I have a giant stack of books on my desk right now, but the only one I have made time to read through so far this month is this one:

Mastering the Art of Fabric Printing and Design by Laurie Wisbrun

If you are thinking about pursuing fabric design or you are interested in printing your own fabrics (whether by hand or digitally) this book is a must-have. At just over 200 pages, the author, Laurie Wisbrun (who you may already know from Scarlet Fig) has packed in pretty much anything you could possibly need to know about creating fabrics. I have known Laurie for a couple of years now and I am so thrilled for her.

The book is beautifully done (Chronicle is the publisher, so that’s a given, right?) and I thought you would want to know about it as a diy gal yourself.

So, let’s go through it. I took some photos so you can look inside…

We’ll start with the best part! The hand printing section is my favorite chapter of this book. There are block printing tips (perfect for diy projects- whether you are getting into fabric printing or not), and a handful of tutorials for hand printing. Love it!

And there’s also a digital printing chapter…

Along with actual step-by-step screenshots from Photoshop and Illustrator for designing patterns on the computer…

And some other things too like sourcing inspiration, trend forecasts, and interviews with other textile designers…

You can pick up Mastering the Art of Fabric Printing and Design on Amazon right here for less than 20 buckaroos. And if you would like to hear more about this book, follow the remainder of the blog tour…

The tour will wrap up this week with Book By Its Cover tomorrow and  Simply Grove on Friday. And Laurie Wisbrun, the author, will be bringing up the rear with a giveaway on her blog, Scarlett Fig, on Monday, March 26th.

Okay. I am a fabric girl. And I suspect that you are too.

I collect piles of textiles. I have bins and bins of fabric from my grandmother and thrift stores, and fabric stores, and Etsy, and..well, you get the point. But the (kind of) weird thing is…dun, dun, dun…I don’t sew!

I know, weird, right?

So what do I do with all this fabric I stash in the closets and under the bed? Well, I use it for projects that don’t involve sewing of course, like the bunting from our wedding (yep, that was a no sew project).

But as much fabric as I have on hand, one of the types that I haven’t really tried out is oilcloth. I don’t really know why because it seems quite practical + it’s shiny and fun and easy to clean (bonus!). So I am thinking about giving it a try. And if and when I ever learn to sew, I will be picking up this book, Sewing with Oilcloth, from Kelly McCants…

Is this cover amazing or what?

I HAVE TO learn how to make that chalk runner at the top of this post from the book because I am pretty sure those cream puffs will just magically appear if I do. Yum!

If you are already a sewer, you are one step ahead of me. So kudos to you. And you can get a little sneak peek into Sewing with Oilcloth right here to see if it tickles your fancy.

Kelly has a really awesome selection of oilcloth as well, hence the name of her shop, Oilcloth Addict. So it’s pretty much one-stop shopping. What’s not to like?

If you are not a professional photographer, product shots are often a struggle. But the fact remains that product photography is the single most important thing to get right when you are selling your work online (aside from the product itself of course). So when I received an email from Interweave to tell me about a book that covered all the basics of taking great photos, I was pretty excited to share it with you.

It’s called The Crafter’s Guide to Taking Great Photos. The author is Heidi Adnum, who happens to have an Etsy shop (in fact that’s where the book started – in the Etsy forums) and the book caters specifically to artists and artisans who sell their work online. There are mini-tutorials, interviews with successful Etsy shop owners, and plenty of pages of the basics – from lighting all the way to post-production editing.

I took some photos to share a few things you’ll find inside this bad boy. And I asked the author, Heidi, a few questions about product photography as well. So let’s dive in…

1. Product photography can be intimidating for shop owners that have little experience behind the camera. What is the most valuable piece of advice you can share with creatives when it comes to photographing work for the web?

