Quilt Lover's Gifts ( Best of Fons & Porter )

Quilters love to use their skills and their fabric stashes to make gifts for friends or family members, and this book supplies more than 55 versatile gift projects. There are mini quilts and wall quilts to showcase the quilter's skills or to celebrate the love of quilts. Additional projects include sewing notions, home accessories, and miscellaneous gifts. The projects use a variety of quilting skills but also general sewing, embroidery, punch needle, etc. Sewing aids and organizers include pincushions, ruler holders, easy quilt rack, and wool sewing wallet. Minis and wall quilts reflect traditional and whimsical styles. Other items include a quillow (quilt that folds into a pillow), pillows, gift bags, purse set, watch band, backpack, lap throws, table runners, fabric bowls, and more.
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Fat Quarterly Shape Workshop for Quilters: 60 Blocks + a Dozen Quilts and Projects!

Publishers Weekly (03/19/2012):
A quartet of quilters started Fat Quarterly, an online magazine for quilters who respect tradition and support modernity. Although Bruecher hails from Germany, Jones and Greenberg from the U.K, and Adams from the U.S., the Internet allows them to form a bee as if living in neighboring hollows. In their colorful book, they exploit the guiding principle for their e-zinea sharing ideas and inspiration for creative projects with the wider, online community, but they focus their creativity on shapes, from squares and rectangles to circles and polygons. The patterns range nicely from simple nine patches (Jonesa aBook of Stampsa) to a complex octagonal horological background (Bruecheras aTickety Tock Clocka). Each pattern includes a list of materials and instructions with illustrations for cutting and assembly; many patterns, complete with templates, offer hints or background from the designer. Their colloquial writing suffers from mistakes in grammar as correctable as toe-catchers in quilting; jargon (afussy cuttinga) is defined in the section on quilting basics, which offers beginnersa instruction or expertsa refreshment. (May) Copyright 2012 Reed Business Information.
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A Handknit Romance: 22 Vintage Designs with Lovely Details

Inspired by women's clothing, lingerie, and accessories from the 1900's to 1930's, "A Handknit Romance" offers designs that are intricate and exquisite. Step back in time with techniques including pin-tucks, picot trims, crochet edges, lace beading, and embroidery that convey modest and flirty classic fitted patterns using a range of lace, superfine, fine, and light yarn weights.
Attention to detail is demonstrated throughout and the result is a collection of unique, precious garments that reflect today's vogue for vintage-inspired fashion. Rowan designer Jennie Atkinson offers beautiful projects that range from small accessories to full-size garments and suit beginner and seasoned knitters alike.
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Aran Knits: 23 Contemporary Designs Using Classic Cable Patterns

Library Journal (03/01/2012):
Richly textured sweaters and accessories are the focus of Storey's ("Nordic Knits") latest collection, which takes motifs and design elements from traditional Aran fishermen's sweaters and transforms them into contemporary fashion. The designs range in complexity from a simple cardigan with a cabled waistband and cuffs to a fully cabled and beaded shrug and include items for both men and women. Directions for all specialty stitches are included, but knowledge of basic knitting stitches and skills is assumed. VERDICT Aran knitting is perpetually popular, and Storey's collection has broad appeal thanks to the wide variety of designs. Copyright 2012 Reed Business Information.
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Circular Knitting Workshop: Essential Techniques to Master Knitting in the Round

Library Journal (04/01/2012):
Circular knitting is useful for anything tubular (socks, hats, mittens), but how else can it be used? Veteran knitting instructor and designer Radcliffe ("The Knitting Answer Book") explores the ins and outs of circular knitting, including cast-ons and bind-offs, techniques for circular knitting, and conversion of flat knits to circular knits. Ample color photographs that correspond to the directions and "workshop projects" designed to reinforce the information in the book are included. VERDICT All knitters, from novice to expert, will find something new and useful in this comprehensive guide. Essential for knitting collections. Copyright 2012 Reed Business Information.
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Super Scary Crochet: 35 Gruesome Patterns to Sink Your Hook Into

If you are bored of cute and sweet crochet, then you will love Nicki Trench's gruesome, spooky and downright disturbing collection of zombies, witches, murderers and more. There are four chapters of characters who have committed all kinds of unforgivable deeds. The first chapter, Scary Families, has creepy relatives who definitely believe that blood is thicker than water, such as the Queen of the Vampires, complete with felt crown and lace detailing. In Famous Scaries, meet classic characters like the Headless Horseman, who has crocheted blood spurting from his neck, and his horse Hades, made in jet-black yarn. The Living Dead is a macabre mix of werewolves, witches and the clinically insane, while the Deathly Companions chapter has murderous villains and even a shrunken head. As well as crocheting your own cast of scary characters, you will find patterns for accessories including the spider bag complete with eight legs. At the back of the book is a comprehensive techniques section explaining all you need to know, which makes the projects suitable for any skill level.
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Tiny World Terrariums: A Step-By-Step Guide to Easily Contained Life

Terrariums are a vibrant, unique way to inject a little greenery into any home. In "Tiny World Terrariums," authors Katy and Michelle of Brooklyn's celebrated Twig Terrariums offer step-by-step instructions for building your own, from selecting glass containers to layering soil and filtration to adding moss, succulents, and other plants. To give each terrarium a whimsical, personal touch, Katy and Michelle demonstrate how to use tiny figurines and toys to create to-scale scenes, such as a couple at their wedding, a CSI crime scene, and Central Park in springtime. Photos of gorgeous finished terrariums and detailed instructions will empower anyone--whether green-thumbed or not--to create their own Lilliputian worlds. 
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