Crafts


76375 ABBEY HOUSE AND GARDENS MALMESBURY by Mark Child


Abbey House was constructed in the 16th century and stands on a ridge high above the river at Malmesbury, next to the famous abbey church. Built as a residence for the family of one of England’s most important Tudor clothiers, the house was raised above the remains of a 13th century building, still in situ. Today, it is surrounded by some of the most beautiful private gardens in the country which are open, in season, to the public. The tale of Abbey House begins at the birth of Christianity in the Cotswolds, spans the Dissolution of the Monasteries and encompasses the renaissance of trade that succeeded the latter. We read about entrepreneurs and tradesmen, politicians and soldiers, surgeons and doctors, nuns, aristocrats and landed gentry, as well as learning how the history of the nation affected the house and how the estate engages with the story of Malmesbury. Here, too, are the now world-famous Naked Gardeners, Ian and Barbara Pollard, the creators of Abbey House Gardens. 224 paperback, colour photos. £16.99 NOW £6


76579 LITTLE BOOK OF POPULAR PERENNIALS: A Guide to the Selection and


Cultivation of Your Favourite Plants by Maureen Little


In this compact, clearly laid out volume, each alphabetical entry contains practical and detailed advice about the main characteristics of every selected perennial including Acanthus, Clematis, Dahlia, Erigeron, Lavandula, Verbena and Viola, and how to grow and propagate it, the optimal growing conditions, soil requirements and best maintenance regime for individual plants and also an index of common names of plants with their Latin equivalent. Plus which perennials are beneficial to wildlife, which are suitable to use as cut flowers, and the latest news on variety development. 237 paperback pages, glowing with colour. £9.99 NOW £4


76596 TALES FROM TITCHMARSH: A Year in the Garden by Alan Titchmarsh


Lay down your trowel, take off your wellies and enjoy a bit of quintessential Titchmarsh with his brilliant and practical writings. Opinionated - ‘I always rail at people who go out on a Sunday afternoon to tidy their gardens. I mean, a garden is not a sock drawer.’ Cheeky - ‘I have a theory that gardeners grow to look like their soil.’ Wistful - ‘You’ve got to be a bit of a dreamer to get the most out of your garden.’ From January to December he says it all with flowers, chickens, hedges, sitting pretty in a garden of delights, kitchen projects, water quandaries, the kindest cuts, grumpy old gardeners, plants he has loathed and dreaming of a white spotted Christmas. 276pp in paperback. £9.99 NOW £3.50


CRAFTS


Creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.


- Albert Einstein


76778 FABRIC MEMORY BOOKS: Techniques, Projects,


Inspiration by Lesley Riley For years, artists have been combining paper and fabric into books - telling stories with paragraphs of pattern, words of thread, and punctuation of trim and


ephemera. With this unusual volume, you can combine your love of crafting, fabric and reading to create unique volumes for preserving your memories. The 24 projects detailed here feature a variety of binding methods as well as inventive techniques like transferring photographs on to textiles and making photo transfers. You do not have to follow them slavishly. If you prefer they will provide wonderful starting points for your own distinctive designs. The volume is divided into two parts. The first one investigates the basics of book making, the use of materials both old and new, the arts of story-telling and composition. The second describes both unbound and pre-bound books, as well as accordion folded, button-bound, button-jointed, and sewn-binding books, and alternatives to these. Your heart must warm to an author who advises: ‘If a line you intended to sew straight turns out crooked, try sewing another crooked line, turning the crooked line into an intentional design element!’ 127 pages 25.5cm x 21.5cm lavishly illustrated in colour, with metric conversion charts. $24.95 NOW £4.50


76804 ROMANTIC


ILLUSTRATIONS: Book and CD from Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.


Sub-titled ‘Artwork for Scrapbooks and Fabric-Transfer Crafts’. The Memories of a Lifetime series, of which this book is one, provides you with a wealth of decorative art that you can download onto your


computer from the enclosed CD. Photocopy them, or use the perforated pages as they are. The publishers have scoured flea markets, vintage design books and other sources for old-fashioned, hard-to-find images that can be used in a variety of projects. All you need is a little imagination and this unique collection, in order to create your own treasured keepsakes. The CD contains hundreds of high-quality colour images, ranging in size from small, detailed borders, to large, page-filling elements, that can be downloaded on to both PC and Macintosh computers. Make your choice from a wealth of elegant cherubs, botanical motifs, fairy tale scenes, lettering and other sophisticated designs all in colour. 57 large format paperback pages, including eight page illustrated gallery of project ideas plus FREE CD. £9.99 NOW £4


www.bibliophilebooks.com 77145 ART FINE


WOODTURNING by S. Gary Roberts The 33 beautiful projects in this book look good enough to fetch decent prices in your local gallery, but maybe you simply want to enrich your home environment. Either way, if you have basic knowledge and experience at lathe


