This is the book I used to make my very first quilt. It takes you through all steps of making a quilt - buying fabric (all the measurements needed for a size are printed on one page), cutting fabric, and the assembly line method used for assembling the blocks is very easy to figure out and efficient - just make sure you sew straight! :)

All of the instructions are very clear and the large amounts of pictures are especially helpful. I would highly recommend this to a beginner quilter.

It may seem somewhat expensive since it is only one pattern, but the Quilt in a Day series is so user-friendly I find it well worth the price.

Thank you Eleanor! I knew next to nothing about quilting before purchasing this book. As a beginner, I needed something quick & easy to give me confidence and get me started. This book is superbly written for the beginner; simple, clear, & precise directions with color photos. From the shopping list to the 1,2,3 directions, this book a beginners must have. Even though I don't think a beginner can make this quilt in a day, I made my very first quilt (Lap Robe size) in two days.

The log cabin pattern is a fairly easy pattern to work with, and Eleanor Burns' book makes it foolproof. Detailed color photos and diagrams make the directions easy to follow, even for a beginner. A perfect book for a first-time quilter.

Ceramic Extruding: Inspiration & Technique by professional studio artists Tom and Jean Latka, is a thoroughly "user friendly" guide ideal for both aspiring ceramics workers and dedicated hobbyists to the use of a ceramic extruder or pugmill in new and wondrous ways to craft memorable and adventurous artworks in this challenging medium. More than 200 color photographs illustrate the easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions, as well as display possibilities for the finished product. Ceramic Extruding is a highly enjoyable how-to artbook and a strongly recommended addition to any personal, professional, or art school reference collection.

If you have been waiting for the best book on ceramic extrusion, it is
available now Ceramic Extruding by Jean and Tom Latka successfully answers the question of, "Why are all of those clay extruders rusting on potter's walls?" Their answer is thus: Ceramists, like everyone else, have to be inspired to create beautiful work. This book acts as a magical muse for artists by showing over 300 quality photos of beautiful work by some of the finest international contemporary artists working in the medium today. This book's focus is on the recent emergence of extruded ceramic art as dynamic and surprisingly varied form of creative expression.

"Though the words extrude and extrusion are not ones most people encounter in everyday conversation, we live in a world where we are surrounded by extruded objects. Our brick houses and their tile roofs are made from extruded clay. We shower on extruded tiles, send our smoke and fumes up extruded chimneys and our waste down extruded sewers. From the round O's in your breakfast cereal to the pasta on your dinner plate, extruded objects occupy every conceivable nook and cranny of our lives". Beginning with bricks, Ceramic Extruding details the history of the extruder then demonstrates the ease, as well as the necessity, of using an extruder in one's pottery. The book is organized in a logical manner in order to guide the reader by employing numerous step-by-step instructional methods.
Essentially, Ceramic Extruding is a how-to book and the projects gradually become more advanced. Apart from the photos, another subject that distinguishes this book from other books on the market is its comprehensive theory of extrusion and was the only chapter I had to read twice. It is a difficult subject. The authors give detailed information on why extruders act in the manner in which they do. For instance, I didn't know that clay moves faster down the center of the barrel than clay closer to the walls. This information is useful for artists who want to design their own dies.

Educators take note: As a teacher, I know how it feels to give students a
blank canvas and ask them to be creative. In contrast Ceramic Extruding
shows how to create a limitless supply of foundation material from the
extruder for the student.

The book truly has an international cast of artists, photos of ceramics
spanning from Australia to Inge Pedersen in Norway. I became aware of
several renowned European ceramicists. Antonio Cumella, Alessio Tasca, Elina
Brandt-Hanson, Jim Robison. Other artist's work that impressed me was Ken Williams, Jutta Golas, and Jack Sures. Jean and Tom Latka have an excellent body of work apart from each other, but their collaborative work shines superior.

Everyone has been waiting for the next thing in clay. Well Latka's Flying
Hybrid Extruder and Michael Sherrill's novel extruder/wheel could lead to
the new revolution in clay. The quick release system makes these extruders user friendly. The expansion box is larger than most other machines, and in the case of Flying Hybrid, it out performs slab machines by making slabs faster and more superior. Oddly enough, slab machines compress the clay from the center of the roller to the edges. This creates an unstable molecular structure and cracks result. The clay is evenly compressed in the Vertical Flying Hybrid. An 18"x24" slab is the result when an 8" cylindrical shape 18" long is extruded and sliced lengthwise.

I would like to sum up with a quote from Michael Cohen. "It is important to find a well-made extruder that is adaptable to your needs. As for the
wheel, once you learn how to use it, one question ultimately remains: What are you going to make? After mastering centrifugal force and friction, perhaps it's now time to use gravity and inertia to make a personal statement. Like throwing, it only looks easy."

