Books On Target For Crafters

Crafters should be on the lookout for two new books, one for inspiration, the other for application.

Due in bookstores in September is "The Gentle Art of Domesticity - Stitching, Baking, Nature, Art & The Comforts of Home" by popular blogger Jane Brocket, www.yarnstorm.blogs.com.

Although it includes some recipes, this is less a how-to than a collection of one- to two-page essays on all things domestic.

Some topics are practical, such as this discussion of the art deco flowers Brocket embroidered at top right:

"The satin stitch is, well, satiny and forms a silky contrast to the tiny bobbles of the French knots. ... Stem stitch works like a felt-tip marker, outlining and framing petals and leaves with an unbroken color."

(The middle panel is her home and garden; the third, a bouquet.)

Other musings are philosophical, such as this on comfort:

"It doesn't strike me as healthy to inhabit a comfort zone all the time. Better to have tougher, more exacting times that highlight the nature and value of our comforts, than to believe we can remain snug, cozy and protected from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune forever."

"The Gentle Art" (Stewart, Tabori & Chang; $35) is liberally illustrated with beautiful full-color photographs. A list of resources in the back includes some of the author's favorite shops in the United Kingdom and New York.

If what you seek is hard and fast solutions, check "The Beading Answer Book" by Karen Morris. It offers clear, simply stated answers to more than 200 beading questions, lists of tools, explanations of beading terminology, and lots of helpful illustrations.

Here's a sample:

"Do I need any special scissors for beading"

"Besides the sharp-pointed pair that's so helpful for closely trimming threads from your work, you'll also need a pair of kids' scissors to cut strong, 'uncuttable' polyethylene threads. For some reason, the blades on these scissors align just perfectly for cutting these tough threads."

"The Beading Answer Book" (Storey; $14.95) is about 430 pages in a handy 4 1/2 -by-6 1/2 -inch size.

Penny Carnathan