and woodworking skills, including spindle-turning, open bowls and lidded boxes, then you should be able to tackle these rewarding projects. The author talks you through each project from start to finish, with numerous templates and dimensional drawings. Starting with lathe safety rules, he goes on to describe his own methods of sanding and creating a good finish, recognising that the finish is always individual to the craftsperson and sometimes constitutes a trademark. Most of these projects use mesquite wood which has exceptional lateral grain strength, making it good for turning and carving. After a pierced Lidded Bowl the author goes on to a simple Classical Urn with the addition of decorative curlicue handles. A fine Shell-Carved Vertical Hollow Flask is now on display at Texas Agricultural and Medical University. Another piece of mesquite is carved into the shape of a small flower arrangement, with beautifully turned flowers on delicate stems. Several different musical boxes are attractive projects that would make good presents, and finally Izzy A. Turner is a captivating gonk with rotating features. The Horse Carousel Music Box presents interesting turning, carving and engineering challenges, while the Thread Dispenser incorporates a hidden drawer in the piece. 160pp, softback, numerous colour photos and templates. £12.99 NOW £6.50


76780 FANCIFUL PAPER PROJECTS: Making Your Own


Posh Little Follies by Sandra Evertson


Paper is an underrated medium of artistic creativity and the superb projects in this book provide ways of glamorising your shelves and odd corners creatively and inexpensively. The author uses her


own collection of vintage ephemera to provide photocopiable pages, giving you a ready-made source of Victorian motifs, lettering, visiting cards and book illustrations. And of course you can collect your own materials from old magazines, decorative wrappings and other paper products. Extra items you will need are card, hole-punchers, clamps, beads, string, glue, and the usual tools for working with paper. The book’s 18 projects include paper theatres, decorative boxes and stand-up figures. Theatre La Rousse evokes the world of music hall with its decorative frame in which a Pierrot is poised to perform, while the Cupcake Papier Mache Box is a delightful holder for a sweet treat, a chequered box topped with a mournful clown in a pointy hat. The Petite Theatre shows a ballerina pirouetting inside a box frame adorned with de?coupage, and Babbit’s Cabbage is a party invitation held by a cut-out of Babbit the Rabbit, perched on a realistic-looking cabbage created with layers of green crepe paper. Once you get started, you will be set for hours of creative activity with this unusual book. 128pp, softback, numerous templates, colour designs and photos. £8.99 NOW £3.50


76793 NAKED WALL by Anne Bold-Pryor and Donna Lacis


A naked wall demands to be covered, whether with a bold wallpaper design, a bank of vintage biscuit tin lids, a collection of antique clocks or a display of Mexican crucifixes. This beautifully illustrated book is guaranteed to give you


hundreds of original and creative ideas for interior decoration, most of it inexpensive compared with the cost of buying furniture or more conventional wall art. The author starts with painting and texturing your wall, with choice of colour being a key element in providing a background for your draperies or collections. Decorated ceilings can be striking and unexpected, while painting the walls of a room different colours can achieve bold architectural effects. A section on Alternative Materials includes “brown-bagging a wall”, which literally means sticking torn-up brown paper bags on your wall, with unexpectedly stunning effect. The corner of a hall is enlivened by a bank of dark blue tiling, while a decorative brickwork facing can give a wall a rustic exposed look, particularly if it is then lightly painted with an eggshell wash. If your home has old panelling that you are reluctant to remove, it can be brightened up. A single striking piece of abstract art, or a tapestry or wall- hanging, can be a focal point whose colours are picked up in the wall colours and drapery. 200 gorgeous colour photos. 176pp, softback. £14.99 NOW £4.50


76899 CELTIC SPIRALS HANDBOOK


by Sheila Sturrock The Celts believed in seven life forms - plants, insects, fish, reptiles, birds, mammals and man - but, as it was forbidden to copy the work of the creator, these were represented in a stylised and highly imaginative form, typically with extended and interwoven limbs, ears, tails and


tongues. In time these too became further stylised into repeating rectilinear or curvilinear patterns and Sheila Sturrock shows in her fascinating introduction how spirals in Celtic art, as part of the curvilinear family of patterns, in fact derive from the swastika (four-legged) and triskele (three-legged) crosses combined with the wheel, whose spokes represented the sun’s rays. Having explained the history and derivation of Celtic spirals, the author then reveals a broad and inventive selection of over 100 designs in which detailed templates are combined with easy-to-follow plotting instructions. Beginning with simple spirals we gradually progress to


more challenging and elaborate patterns, the reader will rapidly acquire the confidence and skills to create unique patterns of their own which can be applied to papercrafts, woodcarving, embroidery, knitting, patchwork and lacemaking, as well as simply drawing for pleasure. Includes list of materials, equipment and colour, 138pp softback. £9.99 NOW £4


