Homekeeper's Library: Craft Books
Perhaps it is by grand design that, in this hemisphere, the new year turns in the depth of winter. Even we who don’t have snow and ice to drive us indoors find ourselves holing up a bit, as we review the year just completed and orient ourselves to the new year that has arrived. Winter drives us indoors for a reason. Snow day or not, this is the time to let go of that which no longer serves with gratitude for its service, and to set the stage for whatever will be arriving. This is the time to consider plans and put them into action, to use down time to get organized, and to learn new skills.
January is the month of school closures, weekends indoors, and, yes, cabin fever. We catch up on everything from reading and movies to knitting and mending. Harried parents are looking for projects to quiet stir-crazy kids, and many of us use this time to get to all of the projects that we let pile up over the course of the year. There are memory projects to make of every event from last year's birthday parties to Halloween costumes, from vacation flip books to anniversary dinner shadow boxes. Household projects await, from cleaning and storing the holiday linens to organizing the garage. It is time to set up the home office for the coming year, and during the first long weekend of the year, maybe treat ourselves to a trip to the big box store to upgrade our electronics.
Many believe that as our ancestors drew inside for warmth and companionship, the practice of craft emerged. The cold dark winter months were the perfect time to tend to practical matters that fell to the way- or hearthside during the outdoor months. There were tools to repair, seeds to coax, shoes to sole, all accompanied by stories told and, eventually, written down. Going inside for deep winter coincided with reorientation after the winter holidays, as exemplified by the holy season of Yule that led to the holy season of Candlemas. That season occurred during this time of digging in, and both the study and application of craft became sacred acts.
Whatever craft you practice, January is an ideal month either to begin the study or to renew it. In honor of craft, crafters, and study and practice, here is Urban Home Blog's Guide to Craft Books. As you read both this column and these titles, remember that study without application is a bit pointless, and application absent study is foolhardy. Most craft stores have huge sales during January, at which you can obtain many of these titles and most of the tools and supplies for realizing projects. Let us use our time indoors to create something useful, or interesting, or beautiful, for both study and application are the law in January, and that is by grand design, for these set us up very well indeed for the upcoming year.
Craft Books and Resources
As with all guides at Urban Home Blog, this is not meant to be a comprehensive list but one of suggestions based on my own experience as a lifestyle writer and homekeeper. As always, none of these is a compensated endorsement.
Sewing. I have written before about my grandmother's copy of the Better Homes and Garden's Sewing Book, which in a very real way was the genesis of Urban Home Blog. Though some would call it retro, to my mind, this is the platinum standard for sewing books. Copies of this spiral-bound treasure can be obtained through used booksellers both brick and mortar and online. Retro sewing gets a more literal treatment in Sew Retro and Vintage Notions. In both of these titles, doing and reading spar nicely, with the marvelous year-long nostalgic ride of Vintage Notions inspiring the practical projects of Sew Retro. Interesting projects include a shawl (Retro, page 24) and a hanging organizer (Retro, page 136). For useful, practical sewing books, the Singer library remains the platinum standard: you will refer to Singer's New Sewing Essentials and The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing again and again. Finally, if you are looking for a new sewing skill to learn and some absorbing projects to turn out therefrom, try the Japanese craft of Sashiko. Sashiko Style makes this craft easy to understand and rewarding to execute.
Jewelry-Making. Jewelry-making is as practical a craft to learn as there is, for with the exception of fine pieces and clockwork, you will be able to repair the jewelry you have sequestered for just that purpose. To learn the basics, almost all craft stores have in-store classes and pamphlets; in our urban home, we rely on Michael's. For the homekeeper's library, The Complete Jewelry-Making Course is a solid basic guide. This thoughtfully written and well-illustrated course teaches all of the basics along with offering inspiring and practical projects. Once you start making and repairing jewelry, your own aesthetic will guide you to resources and projects, from romantic Victorian fancies to architectural post-modern statement pieces. One such is steampunk jewelry, as exemplified by Steampunk Emporium and Steampunk Style Jewelry. Some of my favorite projects from these specialized guides include Absinthe charms, cuff links and bracelet (Emporium, pp. 52 - 63), White Star Line necklace (Jewelry, p. 72), Captured Time ring (Jewelry, p. 34) and Admiral's Cuff (Jewelry, p. 131).