"Extruding clay takes on a wonderful new meaning when you use the extruder as you would any tool---as one step in the making process, not as an end in itself. The extruder's contribution to the studio can be as profound and influential as the potters wheel --- a slab for the imagination to leap off from". Jean Latka

Two thumbs up! Burn the other extruder books; this is the only one you will ever need.
I am an college art teacher at U.S.C. and find it the best book for my introduction course on the Extruder.
...

The book has an international cast of artists, photos of ceramics
spanning from Australia to Inge Pedersen in Norway. I became aware of
several renowned European ceramicists. Antonio Cumella, Alessio Tasca, Elina
Brandt-Hanson, Jim Robison. Other artist's work that impressed me was Ken Williams, Jutta Golas, and Jack Sures. Jean and Tom Latka have an excellent body of work apart from each other, but their collaborative work shines superior.
Peter Helm

This is THE book to have for anyone interested in hammer-forming silver, copper, tin, and other non-ferrous metals. This is an in-depth, detailed, well-illustrated and CLEAR explanation of the tools and techniques for hammering soft metal sheets. This book has the information that all the other smithing books leave out. Highly recommended!

This book is a wonderful book for silversmiths or others interested in this timeless art.

For any one who is a silversmith, or wants to know more about it, this book is really fantastic! It covers a whole slew of information in both a clear yet thorough manner. As a smith my self, I think this book is a fantastic refrence, and really a great tool and volume of information and ideas. I highly reccomend it.

This book made me really want to learn more about celtic quilting. I can't wait to make more and more. Good directions and examples. Lot's of inspiring photos. A must for a true historic quilter.

This is a great book! I am impressed with Ms. Williams knowledge of the Celts and her quilt making. I like how different the projects can look by just a few changes in fabric (see pages 40,44, and 48). She also has lots of helpful quilting tips throughout the book!

This book provides historical information on Celtics and their quilting traditions. It is also detailed on supplies that are recommended as well as many techniques that quilters will use on all their projects. This is very well written with many good projects and illustrations. Speaking from personal experience....this book is written in the same style and with great attention to detail as Beth is in her own classrooms. Way to go Beth!! We anxiously await book #2.

Wow! This book is a genuine treasure. Like the other reviewers, I have a lot of sewing experience but have not done much quilting. I made 'Cascade' and could not believe how easy it was -- and how much fun, too. This book is well laid out which makes it easy to find what you're looking for, and easy to follow the amazingly simple steps.

When I first received the book, I thought, there is absolutely "no way" I can do this. I had never done any strip peacing work before. But, this book took me step by step through the strip peacing, Bargello process. Beth's thoughts and words about color and value are more thorough than anything I learned in college art classes. One could use the book for color theory alone. Beth's approach to Bargello is almost a "trust me" theory. I honestly did have my doubts but I followed her explicit instructions faithfully and my "Star Kindler" top is nearly complete. And it is fabulous beyond anything I could have hoped for or imagined.

Colorwash Bargello Quilts is one of the best quilting books I've read. As a relatively new quilter with 40+ years of sewing experience, I constantly battle the color rules for garment sewing when I'm working on a quilt. Beth Williams' book has one of the easiest discussions of choosing colors for quilts that I've read. I have constructed one of the projects and look forward to doing many more. Beth's book makes the details of quiltmaking and quilting very understandable.

you can do it all with this detective kit...

it has cool detective gear and a guide for how to be a super detective!

Stick with the motto that everyone follows {even the author}:

Buy it!

It is very handy book for those who want to be detectives!!Comes with allot of coool stuff.Stick with it - buy it!!!!

If you are a fan of the olsens, you will LOVE this kit! it comes with lots of stuff! I also reccommend the Walt Disney World adventure book.

This is a great book in the category of muscle-cars and one of the best offered by Amazon.com,however its not recommended for todays youth who werent around when these great cars ruled the roads.To enjoy this book,you need to be at least in your mid to late thirties.This book is not intended for todays teens or early twenties,theyre only permitted to enthuse about todays cars.

This is a great book for the muscle-car lover.Its comprehensive,offers accurate and complete technical specs and great photos of some of the hottest american cars ever produced.This book is recommended only for men 45 years old or older,its not appropriate for these young guys that werent even around when these cars were conceived and built!

I am a muscle car lover through and through and this book has all the info a true muscle car guru could ever hope to find. The pictures are well done and I liked the overall style of the book. I hope to find more like it using amazon.com!

Beth Russell is a master at creating easy to follow charts for needlepoint projects. Her color changes are particularly easy to follow. Any figure, flower or section of her designs can easily be separated and converted for use wherever wanted.

I got hooked on Needlepoint books once I discovered it was much cheaper to buy your own wools and canvases. Not to mention you don't have to try and figure out where all the printed lines REALLY belong!

