Nathalie Mornu

My deep appreciation for the use of wool in quilts began long ago when I first saw a collection of Amish Quilts made of wool at the Whitney Museum in New York City. Wool, aside from being warm , wool is also a pleasure to work with - and it makes color sing.

I've been involved in the quilting world for many years now and I have wondered why quilting with wool has not made a comeback. It seems like a perfect fit to me. Voila! This new book "Quilt It With Wool: Projects Stitched On Tartans, show more Tweeds, & Other Toasty Fabrics" by Nathalie Mornu (Published by Lark Books) is finally beckoning sewing enthusiasts and quilters back into the "make it from wool" fold. Things like penny rugs have made a significant reappearance in recent years and wools have become a prominent fixture at large quilt shows. Richly colored and patterned wools have, it seems, become more available. Wool is,perhaps, a bit more expensive than most quilting/sewing cottons - but colors are rendered so much richer in wool! This book offers a variety of projects that will not require a huge expenditure (you can even use re-purposed wool) but will whet your appetite for all things wool!

Ms. Mornu begins her book with a thorough and informative section about wool's history, wool types and how to choose wool for the projects in the book. She also reviews things like what the components of a quilt are; batting, non-wool fabrics & thread selection. A handy reference for putting together a basic sewing kit is included in the front of the book as are some suggested settings for using your sewing machine to work with wools.

The projects range from a sumptuous gathered wool handbag, a beautifully stitched eyeglass case, a fun and quirky wooley bird mobile, wool earrings, an obi styled belt, an adorned wool capelet, a draft dodger (to keep the cold from under your doors out), stylish pillows, pencil holders (aka a container) to footstool covers. All in all this book contains 23 projects crafted from a variety of wools. The instructions are well thought out and richly illustrated. I was thrilled to see that wools are once again becoming a more mainstream selection for quilts and quilter projects. Start your own adventure and discover the pleasures of quilting and sewing with rich, colorful wools! Give this book a try - I highly recommend it ! show less

Gramma and Little Guy spent time in the kitchen with a great kid's cookbook titles last week. March Break might be over, but 'making' never grows old. I love to create and although quilting is my favourite hobby, I've dabbled with embroidery over the years. With the nice weather just around the corner (please!), I am looking to have something a little more portable. Something I can do while sitting in the sun!

DK Canada has some great ideas for adult makers too! #DKMakerMarch

Embroider Your show more Life, edited by Nathlie Mornu caught my eye.

I am familiar with the basic techniques and tools needed, but appreciated the refresher that Mornu starts the book off with. Floss and Thread, Hoops, Fabric, Other Tools, Transferring Motifs. Newcomers to embroidery will also appreciate the detailed 'how to stitch' diagrams accompanied by colour photos of the real thing. I picked up some refreshers in this section.

Mornu has found fresh ideas and designs for embroidery. Clothing, combining paint and floss, modern artwork and more. Stitching on photos and paper. I liked this idea for personalized cards. Stitching on jeans is a retro idea - I think I will revisit this using the idea of working on the turned up cuff. The ideas and concepts in the book are courtesy of 21 designers, artists and makers from North America and England.

Motifs for many designs within the cateogories of communication, the natural world, the designed world and patterns. They are in black and white and could be easily photocopied to transfer to your chosen medium.

Embroider Your Life was a fresh, modern take on an old skill. This art form can be incorporated into and onto many everyday objects and pieces. Eye catching and inspiring. show less

What I particularly appreciated about this book was the front section, where the author visually laid out information about different types and weights of leather as well as quick tutorials on setting grommets, cutting leather, punching holes, etc. It is the handiest quick reference I've seen so far as someone new to working with leather. It does not cover tooling.

This is a book I received from Lark Crafts as a review copy. As I have said, I am not a jewelry maker, but I found some interesting things to inspire me in this book.

First, there are lots of great photos. There are photos of the projects, inspiration photos, such as the various "Earrings Around the World" photos, clear photos of tools and processes as well as large images of each project. The photos really make this book.

The other element that I like about this book is from the "charts and show more graphs" department. I haven't ever seen a book that includes a chart detailing the size of holes (figure 1, pg. 8). Not only does the chart show what an 18mm hole looks like, but the chart includes a 2" ruler alongside the equivalent ruler in millimeters, thus showing that an 18mm hole is approximately 3/4". There is also a key to wire gauges (pg.139), which I thought would be helpful to designers.

Throughout the book are "Designer Tips", which cover such aspects as "do not ream crystals. They shatter easily." (pg.9) Good to know and a perfect way to communicate that information.

While I have said I am not a jewelry maker, I do buy an use beads on my quilts, including the recent Kissy Fish. Thus the pages called "Bead Types and Shapes" (pg.10-11) were of great interest to me. There is a bead type called West African Lost Wax. Who knew? There are also rice, Roccoco, Chinese cinnabar, domed, donut and Cupolini. All of these are very interesting sounding. The pictures next to each of the names and description ensure that the reader knows what the author means. If this type of chart is not prevalent in jewelry books, then it would be worth buying this book fore the chart.

[a:Nathalie Mornu|407219|Nathalie Mornu|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] talks about wire, tools, safety and techniques with the same clarity and knowledge. If you like projects, then this book has lovely projects. My favorite is the Florentine Lace (pg.91), because of the filigree the maker creates. I was hard pressed to choose, though, because I liked Spellbound (pg. 114) and the shape of Rain (pg.107) as well.

I think jewelry makers would get something out of this book. Buy at your bookstore or check it out at your local library. show less