now it’s been fully revised and updated, with the latest information and all-new photographs and illustrations, introduction, and page layout. From choosing a machine to mastering couture techniques, it covers everything stitchers need to know to make professional and fashionable garments. It’s certain to remain the premier sourcebook for sewers everywhere.
This technique-rich Vogue’® manual contains comprehensive instructions for understanding pattern markings, selecting fabrics and notions, hand-stitching and mending, pressing, and measuring to fit. Everything’s beautifully laid out, with charts and detailed explanations. And as it teaches, it also steers you to the right project for your sewing level, with a plethora of photos that showcase different options for both beginners and those more expert with a needle.
Customer Reviews:
This is the sewing book that you're looking for!.......2007-06-26
IF, that is, you're looking for a book that goes into further detail than the standard beginner's sewing book. My mother, who taught Beginner's and Advanced sewing for decades (after earning a full four year scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago for her sewing skills out of high school), told me that this was a book that she recommended to her advanced (high school) sewing classes, so it may not be the easiest book to just flip through and use off the cuff, but it definitely is an extensive book that brings in not just the craft of sewing, but the actual art of it - something that I, as an artist and art teacher, find to be very important. And my mom just couldn't say enough about what an excellent sewing resource this book is.
My first sewing book was The Complete Book of Sewing New Edition, which IS great for visual references on what the tasks you're undertaking should look like throughout the process, but I found it to be very bare bones when it came to answering my "okay, sooo, WHY am I doing this again, instead of doing that???" type questions. "Vogue Sewing" answers all of those questions for me, as well as offering very helpful hints on how to properly tailor a garment to your specific figural requirements, how to remove specific stains, why to use one fabric over another, what the differences are between a variety of fabrics.... and I got all of this from simply skimming through the book! Yes, this book may guide you towards using Vogue patterns, but considering that that company's name figures VERY prominently in the title, it should be pretty obvious that this book isn't necessarily going to steer you towards using Simplicity or Butterick patterns, especially since I doubt that they have easy access to the copyrights that would allow them to reference those companies' patterns. If that doesn't bother you (it sure doesn't bother me), this book isn't just worth a look, it's worth the full cover price, let alone the discounted price you'll find it for here on Amazon!
Again, if you want a book that's going to ease you into the world of sewing by holding your hand and helping you take baby steps (something we ALL can use at the beginning of anything new), you're probably better off with The Complete Book of Sewing New Edition, as a starting point. BUT, if you're looking for a book that will take about as much deciphering as a standard pattern's guide sheet, but offer a great wealth more information about why you're doing what you're doing, and everything you could think of in between, this is DEFINITELY the book you want to buy! Heck, you could just do what I did, and buy 'em both! If, however, you only intend to buy one sewing book in the near future, and you want something that will take a little more investment (of time and thought), and give you a MUCH bigger return in knowledge and experience, buy this one first!
Great book!.......2007-06-21
I bought this book when I began sewing and it became quite useful when I ran into little hiccups on technique. Yes, it does push more of a couture apporoach to sewing, but I found the information to be quite informative.
So sneaky.......2006-12-27
One thing I really didn't like about this book is that it tries to get the reader to buy Vogue patterns, and talks only about how to alter them, but does NOT mention how to make patterns from scratch yourself. Just another marketing trick to increase sales of their patterns. Although it does have some other practical info on sewing.
Not Stiff Enough.......2006-12-16
Most books on the how-to of sewing are content to show the reader how to sew a seam, insert a zipper, set a sleeve, fix a rip, use iron-on interfacing, and tack a hem. This work persuades the reader to look beyond the mechanics of sewing and think in terms of fashion. For example, fabric textures, ease in wear, the overall silouette of the wearer, and color can make a garment so-so or totally unique. Better still, the home sewer is encouraged to pursue the fantastic opportunity to create one-of-a-kind clothing item to make heads turn.
The reviewer has assigned a three-star rating because this is a fairly big 450 page softbound manual that becomes a bit unwieldy in use.
I love this book.......2006-11-19
I really like this book because it goes into advanced alterations which is what a lot of other sewing books lack. I was surprised to find out that it has that as a section, being that this is a general sewing book. But it's more than that, there's also couture sewing techniques and a section on how important color is, and guidance on choosing the right colors. That's also something I have a hard time with.
