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This is an easy title for any library to recommend and could be the highlight of an outdoor-activities display.
A welcome addition to sewing technique and pattern books. Readers interested in creating their own wardrobe will seek out this title.
While some artists may not have the skills to draw similarly beguiling images, Thomas’s Brusho techniques are appealing enough to be used for abstract pieces or simply for enjoyment of the painting process itself. Many readers will certainly be inspired to give Brusho a try.
Consider this a personal trainer for sustainable fashion and feasible, environmentally friendly lifestyles. It can also easily complement library collections in fashion design, home economics, or crafts.
A lovely, easy-to-follow book for readers looking for ways to capture the allure of nature around them. Great for craft sections and art students.
Bergstrom has a strong Instagram presence, so her fans will be asking for this cute book. A good addition to any crochet collection.
PREMIUM
Painting Skies in Pastel
A great title for refining or learning pastel sky techniques. Best for artists who already have some experience working in this medium.
This well-researched, intriguing drawing guide is essential reading for Disney fans and for those who want to learn more about animation, its history, or the world of Walt Disney. A valuable purchase.
A fun addition to libraries in pet-loving communities, this heartfelt book will resonate with anyone searching for a quick, well-illustrated read about canine friends.
PREMIUM
Beginner’s Guide to Glass Painting: Learn the Easy Reverse Technique for Making Endless Works of Art
Mistry’s thorough guidance and the vibrant project examples are certain to inspire many readers to take up glass painting as a new hobby.
A thoughtful approach to showing readers how to tackle their closets, lean into their personal values, and let go of some of their concerns about style.
PREMIUM
Knitting California: 26 Easy-To-Follow Designs for Beautiful Beanies Inspired by the Golden State
Bates’s collection of patterns will appeal to knitters who enjoy stranded colorwork, nature-inspired motifs, or knitted hats.
For parents, teachers, and whimsical souls looking for instruction and inspiration. Also recommended for younger artists ready to put down their coloring books to make their own cute cartoons.
Written in an engaging and entertaining tone, this selection is suitable for feline fans of all ages.
A perfect addition to the crafty reader’s shelf. Will have Shakespeare readers and English teachers crocheting characters in no time.
Best for readers who have never tried embroidery, but those looking for some new patterns or inspiration will benefit from this title too. A welcome addition to crafts and hobbies sections.
A great introduction to papermaking that enables practitioners to develop their skills. Ideal for public libraries and academic papermaking programs.
Knitters drawn to blends of color and texture will enjoy the new horizons opened by Hayashi’s stitch patterns. Those who specialize or create works using the brioche technique will be drawn to this title too.
This book will appeal to artists of all experience levels or to readers who are interested in using art as a means of self-expression.
An unusual but highly insightful guide that also looks at artists who do this kind of drawing and their multiple career paths. An essential purchase where drawing books and manga are popular.
PREMIUM
Watercolor Made Simple: Techniques, Projects, and Encouragement To Get Started Painting and Creating
An innovative, highly useful work for beginning watercolorists.
PREMIUM
Punch-Needle Craft
A practical guide for getting started with punch-needling and a good choice for libraries looking to expand their crafting collection.
A charming guide for embroidery fans, whether they’ve been practicing the craft for 10 years or 10 minutes, to create a highly individualized, meaningful, and memorable record of the year.
A great choice for beginning collage artists or readers who wish to take the craft to another level.
Cat fans and readers who are completely new to embroidery will gain a solid set of skills by the time they work their way through this book. Experienced embroiderers will find adorable patterns that could be easily replicated or adapted.
An intelligent book that invites readers, especially fans of Fry and fashion history, to laugh and learn. An excellent addition to collections.
Most likely of interest to only the readers who have already embarked on self-sufficient farming and want detailed information.
The book’s cute animal designs include sloths, dinosaurs, unicorns, rabbits, foxes, and a veritable menagerie of animal friends, so there’s sure to be one that fits any child’s unique interests and imagination or a nursery’s theme. This book is as joyful and simple as its title suggests.