First let me say that Beth Russell is not necessarily the place for beginners to start. The designs are detailed, and the charts are detailed, and the canvas is usually smaller than, say, Elizabeth Bradley. For those needlepointers with some experience, however, you will enjoy the challenge of translating these beautiful Morris-inspired designs into art for your home.

Some of the best I've done include the Morris Lion (a wonderful medieval-looking lion with an ornate tapestry background), the orange pillow (on the cover), and the woodpecker tapestry

William Morris is well-known for his intricate designs and wonderful harmonies. He was also a dedicated designer for needlework of many types. In Beth Russell, Morris has found a faithful and dedicated translator of his work for today's stitchers. This book is full of wonderful designs and charts which allow you to create Morris designs for yourself. From the wonderful, enormous Raven tapestry, to the simple fruit pillows, this book is a treasure to dream over or stitch from

I bought this book when I was new to woodworking and read it cover to cover. Completed a couple projects inside and now keep it around for reference on jigs, manipulations etc. I think this is the best of the router books currently available. It has info on every relevant topic including how to use a router for different types of cuts, making jigs for specail applications, explanations of bits including history, detailed plans for tables, jigs, etc. The best part of this book is its organization. As explanations of a certain type of use are covered, side bars are used to explain important related information like how to prevent an undesired effect, a safety consideration or an explanation of bits used. I highly reccomend this book to beginners and experienced woodworkers alike.

More so than any other single tool, jig, fixture, or accessory in your shop, this book helps you solve problems and get the job done. Starting with the basics of selecting and using routers and bits, you'll believe by the time you're halfway through this book that the router can do every job all your other tools do. By the time you finish the book, you'll understand how to do it all for yourself. The reason is simple: a router is simply a powerfully driven bit that be be guided with great precision. Bill Hylton taps into its potential by exploring the various ways to hold and guide it, performing jobs normally associated with other tools, as well as the exciting and mundane traditional routing jobs. Whether you're a beginner or expert with a router or woodworking, this book has something of value for everyone. It is well illustrated with photos and line drawings, bringing life to Bill's clear and easy to read writing style.

I am an absolute beginner having just bought my router and table this week. I knew I could make nice edges on wood projects but I never new of all the other great effects I could do with the router until I read this book. It covers all the basics, as well as some advanced techniques, and has all the necessary jig designs a beginning woodworker needs to become very effective with the router in a short amount of time. I would call this the "Routers Bible" and recommend it 110%. If you only get one book on routers, then it better be this one.

This book, although not practical, is lovely and dreamy. Great for thumbing through on a weekend afternoon. The author has tapped into my psyche by fueling my dream of having a getaway cottage. We want a dreamy place not in Europe but close enough to home so that we can escape every weekend if we want to. Fortunately, that is possible in our part of the country where vacation homes are common. I've searched for vacation homes and cottage books, and the best are:
SECOND HOME. Rating: 10. This gorgeous coffee table book is also practical. Great houses, dreamy photos of locations, but the homes, which are in all styles from cabins in the woods to big family homes on the Atlantic, aren't out of reach. The book has tips on finding a location and that sort of thing as well as decorating. Nice resource list with internet sites for more information. Blends dreamy beauty with information.
THE CABIN. Rating: 6. Another pretty coffee table book. Not practical in any way but nice to look at. More of an architecture book than anything else.
COTTAGE STYLE. Rating: 8. All about decorating any home so it looks like a weekend cottkage. My decorating "bible."
ADIRONDACK STYLE. Rating: 5. Good pictures of homes and interiors. But it's limited to one rustic style, of course.

A gorgeous layout and project portraying the decoration of a homoe. I am a frustrated artist spending hours at home with my toddler looking at boaring walls. This book has inspired me to plan out a picture book on the walls before my baby does!

As stated in the book's introduction, the decoration of this
house does indeed capture the mood, spirit and colors of
Provence. Anyone looking for ideas or studies of trompe l'oeil
will totally enjoy the art on every page. I remember the
first time I saw the art of Fisher and Chappell in an old issue
of Country Living magazine. They artfully painted a garden
shed and it made the cover of the magazine. A story unfolds
as you go room to room in this house, the walls are the illustrations. French tiles, a mouse on garden tools, rabbits
in a hutch, windows to lavender fields, murals of glorious
Provencal landscapes, a broken plate on the floor, pearls on the stair steps, rose petals on a window sill: are they
real or painted? An excellent addition to a collection of
interior design books. You can't go wrong here. The resource
guide in the back features decorative sources, fabric and upholstery sources, garden catalogs and graphic designers.
Lots of garden pictures too as Nina Williams was the founding
editor of Country Living Gardener. From the kitchen to the
atelier, the boudoir to the foyer you will find inspiration!
Thumbs up!