Book Description
The patterns here range from elegant evening dresses to relaxed leisure wear. Some update classic styles, others showcase the most contemporary fashions. Each design has a special feature, perhaps yarns in striking colors or a creative use of beads, sequins, tassels, and buttons. Along with the easy-to-follow instructions and color photos, there’s practical advice on adapting a pattern for specific needs and knitting diagrams.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best machine knitting books!.......2006-02-15
This is one of the best machine knitting books I've ever seen. While I don't like every single pattern (that's unlikely even with the best of books), it has more attractive patterns than not. It includes discussion of design and embellishments, too, so even when these patterns are out of style - let's face it, it happens - the book won't be useless. Unlike most machine knitting books and pattern leaflets, most of these patterns are not tired, boxy (read: unflattering to most body shapes) grandma sweaters.
A previous review complains that the book was written for Brother machines, but I hardly see the point of a criticism like that - machine knitters chart and measure all the time anyway. It's not a hindrance whatsoever. The instructions are clear, so readers can adapt them to any machine (or hand knitting).
Disappointing.......2005-05-13
The garments are gorgeous. However, the book is written primarily for a machine that is no longer available, made by Brother. Other machines can be substituted if the correct gauge, but all measurements are in metric which can be a challenge in the US. Also, since the book is written in the UK, and I have never seen the yarns described widely available in the US I think you would have to be very advanced to do all the substitutions, and if you were that advanced you probably wouldn't need this book.
Customer Reviews:
not about machine knitting.......2007-07-12
This book is about sewing garments from large pieces of knit fabric, but it isn't about machine knitting. You just as easily substitute hand knit fabric - or bolts of knit fabric from a fabric store - for any of the ideas in this book.
It's still a good introduction to cut-and-sew techniques if you don't know them already, but don't expect to learn anything about using the knitting machine itself.
Inspiring and Charming.......2007-03-21
I found this to be a charming informative guide to quickly knitting and sewing sweaters for any member of the family, without having to do elaborate machine shaping. No matter what machine, basic or elaborate, this book will instruct and entertain you at the same time. The illustrations are charming and fun. Machine knitting a garment should be fun, not boring and this can keep you chuckling while you are learning.
NOT A BOOK ABOUT YOUR MACHINE.......2003-05-11
This is a book that assumes you know and use your machine. The book is all about making your own patterns for artistic sweaters by measuring people etc. ...The cut and sew knitting that is explained is not a "New" technique. The book is all sweaters and Longer sweaters (coats) . I wanted a book that gave me advice on how to use my machine and other projects besides sweaters. Any Brother book will tell you about cutting and sewing your knitting into garments.
I thought it was waaaaaaay overpriced and not much help to me at all.
Fantastic! The best help I ever had with my machine........1999-02-08
The author poses a new twist on the art of knitting. When searching for answers to most knitting machine questions, I found more help here than anywhere else.
Great for those that hate shaping on the machine.......1996-09-06
The Prolific Knitting Machine is a wonderful guide for
those of us that have knitting machines that are stored
under beds or in basements. This guide explaines how to
knit "fabric" and then using patterns, cut, serge, and
sew complete garments -- while avoiding tedious shaping
on the machine.
Customer Reviews:
Easy Instructions.......2007-08-15
I'm a kinetic learner, so many books of instructions leave me more puzzled than informed. This one's an exception--the excellent line drawings illustrate techniques so that even I get it.
Lots of great ideas in here.
Very Useful Tip Book - Worth Having On Your Reference Shelf.......2007-03-08
I borrowed this book from the library to see if it was "worth" buying for myself. After I found myself referring to it constantly and renewing it for an additional 30 days, I realized it was a "keeper." Although I don't do machine knitting, the tips for handknitters are many and diverse. The illustrations are clear and relevant. Most importantly, i found tips here that i had never seen before in other sources. All in all, a valuable and worthwhile purchase.
Great for a new or intermediate knitter.......2006-09-22
I've only been knitting for about a year and I learned so much from this book. At first it seemed like a collection of knit tips from a magazine, but once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. The ideas are from people who know all about different stitches and methods of knitting - things you only learn from having done a project many times. Some ideas I knew, but most of the ideas presented are practical "how tos" that will really help improve my knitting and how I approach projects. I have recommended this book to several people. I keep it in my knit bag and have used it frequently. I only gave it 4 stars (I would have chosen 4+), because some of the concepts needed more or better illustrations.
not for machine knitters.......2006-08-01
This book is really not worth it for machine knitters. (I hand knit, too, and I'm still not convinced it's worth owning a copy!) There are only a few machine knitting tips in the entire book, and most of them are either basics covered in any knitting machine's owner's manual or tips for highly specialized items that wouldn't be useful unless you had the pattern in front of you.
