Needlework & Fabrics

The exciting follow-up to the bestselling Harry Potter Knitting Magic, this volume offers 28 new and official patterns for knits ranging from spellbinding stuffed toys to cosy Hogwarts house apparel to all-new costume replicas – including bewitching projects inspired by the Fantastic Beasts films!

Discover even more knitting magic with a brand-new collection of patterns inspired by the characters, creatures and artefacts of the wizarding world. Harry Potter Knitting Magic: More Patterns from Hogwarts and Beyond includes patterns for toys, apparel, and costume replicas pulled straight from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, all pictured in gorgeous colour photography.

Projects: Knit yourself a mini sock garland that spells ‘Dobby Is Free’. Support your favourite team with a Hogwarts Quidditch Pullover. Channel the elegance of Professor McGonagall with the stunning Vero Verto Cape. Travel beyond Hogwarts to 1920s New York with projects inspired by the Fantastic Beasts films, including a gorgeous colourwork scarf inspired by Newt’s case, a mischievous stuffed Niffler and a sparkling Gigglewater Shawl.

Copyright © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. WIZARDING WORLD characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. – WB SHIELD: © & ™ WBEI. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s21)

Read more

A modern, stylish and practical exploration of the traditional craft of block printing.

For self-taught textile designer Molly Mahon, there is something special about block printing that has stood the test of time. From the initial design process, through to the carving of the block, the mixing of the colour and the actual printing process, Molly has always found printing to be meditative.

This book enables readers to explore this ancient craft through Molly’s contemporary designs and the influences that inspire her use of pattern and colour, before teaching them practical skills and potential ways to transform their creations into beautiful homeware.

The book is divided into three main sections:
A Modern Block Printer: An introduction to Molly and how she found and nurtured her love of block printing. Also, Molly gives a brief history of the tradition of block printing.

Design Journeys: Molly sees pattern everywhere she looks and this is what creates the basis of her blocks. When Molly is designing, it’s as if she goes on a journey, whether it be a walk in the forest or a work trip to India. She is constantly inspired by her surroundings in all that she sees and feels. Here the reader is taken on some of her favourite journeys with an inspirational sourcebook filled with beautiful images. Discover a brief history of block printing, design ideas and stories focusing on how India’s artisan craftspeople and traditional block printing techniques, nature and the Bloomsbury Group have all inspired Molly’s designs.

Practical Printing: This chapter focuses on how to block print, including information on key tools, step-by-step techniques for printing on paper and fabric, and pattern design advice. Follow instructions to make five simple homeware projects with your newly printed creations and find exclusive block templates drawn by Molly for you to copy and recreate at home.

House of Print is a celebration of both the art of block printing and the joy of design.

Read more

The patterns and instruction you need to start crocheting and kitting today!

Knitting and crocheting go hand-in-hand and are the most popular yarn crafts today. This one-stop guide to all things needles, hooks, and yarn will give you everything you need to know to get started knitting or crocheting.

The book covers absolute basics such as selecting yarn, casting on, and even how to hold the tools and yarn, to understanding stitches, checking gauge, and deciphering patterns. Hundreds of projects, from beginner to advanced, include complete, step-by-step instructions as well as detailed illustrations and photos, and instructional videos online. It includes content from:

• Knitting For Dummies
• Knitting Patterns For Dummies
• Crocheting For Dummies
• Crochet Patterns For Dummies

Get started today and you’ll be knitting and crocheting like a champ in no time!

Read more

Crochet charming knotted loveys with this easy guide to amigurumi from Alyson Dratch and Lindsay McNutt, the designers and mothers behind Mama Made Minis. From snuggly farmyard friends like Lettie Lamb and CeeCee Chick to magical creatures like Una Unicorn and Dusty Dragon, these 16 patterns are sure to bring comfort and joy to your minis every day. Thanks to the heirloom quality of these designs, you can create each stitch with love, knowing that your child’s new plushie will be by their side for years to come! Complete with a step-by-step assembly guide and Aly and Lindsay’s best maker tips and tricks for assured success, these adorable loveys will come together quickly and effortlessly. Follow along with the Mamas’ expert instruction to flawlessly recreate their work, or put your own spin on the patterns by switching up the colour and yarn weight. Whichever exciting direction you choose, these sweet knotted loveys will make the ultimate gift for the minis in your life!

Read more

Bursting with beautiful ideas for bringing a signature mid-century look into your own space, as well as practical advice on what will work where, this is an essential guide for any lover of interior design and mid-century style. In this beautifully photographed book, Mark and Keith of Mini Moderns show you how to create a timeless mid-century look in your own home

Known for their striking use of pattern and colour, Mark and Keith’s designs are inspired by everything from childhood memories to commentaries on popular culture, and through this lens they explore how different influences and designers have created key mid-century looks. They delve into the cornerstones of mid-century style, from colour and pattern to materials and curation, and share their secrets on how to bring together the things you love to create your own look. They also include inspirational case studies to demonstrate particular looks, from Beatnik Beach House to Scandi Rustic, Seaside Modern to Studio Townhouse.