76316 ORIGAMI GONE WILD by John Montroll


Paper folds for all skill levels to make an aardvark, panda, giraffe, rhinoceros, moose, zebra, lion, gorilla, African elephant, chimpanzee, or simple crocodile among the 20 fabulous paper folding designs. With large illustration in colour, step-by-step instructions, the internationally renowned origami master presents a menagerie of more than 20 jungle and forest animals. 128pp in very large softback. £18.99 NOW £6.50


75602 SEW FAST SEW EASY by Elissa Meyrich Do you remember those Simplicity patterns and leafing through dozens of them in department stores to select a style and an article of clothing to make? And did you ever want to create your own designer-look fashions, develop unique accessories or home furnishings? Enclosed in the back page are three simple patterns with easy-to-follow instructions. There is a glossary of sewing terms and a survival sewing kit to get you started. Make an envelope pillow cover, a tote bag and a smart skirt and learn the info on correct fits, putting in elastic, pressing and hemming. 100pp. Softback. $23.95 NOW £3.75


75609 TILE ARTIST’S MOTIF BIBLE by Jacqui Atkin


A Picasso face, spirals and dots, diamond, Buddha, a North American Indian face, church windows, balloons, foliage, coral, a majolica butterfly, a bumble bee, magpie, Delft- style, a Greek pattern with border and Aztec serpent are among 200 decorative designs with step-by-step instructions and charts. For each there is a full colour photo, diagrams, order of work, clay required, paint brushes and under glaze and stains, and arranging the tiles with a design idea. Step- by-step colour photos, 256pp on spiral binding. $29.99 NOW £4.75


75691 FAIRY TALE KNITS: 20 Enchanting


Characters to Make by Fiona Goble The Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the Wicked Witch, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel and her Prince, Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother are among a line up of 20 fabled characters to knit. Here are the dresses, aprons, shoes, shorts, coats, panties, nightgowns, slippers, and of course the bodies, heads, legs and arms, how to make up each little character. Our favourites must be the dreadfully Ugly Sisters! 80 page very large softback all in colour. $19.99 NOW £5.50


75766 BABY BLUEPRINT CROCHET: Irresistible Projects for Little Ones by Robyn Chachula


Easy-to-read stitch diagrams for 19 projects, from soft, colourful garments for boys and girls to smaller pieces and accessories such as blankets and toys. From choosing the right yarn and colours, through learning to read the basic crochet symbols, granny square and stitch pattern diagrams and planned schematics, through the step-by- step construction right up to finishing and baby-proofing your work so that it lasts for a long time. We particularly like Burt the Robot and Ellie the Elephant, and the Popsicle Boots are our favourites. 151 softback pages. £15.99 NOW £4.50


75803 KNITTING NEVER FELT BETTER: The Definitive Guide to Fabulous Felting by Nicky Epstein


We lust after the floral coat on page 104 and the chic mock tweed hat on page 14. After giving basic instructions and showing how different yarns react to the felting process, the book outlines techniques for creating unique, three-dimensional objects out of felted knitting, the best stitch patterns for such projects and how to turn old sweaters into beautiful garments, toys or household objects. There are more than 20 lovely projects with directions, including shawls, scarves, jackets, hats, bags, dog coats and toys. 176 pages 29cm x 25cm in glorious close-up colour with templates. £19.99 NOW £6.75


76165 MODELLING THE F4F WILDCAT by Mark Glidden


Expert advice from the Osprey Modelling series with big clear colour photography providing step-by-step instructions, unrivalled detail, useful tips and techniques and creating approaches to modelling. The F4F Wildcat was an aircraft of the type of which legends are made. This book details four modelling projects across a wide range of skill levels covering Wildcat variants and markings, from those serving with the RAF in the desert to US planes in the Pacific. 80pp plus colour chart covering interior green for the cockpit to dark gull grey for the topside of the aircraft. Large softback. £12.99 NOW £4


76301 CARNAVAL PAPER DOLLS WITH GLITTER by Tom Tierney


No need to travel all the way to Brazil, you have your own twinkly, glittery press-out paper Carnival figures in this super collection of 16 dolls to press out, fold the tabs, stand up and decorate with their plumes and hats. Do not cut out white space between the arm and costume! Some have huge head dresses, kinky boots, half harlequin costumes, tiny bikinis, glorious fairy style dresses and then there is Rei Momo, King of the Carnaval. Celebrate the famous festival with a parade of your own sparkling paper dolls with clusters of feathers, sensuous silks, jewelled tiara and glitter from head to toe. 16 in total in large softback. Colour. £10 NOW £3.50