A real gem!.......2005-10-30
I can't tell you how often I have reached for this little book either for myself, or to clarify an explanation to my knitting students. Some items are a review of skills already known, some give a new perspective, and some are just little nuggets of delight- new tricks and techniques. I find myself saying over and over "ah, now I understand how that goes" or "mmmmm, that looks like a much better method". I have notes written all over the margins of my copy if that is any indication of it's constant use. Highly recommended!
Book Description
Jacquard's Web is the story of some of the most ingenious inventors the world has ever known, a fascinating account of how a hand-loom invented in Napoleonic France led to the development of the modern information age. James Essinger, a master story-teller, shows through a series of remarkable and meticulously researched historical connections (spanning two centuries and never investigated before) that the Jacquard loom kick-started a process of scientific evolution which would lead directly to the development of the modern computer. The invention of Jacquard's loom in 1804 enabled the master silk-weavers of Lyons to weave fabrics 25 times faster than had previously been possible. The device used punched cards, which stored instructions for weaving whatever pattern or design was required; it proved an outstanding success. These cards can very reasonably be described as the world's first computer programs. In this engaging and delightful book, James Essinger reveals a plethora of extraordinary links between the nineteenth-century world of weaving and today's computer age: for example, modern computer graphics displays are based on exactly the same principles as those employed in Jacquard's special woven tableaux. Jacquard's Web also introduces some of the most colourful and interesting characters in the history of science and technology: the modest but exceptionally dedicated Jacquard himself, the brilliant but temperamental Victorian polymath Charles Babbage, who dreamt of a cogwheel computer operated using Jacquard cards, and the imaginative and perceptive Ada Lovelace, Lord Byron's only legitimate daughter.
Customer Reviews:
How an Idea can Change the World.......2007-04-21
Mr. Essinger's writing exceeded all expectation--he is a gifted teller of history and even more gifted at drawing out the threads of technological developments. It takes some time for the real changes of society to become apparent--indeed, my cell phone shares a name and essential function with a device invented over a hundred years ago but who would have thought that such a simple idea could so drastically change the world. The most engaging histories draw on unexpected sources to shed an unexpected light upon the events in question. James Burke was a master of this with his Connections series--think of Jacquard's Web as a more focused version of Burke's incredibly discursive journeys. No better example of the maxim, "a picture is worth a thousand words" comes to mind than the fascinating story of the picture that is found on the very first page of the story.
Essinger demonstrates how Mr. Jacquard's idea of using punched cards created a revolution. He compares and contrasts Jacquard's success with the failure of Charles Babbage by showing how an incremental technological advancement was necessary, i.e. Herman Hollerith's tabulator. But the story is basically familiar to most anyone who would be interested in this volume. Essinger excels at demonstrating the incredible importance of the personal traits of historical figures. Babbage's temper and inability to stick to his original idea killed his chance at demonstrating the power of his ideas. Hollerith's persistence, on the other hand, took a simple idea and polished it until its value was indisputable. It is a very sympathetic portrayal of a man, Babbage, who saw the promised land that he could never enter.
Frankly, it is impossible for this reviewer to adequately portray the power of Mr. Essinger's seemingly effortless ability to teach. This is that rare book that demands a quick trip to the bookstore or a check of that tempting box--"overnight delivery."
Highest Recommendation
Humanising the machine.......2006-01-18
James Essinger's book takes us on an amazing journey from Napoleonic France, through Victorian London and on to the otherwise bewildering offices of IBM and the other giants of the computer era.
On a basic level, this is a very readable history of computers, from the complexities of the modern era back through the stages that led to their invention - and then, most importantly, to the very roots of the idea - the first spark that lit a conflagration - in the mind of an otherwise obscure French silk weaver, Joseph-Marie Jacquard.
The book is far more than that, though. On another level, it is a series of brilliant recreations of the key stages in the computer's growth. We are zoomed into the frenetic world of Napoleonic Lyons; led by the writer's genteel hand into the polite salons of Victorian London and introduced to the likes of the Duke of Wellington and Ada Lovelace, daughter of none other than the great Byron, and then ushered on through the now rather wierd, geeky world of early-mid 20th century computerdom.
On yet another level, it does something that I feel needed doing for a long time. As an historian, and despite using them all the time, I had always felt computers were something rather alien, rather nasty. They're not things that you normally think about being rooted firmly in 18th and 19th century history. Yet here they are, in the true historical context, and suddenly a lot less scary.
What a wonderful read, for historian, computer-buff and any reader who delights in a cracking story grippingly told.