Paper Craft. Scrapbooking and papercraft are simple to learn and to do. They require a modest commitment of time and supply costs, but the return on investment could not be more rewarding. I have scrapbooks that go back thirty years, and turning those pages is the very definition of history coming alive. While all one really needs is glue, mementos and paper, books and resources about scrapbooking not only enliven your creativity but plug you into the community of fellow papercrafters, as most contemporary publications include access to online communities where await downloadable resources including templates, discounts at the craft store, and places to share your own designs, often by upload or pin. These include the downloadable paper crafts at Urban Home Blog such as ice cream bar party invitations and a bookmark.
That bookmark will come in handy when you dip into your scrapbooking and papercraft titles. A great fundamental title is The Encyclopedia of Scrapbooking Tools and Techniques. This well-written and -illustrated guide to the techniques and tools of this craft covers everything. With scrapbooking, one learns the techniques as one engages the craft, and from that emerges one's own creative style. I like the aesthetic and technique of Clean and Simple Scrapbooking and Clean and Simple Scrapbooking the Sequel, which offer forthright templates and techniques for a papercraft approach that avoids fuss. As you begin to capture memories from the four seasons and the events and holidays that fall within them, a good seasonal scrapbooking resource will be essential; try Better Homes and Gardens 365 Days of Scrapbooking Ideas. Papercrafters beyond the scrapbook will like Vintage Collage Journals, which contains beautiful examples of putting all kinds of ephemera to work with your memories and Delight in the Details, which has ideas for all kinds of paper mementoes. Finally, Wallpaper Projects is a wonderful little idea book for putting those patterns elsewhere in the home than the walls.
The study and application of craft are ongoing, and there are too many crafts to write about here. From making soap to putting together architectural models, from sewing aprons to tooling leather, whatever your craft, this is the perfect month either to learn and engage it or to re-learn and re-commit to it. If you are not sure which crafts interest you, Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts covers almost all of the bases, from basic introductions to dozens of crafts to several inspiring projects for each. And if the memories of our ancestors practicing craft hearthside resonates with you, an indispensable tome for your Homekeeper's Library is Spell Crafts.
January is the month of school closures, weekends indoors, and, yes, cabin fever. We catch up on everything from reading and movies to knitting and mending. Harried parents are looking for projects to quiet stir-crazy kids, and many of us use this time to get to all of the projects that we let pile up over the course of the year. There are memory projects to make of every event from last year's birthday parties to Halloween costumes, from vacation flip books to anniversary dinner shadow boxes. Household projects await, from cleaning and storing the holiday linens to organizing the garage. It is time to set up the home office for the coming year, and during the first long weekend of the year, maybe treat ourselves to a trip to the big box store to upgrade our electronics.
Many believe that as our ancestors drew inside for warmth and companionship, the practice of craft emerged. The cold dark winter months were the perfect time to tend to practical matters that fell to the way- or hearthside during the outdoor months. There were tools to repair, seeds to coax, shoes to sole, all accompanied by stories told and, eventually, written down. Going inside for deep winter coincided with reorientation after the winter holidays, as exemplified by the holy season of Yule that led to the holy season of Candlemas. That season occurred during this time of digging in, and both the study and application of craft became sacred acts.
Whatever craft you practice, January is an ideal month either to begin the study or to renew it. In honor of craft, crafters, and study and practice, here is Urban Home Blog's Guide to Craft Books. As you read both this column and these titles, remember that study without application is a bit pointless, and application absent study is foolhardy. Most craft stores have huge sales during January, at which you can obtain many of these titles and most of the tools and supplies for realizing projects. Let us use our time indoors to create something useful, or interesting, or beautiful, for both study and application are the law in January, and that is by grand design, for these set us up very well indeed for the upcoming year.
Craft Books and Resources
As with all guides at Urban Home Blog, this is not meant to be a comprehensive list but one of suggestions based on my own experience as a lifestyle writer and homekeeper. As always, none of these is a compensated endorsement.