75804 KNITWEAR DESIGN WORKSHOP by Shirley Paden


Starts by explaining how to make an individual measurement worksheet, using not only the standard sizing guides but also detailed body measurements such as neck, shoulder and upper arm width. Alternatives to the classic pullover silhouette include dropped shoulders


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29 HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY


Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. - William Shakespeare, All’s Well That Ends Well


76822 ENGLAND’S QUEENS:


The Biography by Elizabeth Norton


From the early queens of England, both real and mythical, such as Boudicca, Etheldreda, Guinevere and Cordelia and then right up to Elizabeth II, this splendid biography impressively details each individual monarch, charting the course of queen-ship through nearly 2,000 years of history. Nearly 80


women have sat on the throne of England, either as queen regnant or queen consort. Each played her own part in shaping what the role of queen would become. Over the ages, their primary role was to provide an heir. Catherine of Aragon found this to her cost, divorced by Henry VIII for failing to produce a healthy son. The birth of an heir was also a route to power, as instanced by Eleanor of Aquitaine, who became the most powerful woman in Europe during the reigns of her sons. Emma of Normandy was so desperate to be queen mother that she manipulated her three sons in an attempt to ensure that at least one would ascend to the throne. Two succeeded in turn, with their mother as leading advisor, of course! Strong relationships could also develop between the queens and their husbands, or kings and their lovers such as Edward VIII, who abdicated rather than lose Wallis Simpson, who was twice divorced and would not have been accepted as queen. Not all marriages were happy. Queens like Isabella of France and Catherine Howard, fatally, took lovers as a form of escape. The unhappy Sophia Dorothea of Celle was imprisoned for over 30 years by her husband George I when her affair was discovered, and her lover was murdered. Some lucky queens were able to break away from husband or parental control. Victoria, for example, spent her childhood secluded with her over-protective mother, even sharing the same bedroom until the day she was proclaimed queen, when she finally freed herself from her mother’s control. 354 fascinating pages lavishly illustrated with plates in colour and b/w and genealogical tables. £16.99 NOW £7


76856 THOMAS BECKET: Warrior, Priest, Rebel, Victim by John Guy


For 900 years, he has been lauded and damned, venerated and judged. In this living, breathing portrait, he is finally understood. The story of Thomas Becket is the story of an enigma. As the descendants of William the Conqueror engaged in a bitter struggle for the succession to the throne, this tall and handsome offspring of a Norman draper’s merchant climbed the rungs of power to become one of the most charismatic, adept and determined power-brokers of all time. He rose, within the space of 35 years, to become the most powerful man in the kingdom, second only to Henry II himself as his chancellor then as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162. He repeatedly challenged Henry’s authority to bring the church to heel. He led 700 knights into battle, brokered peace between nations, held the ear of the Pope and brought one of the strongest rulers in Christendom to his knees. Within three years of his bloody assassination in Canterbury Cathedral at the age of 50, he was a saint whose cult had spread the length and breadth of Europe, inspiring works by Chaucer and, in our own time, T. S. Eliot. At once a peacemaker and a ruthless manipulator, a lover of hunting and fine clothes yet with a reputation for asceticism, a dilettante who later found the capacity for rigorous hard work but who remained deeply insecure about his background, his singular abilities sprang from a host of personal contradictions - perfectly captured in a compelling book. 422 pages, with plates in colour and b/w, note on units of currency, maps, The Earliest Biographers’ Who’s Who, genealogical table, and note on primary sources. £25 NOW £8


76870 HERETIC QUEEN: Queen Elizabeth I and the


Wars of Religion by Susan Ronald


Queen Elizabeth I was a political prisoner for most of her young life, and when her sister Mary Tudor died, vigorous attempts were made by Catholics to suggest that Elizabeth, as the daughter of Anne Boleyn, was illegitimate. On paper Mary Queen of Scots undoubtedly


had a better claim to the throne. Thus Elizabeth started her reign amid intrigue and danger, and throughout her long life her aim was to steer a middle course between political and religious extremes. She knew that the English people wanted something between Catholicism and Calvinism and set herself to provide it. Under her adviser William Cecil she consolidated her position legally but refused all Cecil’s efforts to persuade her to marry, so that her virginity began to symbolise her even- handedness on matters of religion. Her first love Robert Dudley was always in the background, and Elizabeth maintained an aloof public façade. Meanwhile the government systematically stripped parish churches of


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or a reverse taper, where the hem is wider than the upper body. Cardigans can be made with a centre closure, overlapping bands, rounded front edges or one- piece construction, while skirts and dresses can be tailored to a wide variety of silhouettes. Sleeves and cuffs, necklines, collars and lapels have extensive sections detailing the variations that can raise a basic pattern to a garment with designer individuality. Diagrams and charts. Colour. 344pp. £17.99 NOW £6


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