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Archive for the ‘Arts & Crafts’ Category


101 Fabulous Small Quilts

by Beth on April 30th, 2013
101 Fabulous Small Quilts Cover Image

I love quilting.  From choosing the pattern and all the fabrics, to cutting the pieces and creating the quilt itself, I love each step.   Unfortunately, for me quilting is usually a cool-season activity.   I just can’t seem to get enthusiastic about dealing with 5 or 6 yards of fabric when the weather is hot.  But I’ve found a way around that! Small quilts!  From 48″ square to 12×18″ or any size in between.  They are just as much fun to make as a full size quilt, with only a fraction of the fabric to deal with.   Now I can give in and make that Red and White quilt I’ve always wanted to make, but have avoided because there would have been too much red in a full-sized quilt!

101 Fabulous Small Quilts from That Patchwork Place is a great collection of quilts.  There is a wide range of beautiful designs, with full color photos and easy to follow instructions.   But there are some important things missing in the book itself.

The introduction and back cover mention quilt designers by name, yet there is no name index.  There is a table of contents, but it contains only the names of the quilts, and not even in alphabetical order.  The arrangement of the book, if there is one, I just can’t grasp.  Logical groupings such as stars, strips or applique would have been very helpful, or at the very least a thumbnail next to the title in the table of contents.

As it is, the only way to find something in this book if you don’t know the name of the quilt is to flip page by page through it.  Which I’m sure is something most quilters will love doing, as this really is a book of eye candy for quilters.  As a Librarian who also quilts, I find it frustrating that a book with such potential fell so short.

That’s not to say I won’t be buying myself a copy.  It’s too beautiful a book not to.

New crafty books

by Beth on February 19th, 2013
New crafty books Cover Image

Little Stitches: 100+ Sweet Embroidery Designs by Aneela Hoey.

This 150 page book is packed full of fun little designs to add to all sorts of things.  Starting with a 33 page introduction to embroidery and 11 of the most common stitches and how to use them, Hoey gives you all the information you need to create some  really cute embroidery.  From small to large, simple to not quite so simple she leads you through not just the embroidery but all the other steps you need to make 12 different projects.  From snails and sail boats to people on bikes, there are more than 100 embroidery patterns included.

 

Modern Quilts from the Blogging Universe

Quilts by eighteen of today’s most popular quilt bloggers are showcased in collection of modern quilts.  Each project has a  beautiful full color photograph and well written, easy to follow instructions.  A personal biography written by each blogger is included, making this is a fun read as well as a great source for ideas – both for quilts and new blogs to follow.

NOTE:  Most quilting books start with an introduction to quilting methods, supplies, and techniques, but this section was intentionally left out of this book.  The information is available on the publishers website and the link is provided at the end of the book’s introduction.

CRAFT Techniques & Projects

In the mood to do something crafty but not quite sure what?   Well this is the perfect book for you!   From  DK Publishing, this is over 300 pages of all things crafty, broken down into 6 main sections: textile crafts, papercrafts, jewelry, ceramics & glass, candles & soap, and eco crafts!  With more than 50 different crafting techniques, there will definitely be something here to get you crafting.

Each main section begins with a photo colage and one page description of the crafts included, followed by six or more pages of Tools & Materials needed for each.  Then you get easy to follow, full color photo instructions for each technique with suggestions on how to turn your finished piece into a project – some simple and some moderately advanced.

The final 20 pages include project templates, information on the 17 authors’ websites or blogs, a list of craft supply web sites, and a very thorough index.   From dip-dying fabric, lino printing, working with polymer clay and precious metal clay, to creating mosaics, the inspiration goes on and on!  This is definitely a book I want to add to my collection!

ICPL Best of 2012-Nonfiction

by Kara on December 19th, 2012
ICPL Best of 2012-Nonfiction Cover Image

ICPL Staff Selections for “Best Books of 2012″ – Nonfiction Titles

This is a fun list that includes two graphic novels and a book of poetry as well as books about art, family, famous people, arts & crafts and much more.  Click on each title below to search the Library’s catalog for availability.  And remember, if it is checked in, you can click on “Place a Hold” and Library staff will retrieve it for you.  Just head to the Library to pick it up once you’ve received your Hold Notice.