You’re right, and It isn’t only the practicalities of using the camera and setting up the shot, either, sometimes the technical explanations themselves can be terribly confusing. I think the most valuable piece of advice I can share is to prioritise time to develop more of an understanding of the basics of photography, such as, learning how a camera uses light to make a photograph (p.10). When you feel more confident that you know how your camera works, and what you need to do to make it work, you’ll be more likely to practice with it. Practicing with your camera’s settings will build your confidence even more. Then, you’ll begin to approach product photograph with less fear and apprehension. You’ll eventually take less time working out what to do and photography will become much more enjoyable. Think of it as an essential tool of your craft that requires a reasonable amount of time and effort to learn, and, later on, reap the rewards of your confidence.

2. The interviews with artists and artisans sprinkled throughout the book are as fun to read as they are helpful. I love them. So I am curious to know which interview was your favorite from the book and why?

Thank you, the Spotlight series is great. It was a pleasure to learn more about all of the featured practitioners. I simply can’t name one favourite! Though, there is one tip that I especially liked, and that was shared by Heather Moore, the creator of Skinny laMinx; “If you have a cup in your composition, make sure there’s tea in it, but if you’re planning to sell the cup, don’t put tea in it.” (p.74) This is great advice for anyone considering the use of props in their photographs. The aim is to make your product look as desirable as possible. A great way to achieve this is by styling your product in its most new, beautiful and perfect form.

3. I am kind of crazy for DIYs, so of course one of my favorites sections in your book is the DIY accessories tutorials where you show how to make things to improve photos even more (like a light box, tripod, and flash diffuser to name a few). If you could choose only one, what would you recommend as the #1 most helpful accessory to make in order to improve product photos?

That’s another tough one to narrow down, so I’ll name two: Reflector (p. 58) and Seamless Background (p.62). Like the others in the DIY series, both are very easy to make at home and are budget-friendly. These are simple tools that can help to solve common problems, such as lack of natural light and poor composition. Crafters struggling with light availability may see great results quickly with the reflector. And those struggling to find the best background for their product will love the simplicity and impact of a neutral seamless background.

Congratulations Heidi on this incredible resource for makers. I’ve known Heidi for a while now and I am so thrilled to see her success. Much deserved! You can pick up Heidi’d book on the Interweave website right here: The Crafter’s Guide to Taking Great Photos and over on Amazon as well.

*As part of the book blog tour for the US, Mark Lipinski will be interviewing Heidi live on the Creative Mojo Podcast tomorrow. So check that out, along with the rest of the tour (making stops at Rena Tom,  Rifle Paper Co., Canadian Living Crafts’ Blog, and more).

Because my first love is everything DIY, I am starting there with today’s first list…

Here are three books that every crafter, maker, or diy lover should have on her shelves.

Sure you can live without them, but do you really want to?

1. Handmade Living by Lotta Jansdotter

My brother and his girlfriend got me this book last Christmas and I go back through the pages I’ve bookmarked at least every other week. It’s such a good read. And bonus: there are some clever diy projects for a modern home. And for you foodies out there, Lotta shares her favorite Swedish recipes too. Yummy!

2. Crafting a Meaningful Home by Meg Mateo Ilasco

My bro also got me this book (he’s pretty cool, isn’t he?). And it is another must read for crafters. What makes this book special is its focus. It’s not just another craft project book. It’s a craft project book about family and heritage. All 27 projects tie in to the subtitle for Crafting a Meaningful Home, 27 DIY Projects to Tell Stories, Hold Memories, and Celebrate Family Heritage. You are going to love this one!

3. Printing by Hand by Lena Corwin

Oh yeah! I’ve had this book for years and it is still one of my favorites for printing techniques. In fact, back when I was teaching, I would use this book as a reference for my students every year when I taught printmaking. Seeing all the projects they could make by mastering this technique would get them excited to learn. And if teenagers can recreate these with ease, so can you. That’s what I love about this book. Every project is super do-able (for lack of a better word). Print on pillows, totes, and everything in between (even comes with patterns to use). If you want to get into printmaking, this is the book for you.

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*These links are affiliate links to amazon. So, I get a (very small) commission for books sold through my link. But I only recommend books that I actually own and truly adore.

I snagged this book a couple of weeks ago at the antique store down the street from my house. Love the cover and the colors.

Book Info: Instant Spelling Dictionary (1967) New Third Edition