Read more

‘I have never read such a stimulating short guide to art’ Lynn Barber, Sunday Times

Now Grayson Perry is a fully paid-up member of the art establishment, he wants to show that any of us can appreciate art (after all, there is a reason he’s called this book Playing to the Gallery and not ‘Sucking up to an Academic Elite’). Based on his hugely popular BBC Radio 4 Reith Lectures and full of pictures, this funny, personal journey through the art world answers the basic questions that might occur to us in an art gallery but seem too embarrassing to ask.

Read more

The most complete guide to sewing basics

People are always looking for ways to cut expenses and be creative and stylish at the same time. Learning to sew is a great way to arm yourself with the skills to repair and create clothing and furnishings for yourself and your family for little to no cost. But learning how to sew and how to choose the tools and supplies to begin sewing can be confusing.

Now, you can turn to this hands-on, friendly guide for the most up-to-date information, the best techniques, and fun projects for learning (or brushing up on) the art of sewing.

• Easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step illustrations make it easier to learn
• Fresh new patterns, projects, stitches, and techniques for fashion and the home
• Budget-conscious tips for breathing new life into existing garments

Complete with a section on common sewing mistakes and how to avoid them, Sewing For Dummies, 3rd edition gives you the confidence and know-how to sew like a pro.

Read more

Sophie’s World: A Graphic Novel About the History of Philosophy, Vol II: From Descartes to the Present Day is the second adaptation continuing Jostein Gaarder’s worldwide philosophy bestseller reimagined by writer Vincent Zabus and artist Nicoby.
 
Sophie’s come a long way since the day she received that cryptic letter with its intriguing question: “Who are you?” The mysterious correspondence sweeps our curious young heroine off on a tour of Western philosophy from its ancient foundations through the Renaissance. But it also prompts more personal reflection: What is my place in the world, my purpose in life? And just who is that girl, a stranger and yet so familiar, I glimpse in the mirror?
 
Sophie’s quest for answers will see her explore major schools of modern thought from Descartes and Locke to Freud and Marx. She and her quizzical philosophy teacher Alberto, now unmasked, struggles with the possibility that they are characters in a book. As ever, our intrepid heroine remains forthright and open-hearted.
 
In this witty comics adaptation, Zabus and Nicoby reinvent Jostein Gaarder’s novel of ideas―a beloved bestseller that has already won the hearts of over 50 million readers around the world―to bring Sophie’s charming quest for meaning to a whole new medium and a new generation.

Read more

Through personal interviews and galleries of bird-related fabric artwork, this book celebrates birds and the artists that have been inspired and moved by them. Escape into an unexpected world of avian fiber art. This collection — brought together by Martha Sielman, executive director of Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. (SAQA)―tells how artists live creatively and how birds fit into their lives and inspire them. Bird lovers, needlecrafters, quilters, and other crafters of all ages will be delighted by this book with gorgeous images of avian art on and with fabric and other materials. Interviews with and quotes from more than 100 of these artists give “live creatively” advice and inside information about the gorgeous bird-inspired art that they create. Over 200 master crafters — quilters, embroiderers, and other fabric artists — from 15 countries on six continents from different backgrounds and experiences share their love of birds and the inspiration they find in them. Includes photographic galleries of avian art and crafts sorted by bird types, including birds like finches, gulls, owls, woodland birds, birds of prey, and many more. Over 500 full-color images; Readers can curl up in their favorite chairs and enjoy the best of “bird stitchery.” Or they can share it with the bird lovers in their life!

Read more

This is a completely new and revised edition of the best-selling “Cross Stitcher’s Bible”, from one of the world’s favourite cross stitch designers, Jane Greenoff. This essential guide to cross stitch and other counted thread embroidery techniques includes an extensive illustrated stitch library. Inspiring new projects present exciting stitching challenges, ranging in size from cards to cushions. Versatile motifs and sampler picture designs are all clearly charted and can easily be adapted for other projects. This is the must-have, easy-to-follow companion for all cross stitchers to bring them up-to-date with the latest trends, techniques and materials.

Read more

This is a completely new and revised edition of the best-selling “Cross Stitcher’s Bible”, from one of the world’s favourite cross stitch designers, Jane Greenoff. This essential guide to cross stitch and other counted thread embroidery techniques includes an extensive illustrated stitch library. Inspiring new projects present exciting stitching challenges, ranging in size from cards to cushions. Versatile motifs and sampler picture designs are all clearly charted and can easily be adapted for other projects. This is the must-have, easy-to-follow companion for all cross stitchers to bring them up-to-date with the latest trends, techniques and materials.

Read more