Announcing DIY Ideas

I’m super excited to tell you about the latest book from our partners at Do It Yourself magazine and Better Homes and Gardens. DIY Ideas is chock full of tips and tricks for sprucing up your home, with dozens of easy projects for every room. Whether you want to paint your walls, make over a piece of furniture, or add a personal touch to accessories like window treatments and lampshades, this book tells you how. And you’re sure to find inspiration from the book’s gorgeous photos!

One of my favorite projects in DIY Ideas is the Alphabet Shade from the Window Treatments chapter. How cute is that valance? And I love the idea of starting with a simple roller shade and making it your own–you could do all sorts of things using this basic pattern, and not just for a kid’s room.

For instructions for this project and many others, check out DIY Ideas!

Sewn Hats is Here!

If you’re looking for a fun, unique, sewing projects for yourself and everyone you love, check out our new book Sewn Hats! Edited by Carla Crim, founder of Scientific Seamstress LLC, and featuring a ton of amazing contributors, you’ll find the perfect hat for everyone. One feature that I love about this book is that most of the hats are sized from baby through men’s, so if, say, a special man in my life is pining for Betz White’s adorable and animal-friendly “coonskin” cap, I can oblige.

This collection features 27 top-shelf contributors, including such creative and loved designers as Patti Young, Joanna Figueroa, Kathy Mack, Jennifer Paganelli, and Karen LePage. One special bit of love we added here is that all pattern pieces are housed online, so you can print what you need, when you need it, and tragedy doesn’t strike should you misplace a piece: You simply print another copy. We’ve all been there, ripping apart the craft closet, at 2 a.m., looking for a missing pattern piece!

The book is out now and available everywhere books are sold. We can’t wait to see your great creations.

Say Goodbye to Summer with a Cool Treat

Although summer weather is still in full swing, school has started up again for many of us, and that can only mean cooler temperatures aren’t far behind. While the summer sun is still shining bright, whip up a cool treat and spend some time outside! Jennifer Casa‘s Snowy Citrus Cups from her book Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crafting with Kids is a great summer refresher, and it’s a fun easy thing to make together with your kids. Click here for the complete instructions: Snowy Citrus Cups.

Let’s Go Fishing!

The Let’s Go Fishing Hat (shown on the cover) is one of the reader favorites in Shelly Figueroa & Karen LePage‘s Sewing for Boys: 24 Projects to Create a Handmade Wardrobe. The raw edges and patchwork nature of this hat are the definition of weekend summer casual. The authors recommend using up your old scraps or old shirts to make a hat your boys will want to wear. Click the cover above for the free pattern.

Crafting with Kids

There are only a few weeks left to enjoy summer before everyone starts gearing up again for school. What better way to enjoy family togetherness and take a break from the heat than diving into some crafting?

 Marie LeBaron’s Make and Takes for Kids: 50 Crafts Throughout the Year features some fun summer projects including a paper tube rattlesnake (as seen on the cover), clothespin butterflies, egg carton sea creatures, and rainbow-colored cooling fans.

Jennifer Casa’s Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crafting with Kids also has some fun projects to complete as a family. Patchwork lanterns, chore charts, dip-dyed t-shirts, and stamped garden markers all make for summer-friendly projects.

 We’d love to hear about your family crafting adventures. Have fun enjoying your last few weeks of summer!

Free Project from Teach Yourself VISUALLY Jewelry Making & Beading

Knotted and woven bracelets are popping up everywhere these days, from Etsy to Nordstrom and beyond. Why not try your hand at making your own? Chris Franchetti Michaels shows you how in her Beaded Square Knot Hemp Bracelet project from her book Teach Yourself VISUALLY Jewelry Making & Beading–a guide that’s packed with how-to information about all kinds of jewelry-making techniques, including the macrame knotting used in this project. You just might feel like you’re back at summer camp!

For many more great projects and techniques, check out More Teach Yourself VISUALLY Jewelry Making, also by Chris. And check back here for more news about her latest book, Earrings VISUAL Project Guide, coming this fall!

Free Project: Saturday Market Skirt

Ever since we published Sewing Bits & Pieces, I’ve wanted to make the Saturday Market Skirt. Tell me how cute this is.

As my four-year-old would say, “SO cute!”

With drought hitting the Midwest, the idea of a flowy, pretty skirt that catches even the slightest breeze became more and more appealing, and last week I grabbed a stack of fabric from my stash and finally made the skirt. The verdict? LOVE IT. Absolutely love it. The construction is so well put together and finished, and it was a lot of fun to sew.

Do you want to make your own? You can get the free pattern here. Sandi sized the pattern from young girl to women’s XL, so it’s perfect for everyone who wants to add a little flair to her wardrobe.

Introducing Candice Olson Bedrooms

If you are into interior design, you’re sure to know Candice Olson, whose shows air regularly on HGTV in the U.S. and W Network in Canada. Well, we here at Wiley are very proud to be her book publisher! I’m excited to tell you about her latest book, Candice Olson Bedrooms. It features 25 stunning room makeovers, with sketches and design boards showing how each room took shape, plus gorgeous photography that provides a wealth of visual inspiration. Candice’s tips and insights into what makes each space work give you practical knowledge for planning your own bedroom redesign, either for yourself, your guests, or your kids. Here are a few images from the book to give you a taste of the amazing ideas you’ll find:

Summer Bolster

Vintage AND practical–what’s not to love? The summer bolster is one of my favorite projects from Maya Donenfeld‘s Reinvention. It transforms your winter down comforter into a lovely storage pillow that can be showcased year-round. Maya suggests using a larger piece of an antique textile such as a bed sheet, coverlet, or tablecloth. Perfect for refashioning that heirloom that has been hiding away in the closet. Click on the above picture for instructions and be sure to read her heartwarming story at the end. Thanks, Maya!

Knitting in the Heat

The sweltering summer months don’t mean you need to put away your needles until the cool of fall. You just need to change what’s on them! As the weather turned from unseasonably warm to drought-conditions-that-made-fireworks-illegal here in the Midwest, I’m casting on some adorable knits from two books from Kristi Porter. Check these out!

Knitting In the Sun offers 32 warm-weather patterns perfect for both knitting and wearing as the temperatures climb. Here are a few favorites.

Kristi, a mom of two young kids, followed up Knitting in the Sun with More Knitting in the Sun, which features 32 patterns for the little ones in your life. Here’s what I’m planning to knit for my three kids.

Have fun!