Happy Reading & Happy Learning :)

An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace Tamar Adler
Circular Knitting Workshop Margaret Radcliffe
Escape from Camp 14: One Man’s Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West Blaine Harden
First 20 Minutes Gretchen Reynolds
Going Home: Finding Peace When a Pet Dies Jon Katz
How Music Works David Byrne
Idea Factory Jon Gertner
Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now – As Told By Those Who Love It, Hate It, Live It, Left It, and Long For It Craig Taylor
Louvre: All the Paintings Erich Lessing & Vincent Pomarede
Makers: The New Industrial Revolution Chris Anderson
Memoir of a Debulked Woman: Enduring Ovarian Cancer Susan Gubar
Mrs. Kennedy and Me Clint Hill with Lisa McCubbin
Mrs. Robinson’s Disgrace: The Private Diary of a Victorian Lady Kate Summerscale
 My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family Zach Wahls
One Thousand Gifts: A Dare To Live Fully Right Where You Are Ann Voskamp
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl Ree Drummond
Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures (Graphic Novel) Caroline Preston
Showdown at Shepherd’s Bush: The 1908 Olympic Marathon and the Three Runners Who Launched a Sporting Craze David Davis
Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel Kahneman
Underwater Welder (Graphic Novel)  Jeff Lemire
Eat & Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness  Scott Jurek

ICPL Arts and Crafts Bazaar 12.8.12 10AM-4PM

by Kara on October 30th, 2012
ICPL Arts and Crafts Bazaar 12.8.12 10AM-4PM Cover Image

I LOVE to sew! There’s nothing better than a cold day, a good audio book, and yards of fabric or other “rescued materials” just waiting to be transformed! When the Library’s Friends Foundation recently announced a call for artists for an Arts and Crafts Bazaar, I started thinking about what I could contribute to benefit the Library.  A quick stroll to the New Nonfiction shelves provided many books full of inspiring projects.

1-2-3 Sew by Ellen Luckett Baker provides directions, photos, and patterns for 33 great projects.  An online preview of this book gives information about the table of contents as well as a bonus project.  This book is great for beginners and begins with a list of essential tools every person needs to complete the projects.  My favorite projects are the three Tote Bag patterns including a Market Tote, Doodle Bag, and Lunch Sack.  The photos are inspirational and instructions are easy to follow.

Reinvention by Maya Donenfeld gives great ideas for sewing with rescued items.  The book starts with Sewing and Printing basics then provides project ideas based on the type of rescued material, including Burlap, Wool, Jersey and Denim.  There’s also an interesting Resources section and Stencils and Templates at the end of the book. My favorite project is the Story Scarf.  Basically a Story Scarf is made from fabrics that have special meaning. If someone says, “Oh, I love your scarf!” you can share a story about one of the fabrics that is incorporated into the design.

Improv Sewing by Nicole Blum and Debra Immergut takes a pragmatic approach to creative expression through sewing.  Easy instructions for creating patterns are logical and help the reader customize ideas to their own use.  The section on Ruffles, Pleats and Trims provides inspiration for adding embellishments to clothes and other projects.  My favorite project is “Ollie and Opal’s Big Dog Bed” and ideas for sewing on paper or cardboard.

If you are looking for fun winter projects, check out the wonderful collection of sewing and crafting books at the Library.

 

 

 

 

Calling all artists and crafters

by Beth on October 20th, 2012
Calling all artists and crafters Cover Image

Do you enjoy making arts and crafts?

Do you knit, sew, work with paper, clay, wood or glass?

Would you be willing to donate some of your handmade creations to support the Iowa City Public Library?

Then we have an opportunity for you!

ICPL’s first annual Fundraising Arts & Crafts Bazaar will be held on December 8, and we’re looking for a variety of donated arts and crafts to sell.  Just about anything is welcome and can be donated for this sale.  More details can be found at the bottom of this post.

And to get you in the mood to craft, here are some of the new crafting books available at ICPL:

A Bounty of Bead & Wire Bracelets by Nathalie Mornu.  Nathalie Mornu has collected 50 wonderful bracelet designs  from 37 leading jewelry artists.  She begins with a well written and easy to follow 10 page section called “Basics” that explains bead sizes, wire gauges, findings, chains,  tools and various techniques used to create the pieces in the book.  Each of the projects is identified by name and artist.  Each has a full-color close up photograph, a materials and tools needed list, and easy to follow step by step instructions. Some projects include notes and suggestions from the designer as well.  The projects run from basic to advanced, from fast to time consuming.  Each piece is a beautiful work of art that you can make for yourself.

Mod Podge Rocks!: decoupage your world, by Amy Anderson. Amy Anderson, creator and moderator of the popular blog by the same name (www.modpodgerocksblog.com) has collected 40 fun projects that run the gamut of decoupage craft – from wearable art to home decore and holiday gifts. Starting with a multi-page introduction to the various formulas of Mod Podge and their many uses, Anderson takes you step by step though each project. A simple supply list and lots of full color photos are provided.

