Wednesday Craft Book Review & October: Make a Book - nearly November

 

Can you believe it's halfway through the month already?  The days have certainly got colder, and my woolly jumpers are emerging from the wardrobe, along with gloves and a pink cashmere and silk pashmina picked up for about three quid in a charity shop.  One of my better finds.  I've got a few things to blog about today, so I'll crack on.  As it's Wednesday I'll review a craft book.  This time it's Maria Shell's 'Improv Patchwork.'  As you can see from the cover, it's subtitled 'Dynamic Quilts made with Line & Shape', and that's pretty much what the book showcases.  

It's full of colour photographs, and if you're a fan of modern improv quilts, and stripes in particular, it's the book for you.  It's a comprehensive book, going into a good amount of detail, as can be seen from the contents pages above.  There are some craft books that're ideal for browsing.  Flicking through, looking longingly at glossy photographs of inspiring quilts.  But there are some craft books that require close reading and attention to detail.  

I think if you're wanting to graduate from enjoyably making patchwork for yourself, and move on to producing quilts that wouldn't look out of place in shows or exhibitions, this book would be useful for making that step up.  

There's a lot about colour theory, understanding how colours relate to each other in designs, about using pattern and repetition.  It'll make you itch to get sewing, and piecing up your own stripes, zig zags, crosses and checks.  

Maria Shell's improv patchwork is very distinctive, and you're spoilt for images of it as the book's packed with them.   

This was one of my newer purchases, first published in 2017, and it's been a welcome addition to my bookshelf.  Well worth the cover price.  

Okay, from a published book to my October Make a Book challenges.  I might've gone a bit overboard with book making ... 

These are two concertina (a.k.a. zig zag) books that I made and filled with gel printed collage paper.  I've never got through so many glue sticks!

Sometimes I put prints side by side that have the same colourway, such as blues or greens.  Other times I like a lot of contrast and clashes.  

Most of the prints are done on copier paper, but I've also used book pages from an old, unwanted volume.  

Here are the concertina books laid flat, front and back views.  

I've also been a busy bunny making sheets of painted papers using an A3 sketchpad.

The idea is to make abstract pages that can be cut, folded and incorporated into an art journal.  The pages can then be drawn over, collaged over, photos or ephemera stuck on them, poems or words/phrases written or stamped on them.

I tried making a little Instagram-friendly video of me flicking through this stack of pages, but it's hard to hold a mobile phone in one hand - trying to keep it steady - and use my other hand to turn the pages.  The video itself came out very shaky, like I'd been enjoying one too many drinks!

Let's round up this blog post with a nifty little 'Nearly November' book made out of black tags (luggage labels).  The tags were made from a pack of inexpensive card stock and I used my Sissix machine and a die cut to make the basic shapes.  There are five tags in all, so it's a quick book to make and to decorate. 

You need to score a fold line across your tags.  Hopefully you can see the scores in the photo below.  You make the horizontal line at the top of the tag's straight sides, before they're rounded off.  These particular tags are about 16cm in total length, and the score line is 13cm from the base of the tag.  

(The shaped area above that scored line is going to form the book's spine.   The main body of the tag will be the book's page.)

Draw, paint or collage the main area of your tags, or leave 'em blank if you simply want to make a book with nothing in it.  As I've used five tags in all, two of those are going to be my front and back cover.  

Once you're happy with your tags, stick the book together.  You can use glue, but double sided tape is ideal for this purpose.  Cut small pieces of it and place above the score line on a tag.  Peel off the backing tape and place another tag on top of the first.  Now you've joined two pages up.  Keep going ...

When all your tags are joined, then maybe add extra printed details and a ribbon or two.  

My printed lettering went slightly wonky, but I still like how it's turned out.  


Okay, that's about it for today.  I finished reading S.J. Parris 'Heresy' (very good) and am halfway through Emma Donoghue 'Frog Music' and kind-of enjoying it.  I like the unusual setting - San Francisco 1876, the middle of a smallpox epidemic - and I like the fact the central characters aren't all that likeable.  The only person who's really got something going for them ends up dead within the first few pages!  

Right, I'm switching on the 6 o'clock news for more depressing headlines, then may console myself with some chocolate.  Bye for now.