Martingale and Company

Express yourself with this book of patterns for quick and easy decorative touches for your home. For the dining room, there is a pretty, but very simple hand embroidered table runner. There are several patterns for patchwork placemats, pot holders, and table runners. For the bedroom there are instructions for adding trims to pillowcases and sheets. You can make tab-top curtains with a matching bed skirt. There is a cute bathroom organizer that hangs with your shower curtain and is made with 2 hand towels.

There are patterns for embellished lampshades and a lounge sack, but then my favorite section comes along: Pillows - square, round, cubed - pillows of all sorts and styles.

There are 24 projects in all, and many of them are perfect for beginner crafters. There are a few for the more advanced, but most of them are simple designs that with the right fabric choices will add a touch of your own style to each room. There are detailed instructions with each pattern and four pages of home sewing and embroidery techniques.

I received a copy of this book for review, but I always give my honest opinion of the book… (mais)

I would never have thought that there would actually be 365 different kinds of knit stitch patterns, but this nice perpetual calendar has not only the stitches, but a nice section with instructions for some of the special stitches.

I thought I would try to at least make up a sample of a project to see if the instructions are easy to follow. Just picking a page at random, I decided to try April 4 which is the Stockinette Triangles. This one was an easy one with multiples of 5 stitches and 6 rows and worked up quickly.

Although the one I tried was an easy one, there are stitch designs for all skill levels. The possibilities are endless with dozens of cable stitches, twist stitches, laces, and bobbles, woven style, and so much more.

Because this is a perpetual calendar, you can buy it any time of the year and use it year after year. This stand-up desk calendar has a very sturdy base and heavy duty double spiral binder.

This would make a nice addition to a craft room, office desk or a gift for a knitter.… (mais)