PREMIUM
Dressmaking: The Easy Guide
Essential for libraries supporting a fashion design program. Also useful for programs such as 4-H, Extension Homemakers, and others wanting to go to the next level.
Far from a how-to for beginners, this book includes projects that expertly teach processes, such as color blocking, blending, and multiple effects that can be executed with a knife. This will likely be a popular addition to craft collections.
Painting Abstract Nature on Canvas: A Guide to Creating Vibrant Art with Watercolour and Mixed Media
An outstanding instructional art book with pictures that illustrate each step. Creative readers of all skill levels will likely love this title.
This is an excellent companion for those who may need to express themselves and heal but aren’t sure where to start. Worthwhile to have in any library, especially for readers who may be hesitant to reach out.
A great title for beginners or readers looking for new inspiration in watercolor techniques. The illustrations are all nature-based, making it an excellent option for the summer season.
This book includes delightful patterns, but it’s niche in topic and its UK terminology may hinder some readers’ ability to finish their projects.
A great addition for arts or craft collections. The featured projects will likely keep novice painters interested, and there are clear instructions for absolute beginners.
This easy-to-follow approach to kawaii drawings will likely have even nonartists feeling inspired and confident enough to get started.
Suitable for libraries with robust selections of knitting books but not for the faint-of-heart fiber artist.
This book will likely appeal to readers of all sewing levels, especially those who are environmentally conscious and interested in learning to sew with recycled materials.
Functional and beautiful, this book will likely inspire readers want to perfect their pottery techniques. An excellent and useful purchase for libraries with vibrant art communities.
This is a sumptuous reference volume that not only offers a plentitude of patterns but also contains helpful photos for each stitch for knitters to easily visualize and incorporate into their own original creations. This handy guide can enhance the abilities of all knitters.
For beginners just getting the feel for using brush pens, Latta’s simple exercises offer an accessible place to start.
This book shows exactly how fun, fashionable, and flattering retro crochet garments can be. Its patterns are suitable for all crochet skill levels, making it the perfect addition to any library’s catalogue of crafting books.
Artists interested in learning colored pencil techniques could hardly find a better resource, but librarians should be aware of this title’s removable practice pages.
PREMIUM
10 Step Drawing: Kawaii
Both novices and advanced artists can greatly benefit from this title filled with whimsical and adorable Kawaii drawings.
With its overview of flower pressing’s rich history and a beginner-friendly guide to getting started, this book is a bona fide garden of delights that’s sure to inspire creations rooted in the past, yet flowering in the present.
Best for readers experienced with blackwork techniques and comfortable with doing their own material selections.
PREMIUM
Animal Granny Squares: 40 Cute Crochet Blocks To Make into Decorations, Homewares, Blankets and More
Each project produces adorable results. A great addition for all crochet collections.
A great starter guide for readers wanting to learn to paint with a palette knife; they will learn all about the additives, mediums, and other items Fisher has experimented with to achieve the effects that enhance his works.
A wonderful overview of rag rugs and how to create them. A perfect complement to titles that solely contain patterns.
PREMIUM
The Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook: How To Write Great Patterns That Knitters Will Love To Make
Good for public libraries with robust craft collections. Many readers might view this as a compact reference book.
A comprehensive overview of jewelry design that also offers creative exercises for aspiring artists.
PREMIUM
Norway’s Knitted Heritage: The History, Surprises, and Power of Traditional Nordic Sweater Patterns
Likely to appeal more to those studying the history of clothing than to the casual knitter.
Crafters interested in adding macramé touches to their homemade Christmas decor will likely enjoy this book. This is a strong selection for libraries with well-circulating holiday craft collections.
A great lettering and calligraphy resource that’s filled with inventive ideas, rather than traditional approaches. Readers interested in exploring creative lettering will likely find this to be a helpful title for getting started.
This book is exquisite eye candy for fiber artists of all levels. Libraries with craft book collections can’t go wrong with this purchase.
PREMIUM
Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs: The Scrap-Smart Guide to Finishing Quilts with Two-Sided Appeal
Quilters, or those aspiring to be, will find something to fit their style and their skill level.