Jacquard's Web.......2005-11-10
Such an excellent book. So thrilling. And it kept being thrilling! From first paragraph to last, my attention never lagged. But this was more than that: a real, involving and compelling story about a Frenchman in the early 1800's whose innovation for weaving cloth on looms set into motion a chain of events which ends with the laptop on which I write this review. What an exciting author this man is; I found myself wondering, as I read, if he could make a treatise on a TELEPHONE BOOK interesting.
He's so expert at keeping your attention, keeping explanations simple, being fair-minded in lauding the accomplishments and pointing out the shortcomings of various individuals in his story, keeping a positivity overall, and infusing the reader with his own sense of wonder. One of the most exciting and moving portions of the book comes, actually, after it ends, in the first appendix. This is one of very few authors whose name I want to remember, to see what else he does with his gift of writing. Again, I cannot shake the feeling that he could make anything fascinating, as he's done such a monumental, stunning and moving job with this book. Recommended!!!
Great Work.......2005-03-14
I agree with the other reviewer who could not put this book down. An amazing work that shows how long the information age has really been around. Introduced me to Jacquard for the first time and what a great figure to remember. Shows how a great invention took years to come into existence and over hundreds of years how important various contributions were.
a Victorian computer revolution.............2004-11-30
No one could read the first chapter of this book and not finish it. In fact, I've just spent the past two days devouring it from start to finish. It's an entertaining fact-filled romp through the entire history of something that dominates our lives, and that we always think of as entirely modern... and yet the history this book traces goes back nearly 5,000 years.
What I liked best about it was the teasingly thought-provoking idea the author raises: that our computer age could have started over 150 years ago in Victorian England...
According to Jacquard's Web, the Victorian scientist Charles Babbage spent a lifetime building and refining metal calculating cogwheel machines or `engines' as Babbage called them. The working portions of the Engines he built worked perfectly. As Babbage's friend and colleague Ada Lovelace once said, it was the first time in history that `wheelwork' had been taught `to think'. But funding ran out and Babbage died never seeing his calculating engines come to fruition.
What I found so incredibly thought-provoking in this book was that in London in 1991 a perfectly working Difference Engine was built from Charles Babbage's plans and drawings. I have seen the Difference Engine in action myself (as the white-gloved engineer cranks the handle, the stacked columns of cogwheels spiral and coalesce beautifully as they perform their mathematical calculations) but I hadn't realised the significance at the time.
According to the author, James Essinger, if Babbage had found the funding to complete his Engines, computers could have come into widespread use in the nineteenth century. Now if that isn't a thought-provoking idea I don't know what is!
Average customer rating:
|
Motif Magic for Hand and Machine Knits
Jilly Austwick
Manufacturer: David & Charles UK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Knitting
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Textile Arts
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Fashion
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0715394266 |
Customer Reviews:
Great Charts!.......2001-03-24
This book is full of traditional and updated charts for fair isle color pattern knitting. Most of the charts are accompanied by a close up photo of a corresponding knitted garment. This would be a great resource for people who design their own sweaters, or use Elizabeth Zimmermann's percentage system.
Books:
- Learn Calligraphy: The Complete Book of Lettering and Design
- Learn-To-Knit-Afghan Book
- Machine-Stitched Cathedral Windows: Updating an Old Favorite
- Making Designer Seed Bead, Stone, and Crystal Jewelry
- Making Polymer Clay Beads: Step-by-Step Techniques for Creating Beautiful Ornamental Beads
- Making Polymer Clay Beads: Step-by-Step Techniques for Creating Beautiful Ornamental Beads
- Molesworth
- My First Book Of Tracing (Kumon Workbooks)
- My First Five Years - Flower (Cover Image May Vary)
- Nature Designs Stained Glass Pattern Book (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The SPIN Selling Fieldbook
- Making Your Move to One of America's Best Small Towns: How to Find a Great Little Place as Your Next
- Complete Bathroom Design: 30 Floor Plans, Plus Fixtures, Surfaces, and Storage Ideas
- Exploring Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period: A Guide for New Testament Students
- History: Fiction or Science
- May Bird Among the Stars: Book Two
- Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible
- And Now a Few Laughs from Our Sponsor with CDROM
- Bpi General Accounting for Students: Cbm 8032: General Accounting Concepts and Applications
- The Works of Oliver Wendel Homes : Autocrat Of The Breakfast Table
Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew
Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing: Patterns and How-To for 24 Fresh and Easy Projects
Amy Butler's In Stitches: More Than 25 Simple and Stylish Sewing Projects
Sew What! Skirts: 16 Simple Styles You Can Make with Fabulous Fabrics
Simple Sewing with a French Twist: An Illustrated Guide to Sewing Clothes and Home Accessories with Style
