A Guide to Natural Housekeeping
By Christina Strutt · Reviewed by Katy McRae
Christina Strutt’s A Guide to Natural Housekeeping is your classic, entry-level handbook on how to tread lightly upon this earth. It’s not the sort of thing a survivalist would include on their compulsory reading list, but it does touch on a wide range of topics in its quest to encourage you live a greener existence.
A Girl’s Guide to Decorating
By Abigail Ahern · Reviewed by Katy McRae
Abigail Ahern is a British interior designer, stylist and owner of one of London’s leading interiors stores. And now she’s added author to her list of achievements with A Girl’s Guide to Decorating. As you would expect from a woman with such a reputation for style, this is one good-looking book.
Crafty Girls’ Road Trip
By Ann Packer · Reviewed by Anne Mortimer
In 2004, my copy of Ann Packer’s Crafty Girls’ Road Trip was well thumbed and had its own permanent place on my dashboard as I travelled the length and breadth of the country. It encouraged many a small diversion and certainly helped me to spend my way around New Zealand, single handedly boosting the economy. The guide proved to be indispensable – wherever we went, the guide went too, as my craft oracle (or crutch).
Craft Inc. – The Ultimate Guide to Turning Your Creative Hobby into a Successful Business
By Meg Mateo Ilasco · Reviewed by Jess Soutar Barron
There’s more to it than simply increasing rates of production. Meg Mateo Ilasco, American, arty, business minded, has penned Craft Inc. – The Ultimate Guide to Turning Your Creative Hobby into a Successful Business. It’s the book to read while you’re making the decision rather than after you’ve quit your 9 to 5 and turned your sun-porch into a studio.
Milly-Molly-Mandy’s Things to Make and Do By Sam Hay · Reviewed by Anne Mortimer
Milly-Molly-Mandy’s Things to Make and Do by Sam Hay is illustrated with Joyce Lankester Brisley’s beautiful drawings and excerpts from the Milly-Molly-Mandy stories are scattered throughout the book. I distinctly remember Milly-Molly-Mandy being very busy and creative. Now I have a Little Miss of my own and need to find lots of fun, creative things that she can do. This book provides this and more.
Paul Garland has done the hard yards to compile his book of tried and true tramping recipes – and he’s still walking the talk. This summer he’s indulging his passion for tramping by walking the Te Araroa trail, which runs 3,000 km down the length of New Zealand and includes many of our most beautiful wilderness areas. In his pack is a copy of his book, Fast and Light, an easy to follow overview of tramping food options available in New Zealand.
Vintage Craft Workshop: Fresh Takes on 25 Classic Projects
By Cathy Callahan · Reviewed by
Katy McRae
I have to preface this book review with the fact that Cathy Callahan is one of my crafting idols. Her blog is one of my favourites and I stalk her on Facebook. Her collection of retro craft books and magazines is truly awe-inspiring, her passion for ’60s and ’70s craft borders on the fanatical and her sense of style just plain rocks. So when I discovered she had produced a craft book I bought it, pretty much sight unseen.
Fanciful Felties: Sew People to Meet, Places to Go & Things to Do
By Samantha Cotterill · Reviewed by
Katy McRae
In a world awash with ‘cutesy’ felt animals, Samantha Cotterill’s felt people are a breath of fresh air. In fact they are quite possibly the coolest ‘felties’ on the planet. This woman has a style all her own and man, can she sew! Sam’s a Brit living in Upstate New York with her husband and two young boys. She took a five year break from her painting career to have kids and came back as…
The Truly Terribly Horrible Sweater …That Grandma Knit ·
Debbie Macomber & Mary Lou Carney · Pictures by Vincent Nguyen
For his birthday, little Cameron gets a colourful hand knitted sweater from his grandma. Have you ever received a present that was made with love especially for you – and you didn’t like it? When I was a girl, my grandmother gave me huge underpants that were supposed to keep my kidneys warm. With mini skirts en vogue, warm kidneys seemed to be a major worry for my gran.
New Zealand sock designer Belinda Too, also known as Blendy, has just launched her first book! A stylish collection of 16 sock patterns for adults and children, with an ability level to suit all knitters, Blendy Knits Socks is ideal for lazy knitters (as Blendy … Read more »