A well-structured title filled with detailed instructions and photos. The book’s projects would make cute gifts, but its focus may be a little too narrow for some collections.
Crocheters of all skill levels will be able to produce cute creatures that any child (or adult) will beg to cuddle. Librarians should add all of this author’s books to their crochet collections.
The projects are great for those new to shibori techniques, but readers are likely better off choosing titles that are more current and less focused on the use of a specific kit.
PREMIUM
Crochet Impkins
Crocheters will truly delight in picking features for their own creations of Impkins.
A fun book for eco-conscious parents who aren’t afraid of a little extra work in order to extend the life of their kids’ clothes. Children can help with these projects as well.
PREMIUM
Granny Squares To Crochet
All levels of crocheters can benefit from this title. A valuable addition to any library’s selection of crochet guidebooks.
For experienced watercolor painters. This book, illustrated throughout with Beale’s beautiful landscapes, will provide ample inspiration and instruction.
An excellent book for readers entering anew into the world of cross-stitching or for those who may be looking to rekindle a hobby.
A highly recommended title that offers an impressive array of watercolor, ink, and gouache techniques for beginner and advanced artists.
This is a worthwhile purchase for quilters who are searching for either simple strategies or inspiration.
PREMIUM
Homegrown Flax and Cotton: DIY Guide To Growing, Processing, Spinning & Weaving Fiber to Cloth
This book takes readers through the process, from start to finish, of making cotton and linen clothing. Many crafters and readers interested in sustainability will likely enjoy this one.
Readers with advanced drawing skills may find this title and the author’s anatomical expertise beneficial.
A quick-start intro guide to the craft of embroidery. Best suited for right-handed beginners who want to dive right into projects. Left-handed readers and those who have already mastered the basics but are interested in improving their skills are advised to look elsewhere.
This excellent work is chock-full of helpful and fascinating facts about a popular knitting technique. Ideal for intermediate and advanced knitters, and an essential purchase for crafts collections.
PREMIUM
Seed to Table: A Seasonal Guide to Organically Growing, Cooking, and Preserving Food at Home
For his first print book, Ghafari, who created the Urban Farm and Kitchen blog, has written an approachable, deeply useful work for beginner gardeners that is enlivened with recipes and great images.
A foreword by Jane Goodall and quirky dog drawings enhance this title. For comprehensive collections of materials on dog studies, animal cognition, and psychology and for general readers who love their pet dogs.
While the information in this book isn’t particularly new or groundbreaking, its straightforward language and expressive illustrations of many different cat species make it a helpful read for families with children who are getting their first pet cat or for new cat owners looking for an easy manual to help guide their understanding of their new feline family member.
A glossary and further reading for field guides and species accounts will satisfy the scientific reader, and artists are well served by the beautifully presented artworks and Hashimoto’s tips and personal insights. Consider also for displays on nature-related travel destinations.
PREMIUM
Pocket Book of Crochet
This simple short book, while imperfect, is a nice addition for larger crafting collections. Libraries should be warned that there are several places where readers are encouraged to write in the book to chart their own crochet journey.
The pairings in this book will likely inspire readers to mix craft techniques, create uncommon, interesting projects, and consider scraps, fabrics, and fibers in new ways.
Perfect for adventurous or experienced knitters, libraries with robust craft collections, and readers interested in knitting history.
General readers, historians, and flower lovers will enjoy this book’s ability to take them on a virtual visit to the islands of Hawai‘i, where they can learn about the rich heritage of the lei.
PREMIUM
Fun with Fat Quarters: 15 Step-by-Step Projects with Essential Techniques To Kick-Start Your Sewing
A well-written title with excellent basic sewing directions geared toward moderately experienced sewists. Purchase where fat-quarter books are popular.
PREMIUM
Crochet Southwest Spirit: Over 20 Bohemian Crochet Patterns Inspired by the American Southwest
This stunning book will likely compel readers to imagine the past as they work on the towels, baskets, blankets, and more that will keep traditions alive.
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