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Reviews (16)
Apr 07, 2015
5-Star Rating -- Taste by Delicious Taste!
Bought this after using a friend's copy to make pulled pork. (Nearly destroyed a similar cut using an on-line recipe--who comes up with this stuff?! Less said about that hot mess, the better.) Thus far, no complaints. Recipes are well-researched/tested; preparation instructions are straightforward. Additional information is provided about certain grocery products used. Slow cooker product testing is interesting too. However, my non-featured slow cooker delivers great dishes. Which is the whole point. Book delivers everything it promises. After my on-line recipe debacle, well-written, tested recipes are wonderful. Shared a few recipes with a friend, a wonderful cook. She loves them. NOTE: When experienced cooks rave about slow cooker recipes, you know your instincts are sound. And that this cookery book could become your go-to shower gift. Good investment purchase for what many people consider a minor player among small appliances. Minor only when ignored. When temps soar, slow cookers don't heat up kitchens, not like electric, gas and/or convection ovens. Better still, meals cook while you participate vs. being stuck in the kitchen, captive to timers. Works for me!
Mar 19, 2009
So Much Dash, So Little Confusion
2 of 2 found this helpful Folkwear Patterns have brought so much joy into the lives of sewists–all kinds of sewists, from the timid beginner to the august experts among us. But why?
My guess? Because we never lost the magic of sitting in a dark movie house and having our world view broaden by what we saw. There was action, sure. Some of us loved it. There were also lots of costumes that most of us had never seen, much less knew existed.
At the end of the double feature, we came away with a sense of wonder. Some of us wanted to race to the first tramp steamer headed for Tangier; others to touch, try on and come away with those incredible costumes.
That's where the lovely ladies of Folkwear came in; they crafted patterns for sewists with discerning eyes for multi-cultural glamor. They no longer own the company, but their vision continues to enchant and gain in popularity.
The FOLKWEAR Book of Ethnic Clothing, Easy Ways to Sew & Embellish Fabulous Garments From Around the World, by Mary S. Parker, would make a fairly decent small coffee table book were it not for the photos that catch the eye, then capture the imagination. Looking at the cover, a Syrian Dress covered with traditional embroidery designs rendered in simple cross-stitch, it takes a strong woman to casually flip through it and put it down. I’m not that person. I made a cup of tea, got comfortable and slowly looked at, then read, every page.
Takes a bit of getting used to initially, seeing traditional tribal designs broken down into easily understandable units. Once the reader absorbs their simplicity, the fun begins. Fabrics, threads, golds, silvers, ancient methods, classic designs–all come together to give the reader an even greater sense of mystery. Who is that person, the one who just whipped around the corner trailing a long cloak? The veiled woman in that glittery caftan? The staid soldier? The wry worker in the old-fashioned smock? The couples in their folk art vests? They’re here wearing their country’s native dress and telling their stories.
This is not merely a book for sewists and costumers. It’s a book for anyone with a sense of adventure and a touch of remembered childhood magic. It’s a book for ideas, creating and sharing, truly the best of all worlds.
Jun 12, 2009
9-Patch Pizzazz by Judy Sisneros (2006)
Got this because my quilting group is working with the 9-patch design. Decided it would be a good idea to have the 'text' in hand to facilitate comprehension of this block and how it is used.
This is one great book. I tend to think of the 9-Patch as a pillow cover or, when extended, a table runner. As a strip quilter, working with this pattern required a stretch. No matter how my look initially, at least I will always have the diagram(s) for my ideas.
There's really nothing to dislike. It's well-conceived, well-written and provides more than adequate instruction and diagrams to guide the fledgling quilter, i.e., ME, through the learning process. Interesting to see how exciting, fun, dramatic a so-called basic block can be, particularly when everything is in the 'stack 'n' whack' step. Fabric, fabric everywhere, and nary a break in sight.
This book rocks. So will my quilt if I ever manage to get the top constructed!