Shrink! Shrank! Shrunk!  Making stylish shrink plastic jewelry, by Kathy Sheldon. If you’re a child of the 70’s you may have fond memories of the Shrinky-Dink ™ craze. Well it’s back with a new twist. Sheldon’s book starts with a great 10-page introduction to the fun of working with the different types of shrink plastics available and the types of artists media used with each. Step by step instructions for more than 30 projects follow, with great color photographs, and 14 pages of templates.

T Shirt Quilts Made Easy, by Martha Deleonardis.  T shirt quilts are a fun way to hold on to memories.  They mean a lot to the person who owned the shirts, but can be rather boring to others.  Deleonardis’ new book takes tshirt quilts up a notch or two.  Using bright colors and wild patterns, she adds pieced sashing and borders to create some amazing quilts that just happen to include tshirt squares.  beginning with ten pages of hints on working with tshirts is followed by eleven separate projects and a gallery of tshirt quilts made by others.  The bold color photgraphs, well written and easy to follow instructions make this a must have if you’re a tshirt collector.

Bazaar Details:

Arts and crafts items donated for the bazaar can be dropped off at the Library from Nov. 26 to Dec. 6.  The public is invited to attend the sale, which starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8.  The sale will last until it’s all gone or 4 p.m., whichever comes first.  Proceeds will benefit the Library’s Friends Foundation. For more information on the Arts & Crafts Bazaar click here.

New Quilting books

by Beth on September 20th, 2012
New Quilting books Cover Image

Personally, giving quilts as gifts is a much fun as making them.  There is a lot to choose from if you’re looking for quilts for babies or young children, but finding ideas for quilts that would appeal to tweens or teens can be a challenge.  They love the bright colors, but don’t want “babyish” quilts.  Two new titles in our collection have some great ideas!

Let’s Pretend: Whimsical Quilts for Kids by Cynthia Tomaszewski, published by That Patchwork Place.  Combining applique with traditional piecing, Tomaszewski has created seven wonderfully bright and cheery quilts for older children or pre-tweens.  A ten page introduction to bot quilting and hand applique is followed by well written and easy-to-follow instructions for each project.  With bright illustrations, full size templates and full page color photographs of each project make each of these quilts look as much fun to make as to give.

 

Cherished Quilts for Babies and Kids – From Baby & Kid Projects to High School Graduation Gifts, from the editors at American Patchwork & Quilting.  This huge, spiral bound collection of 30 fun and colorful projects is sure to contain something for everyone!  It is divided into three sections: babies, kids, and teens. Easy to follow cutting guide and step by step piecing directions are enhanced with clear illustrations and photos.  There are a few non-quilt projects mixed in to each section as well.  Note though that this book assumes some experience with both machine and needle-turn applique, although at the back of the book there are simple instructions for how to do both, as well as how to bind your finished project.

 

Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement

by Heidi on August 7th, 2012
Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement Cover Image

This book is another great find on the New shelf on the second floor, where I was browsing recently.  I have often admired the quilt squares I’ve seen on barns around Iowa, but assumed they were isolated pieces put up by quilt lovers and that it was just a happy coincidence that I’d caught sight of them.  After reading Barn Quilts, I know that they are not there by accident, and I’m inspired by the story of how the American Quilt Trail movement came to be.

Author Suzi Parron has researched the origins of the quilt trails, followed the trails in numerous states and found beautiful art and heartwarming stories all along the way.  The barn quilts often represent cooperation among state and local arts organizations, philanthropic groups, visitor bureaus, and local craftspeople and community members interested in sharing their art with all passersby.

The book is full of color pictures of barns with their quilt squares.  It covers trails in eight, mostly midwestern states.  In the chapter on Iowa, the counties represented include Grundy, Buchanan, Fayette, Humboldt, Sac and Washington.  The quilt trail closest to us is in Washington County, the “Barn Quilt Capital of Iowa“.  My only quibble with this lovely book is that there are no maps or website listings for the trails.  However, a simple internet search for barn quilt trails in the counties named will deliver specific information on each county and maps that show the locations of the barns.

Barns and quilts, two art forms in their own right, go together beautifully as this book shows.  Take a look at this history of a grassroots movement, and then take a drive down some country roads to see some unique midwestern art.

I LOVE Cupcakes!

by Kara on February 11th, 2012
I LOVE Cupcakes! Cover Image

Cupcakes are a big deal these days.  And with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, cupcakes may be the ticket if you are looking for something crafty and sweet your sweetie. Of course my favorite cupcakes are Kara’s Cupcakes, but traveling to California is a bit too far.  Fortunately the Library has a number of great cupcake books with lots of great pictures and ideas.

Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh My! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson shares lots of great ideas for creating something sweet and eye-catching. The pictures are inspiring and the step-by-step details are very helpful.  They also offer many great hints for how to transform basic ingredients into a masterpiece.

