Craft Book Reviews

Retro Craft Books in my Library Over the past number of years I have been collecting books about various types of sewing and crafting, with a large focus on how to sew dolls and softies, so I thought I would pull out a few that I really liked,...

The Belle & Boo Book of Crafts is an absolute must have book for your craft library. As it says itself it has twenty five enchanting projects to make for children, the projects span from aprons to headdresses, softies to mobiles and they...

Now spring has arrived, my thoughts turn to hopefully warm summers and definitely longer days. At this time of the year I start on our garden, even if the showery days make summer seem very far away. One of my favourite books I love to look up for cute...

Book Review If you are at all into making dolls and soft creatures then Ruth Sleigh-Johnson's book is well worth spending some time looking through. It is a perfect beginners introduction into handmade softies, with oodles of projects for every...

Three years ago, at a local craft fair, someone happened to mention to me, “oh you like Tilda dolls too”, I had no idea, who or what the Tilda doll was, but apparently one of my handmade dolls looked a bit like one of them. So off I went to...

Chloe Tells You How To Sew is the second book by author Chloe Owens. A self professed modern day hippie, Chloe has combined her love of vintage fabrics and 1960s children's comics to bring us a jam packed sewing and craft annual. Featuring over 30 projects...

I recently downloaded Sew Together Grow Together by Trixi Symonds from her Etsy Shop after connecting with Trixi on Instagram. It is really great how images can connect people from across the world.Trixi has a great website Coloured Buttons , full...

Embroidered Treasures by Claire Garland - Book Review  Embroidered Treasures by Claire Garland is a charming project book filled with sewing ideas for babies and children. Claire is quite a prolific writer with predominately kitting and crochet...

My crafty read for this week is Sewlicious by Kate Haxell. Even though I have a library full of craft books, I just couldn't resist this one, the cover is stunning and just popped out at me when it was sitting on the shelf. Kate is an experienced craft...

I just recently picked up a copy of Crafty Dolls by Jane Bull in The Works Bookshop, Belfast and was immediately taken with all of the dolls designs she has created. Each of the patterns have straight forward instructions, easy to follow...

I stumbled across Papier Mâché by Suzanne Haines in Bell, Book and Candle Bookshop, Galway on one of my trips, back "West" as they say. I had initially made a Papier Mâché doll the year previous, see the doll here, and I preferred making...

The Irish Countrywomen’s Association Book of Crafts is published by Mercier Press. In November I received a copy of this book from the publisher and I have been working my way through the different projects since then. This book is jam packed...

Meet Teddy Bear, this cute little fellow is made from a vintage wool blanket, it is actually remnants left over from my Blanket Coat Project (see our sister website Missy Bonkers) Usually I develop my own patterns but for this bear, I actually...

Earlier in the year I stumbled across The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes by Sasha Duerr.I immediately ordered it and all I can say is it is just brilliant, after years spent piecing together bits of natural dyeing information from various sources and...