Clare Youngs

As the title states there are 35 designs to make from recycled materials. They range from a very simple tote bag to a more complex owl bag. The author's suggestions for recycling tend to the usual set-- felted sweaters, old towels and sheets etc, The patterns are a broad range of bag styles.
I made 2 of the patterns in the book; the Ticking Tote and the Patchwork Weekender. I made 3 of the ticking totes with a variety of fabrics and never could insert the bottom piece to my satisfaction. The show more Patchwork Weekender went together without problems and is a nice large bag.
The author assumes the reader has basic sewing skills, there are no extra instructions on how to insert a zipper etc so I would not consider this a book for a complete novice.

Patterns sewn Spring 2023 show less

Really nice, especially for people who like to thrift and upcycle. Techniques are given in the back, and some templates. The first few bags seem to me to be the easiest, then they increase, roughly, in difficulty. I think teens who have had middle school sewing class would be the perfect recipient of this as a gift for them to keep and be inspired by all their lives. If I found this at a second-hand shop I would keep and try to use it, but the library book has to go back with the ideas untested.

With so many beautiful papers in our local craft stores I couldn’t wait to try some of the projects in Decorating With Papercraft by Clare Youngs: 25 Fresh and Eco-friendly Projects for the Home. With the help of just a handful of inexpensive tools and the techniques explained in the book, I was easily able to create some of the projects. When reviewing a craft book, I like to try out the patterns and instructions to see if they are easy to follow. I made three projects: a tea light show more lantern, a paper bowl, and a book page flower.

First I made the tea light lanterns using three types of papers. This is one of the easier projects, and it turned out beautifully. As described in the book, I sewed the layers together to give it a much nicer look.

Next, I made the paper bowl, not really meant to store anything, just a lovely simple form. I expected this one to be much more complicated, but it was not. It was a fun and easy project made with strips of paper that turned out very well, and now a special necklace rests inside.

The last project I tried was the paper flower made from pages of an old book. This one was a little more difficult for me because it had to be manipulated (and I am not all that patient), but the directions were very clear and in the end I like the way it looked.

I am not finished with the book yet because there are two mobiles, one with birds and one with airplanes, which I still want to try. The instructions in Decorating with Papercraft are clear, the diagrams and photographs are very well done, and there are quite a few fun projects for all skill levels. There are several projects that would be fun to work on with children, such as the paper garland and the festive piñata. show less

Mostly, I'd rather be reading than making dust collectors. But I do like the feathers and they seem like something I could do in between reading sessions. And covering/ making a lampshade is straightforward enough. I *might* try the embroidery, for example a little flower in the corner of the page that has my favorite poem on it.