Sewing. I have written before about my grandmother's copy of the Better Homes and Garden's Sewing Book, which in a very real way was the genesis of Urban Home Blog. Though some would call it retro, to my mind, this is the platinum standard for sewing books. Copies of this spiral-bound treasure can be obtained through used booksellers both brick and mortar and online. Retro sewing gets a more literal treatment in Sew Retro and Vintage Notions. In both of these titles, doing and reading spar nicely, with the marvelous year-long nostalgic ride of Vintage Notions inspiring the practical projects of Sew Retro. Interesting projects include a shawl (Retro, page 24) and a hanging organizer (Retro, page 136). For useful, practical sewing books, the Singer library remains the platinum standard: you will refer to Singer's New Sewing Essentials and The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing again and again. Finally, if you are looking for a new sewing skill to learn and some absorbing projects to turn out therefrom, try the Japanese craft of Sashiko. Sashiko Style makes this craft easy to understand and rewarding to execute.
Jewelry-Making. Jewelry-making is as practical a craft to learn as there is, for with the exception of fine pieces and clockwork, you will be able to repair the jewelry you have sequestered for just that purpose. To learn the basics, almost all craft stores have in-store classes and pamphlets; in our urban home, we rely on Michael's. For the homekeeper's library, The Complete Jewelry-Making Course is a solid basic guide. This thoughtfully written and well-illustrated course teaches all of the basics along with offering inspiring and practical projects. Once you start making and repairing jewelry, your own aesthetic will guide you to resources and projects, from romantic Victorian fancies to architectural post-modern statement pieces. One such is steampunk jewelry, as exemplified by Steampunk Emporium and Steampunk Style Jewelry. Some of my favorite projects from these specialized guides include Absinthe charms, cuff links and bracelet (Emporium, pp. 52 - 63), White Star Line necklace (Jewelry, p. 72), Captured Time ring (Jewelry, p. 34) and Admiral's Cuff (Jewelry, p. 131).
Paper Craft. Scrapbooking and papercraft are simple to learn and to do. They require a modest commitment of time and supply costs, but the return on investment could not be more rewarding. I have scrapbooks that go back thirty years, and turning those pages is the very definition of history coming alive. While all one really needs is glue, mementos and paper, books and resources about scrapbooking not only enliven your creativity but plug you into the community of fellow papercrafters, as most contemporary publications include access to online communities where await downloadable resources including templates, discounts at the craft store, and places to share your own designs, often by upload or pin. These include the downloadable paper crafts at Urban Home Blog such as ice cream bar party invitations and a bookmark.
That bookmark will come in handy when you dip into your scrapbooking and papercraft titles. A great fundamental title is The Encyclopedia of Scrapbooking Tools and Techniques. This well-written and -illustrated guide to the techniques and tools of this craft covers everything. With scrapbooking, one learns the techniques as one engages the craft, and from that emerges one's own creative style. I like the aesthetic and technique of Clean and Simple Scrapbooking and Clean and Simple Scrapbooking the Sequel, which offer forthright templates and techniques for a papercraft approach that avoids fuss. As you begin to capture memories from the four seasons and the events and holidays that fall within them, a good seasonal scrapbooking resource will be essential; try Better Homes and Gardens 365 Days of Scrapbooking Ideas. Papercrafters beyond the scrapbook will like Vintage Collage Journals, which contains beautiful examples of putting all kinds of ephemera to work with your memories and Delight in the Details, which has ideas for all kinds of paper mementoes. Finally, Wallpaper Projects is a wonderful little idea book for putting those patterns elsewhere in the home than the walls.
The study and application of craft are ongoing, and there are too many crafts to write about here. From making soap to putting together architectural models, from sewing aprons to tooling leather, whatever your craft, this is the perfect month either to learn and engage it or to re-learn and re-commit to it. If you are not sure which crafts interest you, Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts covers almost all of the bases, from basic introductions to dozens of crafts to several inspiring projects for each. And if the memories of our ancestors practicing craft hearthside resonates with you, an indispensable tome for your Homekeeper's Library is Spell Crafts.
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