New books combine crafts and fashion

REVIEWS BY SARAH E. WHITE

The world of arts and crafts and the world of high fashion may not collide very often, but they've certainly come together in the recent crop of craft books designed with a flair for the fashionable. These books prove once and for all that crafts can be stylish, elegant and even sexy.

Transformed tees

T-shirts have long been a fashion staple because they are so easy to dress up or down. But in the end, a T-shirt is just a T-shirt, right? It is unless it's an altered T, made with the guidance of Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt by Megan Nicolay. This fun and creative book shows crafty women (and men) how to turn basic new or vintage tees into halter-tops, tanks with braided straps, peasant shirts, miniskirts, teeny bikinis, bags and much more. Using holes, ties, strings and scallops as embellishment, this book takes T-shirts to a whole new level.

The designs are easy to follow and many of them can be made without sewing. Those that do require sewing could easily be stitched up with a needle and thread instead of a sewing machine, making this a very approachable DIY book even for those who don't see themselves as crafty.


Beautiful beads

The perfect way to jazz up an outfit is with a great beaded necklace, earrings or bracelet. Beaded jewelry looks difficult to make, and it can be, but there are many simple designs that are quite beautiful and satisfying for beginners and more experienced crafters alike.

Simply Beautiful Beaded Jewelry by Heidi Boyd offers 50 delightful projects for beaded accessories made with supplies easily found at national craft store chains. These designs look anything but run-of-the-mill, often incorporating fancy looking design techniques such as multiple strands, wire wrapping and using head pins to make beads dangle. Each project is photographed in great detail as Boyd walks readers through every step. Variations are provided so that even beginning crafters will feel free to make these designs their own.


Hot summer knits

Swimwear designer Ashley Paige knows more than most about the interplay between crafts and fashion. Her knits have graced the bodies of such stars as Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Gwen Stefani, and her book Sexy Little Knits: Chic Designs to Knit and Crochet brings her sultry sensibility to the home crafter. The book offers 25 designs including beach wear, fun summer clothes and pieces to wear at home. The projects show incredible range, from a nylon robe to a halter dress with peek-a-boo hearts to barely-there bikinis and an long mesh nightgown.

This book is not for beginners, as it doesn't given any basic knitting or crocheting instructions. It's also not for the timid (and not just because there's a derriere on the cover). Those who have been looking for something daringly different to knit or crochet will find that this book fills the niche perfectly.


Getting all the answers

In the past, most people learned crafts from a friend or family member. They taught the new crafter basic stitches and were nearby to help when he or she got stuck working on a new project. These days, people teach themselves crafts a lot more often, which means there is no wise expert on call to solve problems that can stymie a project and crush a new crafter's confidence.

Margaret Radcliffe's The Knitting Answer Book and Edie Eckman's The Crochet Answer Book, both from Storey Publishing, seek to take the place of that helpful friend by anticipating and answering some of the most common questions crafters have. These books cover the basics of forming stitches, shaping and blocking, as well as more advanced techniques. One or both should be on every fiber lover's bookshelf.


Sarah E. White is the senior editor of the crafting website LovetoKnow Crafts.

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