Maker March with DK Canada

It's Maker March with DK Canada! If you're like me, I find myself gravitating towards books and my craft stash during this time of self isolation and social distancing. Books and creativity - what better to try and escape for a wee bit. DK Canada has some great ideas for Maker March - and beyond.

What one caught my eye? Knit Step By Step: Techniques, Stitches, and Patterns Made Easy by Vikki Haffenden and Frederica Patmore. I'm determined to master more than just the basics in knitting.

Knit Step by Step will take you from those basics - Tools and Materials to Techniques, to Projects and finally Stitch Patterns.

What I really, really like about DK books are the full colour pictures that accompany the information. And in this case, it's the actual items that would be employed in knitting. The information is laid out in a clean, attractive way that lets you read one piece at a time.

Very detailed, close up, well contrasted images are used to showcase the various stitches. These are really easy to follow. And then we arrive at the place I've never gotten past - harder stitches and patterns.....The key is not to panic! Just pick one to try and give it a go. That's what I'm doing - Fair Isle patterns are still aways off for me. But when I am ready, Knit by Knit has great, detailed info just waiting to be explored. Hint - make sure you check out the stitch pattern glossary at the back - this is where I picked the stitches I wanted to try.

And there are some projects included - there's a nice (easy!) baby blanket I'm going to make.

Knit Step by Step is a great resource for new and experienced knitters. Another great book from DK!

Maker March with DK Canada!

It's Maker March time at DK Canada! They've got some great suggestions in their Maker March Boutique..."whether you've got a budding chef on your hands or a budding scientist who wants to build something awesome, we've got the perfect books to keep kids busy and creating during Maker March!"

And not just kids - they're some great ideas for adults as well! The new edition of The Sewing Book by Alison Smith caught my eye......

I'm a self taught sewist, always looking to improve on my skills and discover new ideas and techniques. I was quite excited to explore the 400 pages of The Sewing Book - "more than 300 step by step techniques. Tools. Fabric. How to Use Patterns. Projects for the Home and to Wear." I happily turned the first page....
DK books excel at presenting information and ideas. The Sewing Bible was no exception. The images presented  are full colour photographs. They are crisp, clean images that let you see easily see the details, such as the thickness of different threads and the different types of fabrics. The accompanying information is clear and concise. The layout makes it easy to read.

I sewed a lot of my children's clothes when they were young using commercial patterns. I've never attempted to create or alter patterns for myself, which is something I'd like to try. The section covering this was excellent.

The actual sewing process is detailed as well - stitches. There was a great little pattern for a simple tote bag at the end of this chapter to practice (I have lots of scraps I could use up here!) Subsequent chapters deal with the different techniques of sewing clothes. Again, excellent directions and accompanying photographs. (I preferred these over drawn illustrations.) There are more small projects to practice more skills such as zippers, linings, buttons and more. A small unit on mending was also included. Patterns and an index complete the book.

The Sewing Book is an excellent resource for both novice and experienced sewists. And it's the quality of information and product that I've come to expect and appreciate from DK. Here's an excerpt of The Sewing Bible. See the sample page below.