Tack and Richardson also have two older titles that are fun. Hello Cupcake! and What’s New, Cupcake? both have many creative ideas and good information about techniques and supplies.

The Butch Bakery Cookbook features recipes and designs from the Butch Bakery in New York.  The Butch Bakery’s brand is “Where Butch Meets Buttercream” and the cookbook features an eclectic collection of recipes for a “grown-up” taste.  Recipes include ingredients such as bacon, cayenne pepper, coffee, liquors, and other unique flavors.

Another trend these days is Cake Pops. Cake Pops are basically a cupcake on a stick dipped in chocolate – what’s not to love about that!  Clare O’connell’s Pop Bakery shares step-by-step information to create penguins, clowns, frogs, and many other designs.  There’s even a chapter about creating cupcake pops!

Cake Pops by Bakerella features ideas from the bakerella.com blog.  I enjoyed the book AND the blog!  I especially liked the ideas for Valentine’s Day!

Discover a new world of sweet creativity with the thousands of ideas for cupcakes and cake pops. And remember the Library has a great collection of books to get you started.  ~~Enjoy!!~~

Microcrafts

by Beth on January 10th, 2012
Microcrafts Cover Image

What’s better than a new book full of craft projects?  How about a new book full of itty bitty craft projects!

Microcrafts: Tiny Treasures to Make and Share by Margaret McGuire, Alicia Kachmar, Katie Hats and Friends contains more than 25 miniature craft projects to die for.

This is the perfect craft book for anyone who saves the bits and pieces left over from other projects, or who collects found objects that might be useful some day.  Tiny pieces of felt, shells, bottle caps or scraps of fancy papers become tiny stuffed animals,  miniature books, or little bitty bumble bees to hide in a houseplant.

Step by step instructions, great illustrations, and color photographs will take you through each project, and patterns are included where needed.  Don’t skip the last three sections of the book: “Supplies and Techniques”, “Ideas for Modifying Microcrafts” and “About the Authors” – each will give you lots more inspirations.

The next time you get the urge to craft, but don’t want to take on a big project check out Microcrafts and have a little fun.

 

Grottoes and Follies

by Debb Green on October 26th, 2011
Grottoes and Follies Cover Image

I learned a new word today while researching this blog. Or at least a new definition for the word in question. We’ve all experienced the meaning of the word folly and/or its plural. Whether used to describe foolish behaviors or thoughts, useless undertakings, or disastrous actions, the word folly is a favorite for critics. And for those who wish to disagree with or disparage the decisions or efforts of others.

But the other meaning for “follies” is more whimsical. In fact, follies are eccentric structures built primarily as architectural ornaments. They are often located in gardens and appear as full fledged buildings, though usually are not functional as such. They may include fakery in their design (for example, deliberately built “ruins” and “ancient” temples.) Their intent isn’t to be functional. Instead these curious  constructions are created and built purely for pleasure and for looks.

Related to follies is another type of garden whimsy called grottoes. Often religious in nature, these artificial creations are delightful sparkly caves embellished with thousands upon thousands of rocks, gems, minerals, fossils, ceramic tiles, glass, and more. Midwest America has the largest number of such grottoes, most of which were originally built by German Catholic priests inspired by 18th & 19th century European traditions.

The Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend Iowa is the largest single grotto in the world with four million dollars worth of minerals cemented in its walls. There is lovely example at the Holy Ghost Grotto in Dickeyville, Wisconsin.There are several smaller grottoes located in West Burlington and Guttenberg.  Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids had a beautiful grotto and lake called Our Mother of Sorrows which will be partially restored soon. On Nov. 3rd, Lisa Stone (a curator and professor at the School of Art Institute of Chicago) will present a lecture called “Grottoes in the Heartland” at 7:00 p.m. in Donnelly 300 at Mercy. For information, see:

http://www.mtmercy.edu/news-events/article/2011/10/24/mount-mercy-welcomes-curator-lisa-stone-%E2%80%98grottos-heartland%E2%80%99

What both follies and grottoes represent are self-made outside worlds, created for pleasure and inspiration by people with a different vision. Garden follies use traditional architecture and construction techniques. While grottoes are more a visionary folk or outsider art form built by those with no formal training (and plenty of cheap cement!)

If you’d like to see some but don’t have time to travel, there’s an excellent book at ICPL that includes grotto examples called Self-Made Worlds: Visionary Folk Art Environments by Roger Manley. You can also read about the West Bend and Dickeyville grottoes in a number of Iowa and Wisconsin travel guides (at 917.77 and 917.75 upstairs in nonfiction.) Using Google and the Internet, you can find many examples of grotto, folly, and other self-made worlds, including an excellent site called “NarrowLarry’s World of the Outstanding.” Check it out below and enjoy!

http://www.narrowlarry.com/page1.html

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