Show and Tell - Product Reviews
By Allegra and Brandy
Show and Tell is a fun feature of our magazine which showcases knitting or crochet-related products, as well as handcrafted products for children. A limited number of products are reviewed personally by Brandy or Allegra for each issue, to ensure that each product is evaluated with the utmost time and care. If you are interested in having your product reviewed, send it to us! We'd love to check it out.
Sheep(ish)
www.caron.com
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We feel very privileged to have had a sneak peak of Vickie Howell's newest endeavor, a yarn line under her brand name Stitch.Rock.Love, brought to you by Caron Yarns. Vickie is amazingly prolific, it was just a matter of time until we saw her own yarn line! Sheep(ish) is the first to make it's debut. I love the name, with the (ish) since the yarn is a wool/acrylic blend (70% acrylic, 30% wool). One with a funky, eye-popping style of her own, Vickie has given Sheep(ish) 21 fabulous colors, including Espresso(ish), Pumpkin(ish), and Magenta(ish). The colors are totally retro-chic.
The yarn is super soft and as a busy crafting mama herself, Vickie has made the yarn machine washable. Check out her pattern in our Spring 2011 issue showcasing Sheep(ish)!
Gypsy Forest
http://www.etsy.com/shop/GypsyForest
Gypsy Forest is a lovely shop full of beautiful heirloom quilts and clothing. Stephinie Miner, a mother of four, carefully constructs beautiful handmade items out of very fine materials. She fills her shop with gorgeous quilts, Pollywog linen britches for the little ones, and lovely linen bags that would be perfect for lunches, storage for homemade bread, or even your knitting supplies! Stephinie sent me a pair of the linen britches for my little one and I am so thrilled that my daughter now has these pants in her wardrobe. The britches are meticulously sewn together and Stephinie's eye for combining fabrics is great. The pants are functional, fun and very roomy, making them undoubtedly a wardrobe favorite for a long time.
Tomo and Timo
http://www.etsy.com/shop/tomoandtimo
Tomo and Timo carries the most adorable fabric covered tape measures you will find. Tomo uses fun, eye-popping fabric which gives the tape measure a cushy feel. One thing I usually do not like about your average everyday tape measures is how quickly and abruptly the ruler can recoil, often snapping the finger. The tape measures found at Tomo and Timo are anything but. Luxurious, yet affordable, get yours before it's too late!
Oliver + S Little Things to Sew: 20 Classic Accessories and Toys for Children
by Liesl Gibson
STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book
US $27.50
I have been a huge fan of Liesl Gibson and her pattern line Oliver + S for quite some time and was thrilled when this book was published. Liesl's style for children's clothing is contemporary yet classic with precise and easy-to-follow instructions. Much of Liesl's inspiration for her patterns and passion for sewing comes from her daughter, whose nickname is S. When her daughter was born, Liesl wanted to sew for her. When she couldn't find patterns she liked, she started designing and drafting her own. The rest is history and our children are better clothed for it.
The book has a nice range of patterns, for the beginner to the advanced. The patterns are very thorough and highly detailed, as if you are participating in a class.
Some of my favorites include the first pattern, Mittens. Adorable! Liesl created these sweet mittens in microfiber fleece or soft wool felt knowing that children usually don't like the way ordinary mittens feel against their face. You could have so much fun with this pattern, and it's a beginner pattern! The Tutu is another of my favorites and if my daughter has any say, I will be making many of these for her for years to come. It’s another beginner pattern, using five different (five!) colors of tulle. Tulle is a fabulous material to use for a tutu, and with such an assortment of colors, your little girl will be twirling for hours. A little more difficult pattern is the Reversible Bucket Hat. This is a must-sew for little ones. The Red Riding Hood is true perfection. What little girl doesn't love a Red Riding Hood cape? The options are endless for this project: you can make it lightweight, in a warm wool for colder weather, any color and what fun to choose the lining fabric? I could go on and on about each pattern in the book as they are all creative and fun, but other notables are the Bento Box carrier and the Puppet Theater. Liesl has not left anything out of a child's wish list for garments and toys.
As always, Melanie Falick books are classy and beautiful, and this one is no exception. The colors used in the projects are eye catching and the young models are adorable.
Sewing School: 21 Sewing Projects Kids will Love to Make
by Amie Petronis Plumley & Andria Lisle
Storey Publishing
US $16.95
Let's let the kids have some fun! Sewing School is a book by Amie Petronis Plumley and Andria Lisle that teaches children how to sew using step-by-step directions, simple language and offers contemporary sewing projects for the modern home. Based on their summer day camp, each of the patterns was tested by students ages 5 to 13. The book is written directly for young sewers, ages 5 and older. It introduces the child to what should be in your sewing kit, fun rules and reminders, and also testimonials from the children from Sewing School camp. This book is bound to give your child endless hours of crafty fun. It would make an excellent gift for crafty boys and girls. I know that my copy will be impatiently waiting in the wings for a couple of years until my daughter is old enough to use, but when she is ready, this book will be an excellent tool.
Little Girls Big Style: Sew a Boutique Wardrobe from 4 Easy Patterns
by Mary Abreu
Stash Books
US $25.95
Another fun sewing book for children's garments is Little Girls Big Style by Mary Abreu. Mary Abreu hit it out of the ballpark with this book, as her patterns are all the rage in mainstream children's fashion. Lots of ruffles, lots of colors and mix-matching fabrics. Mary focuses on garments that have a "boutique" feel to them. Not the pricey, ritzy brands we usually think of, but the "one-of-a-kind" custom-made garments that every little girl will love. Mary gives a lot of thoughtful comments about how she goes about choosing fabrics, colors, styles and weights as well as always keeping in mind whom she is sewing for.
Mary gives a thorough introduction to tools and techniques, which include many clear and easy-to-understand photos.
The patterns are divided into four basic garments: Basic Bodice, Peasant Top/Dress, Pants, and Skirts. She offers nice variations and a ton of embellishments to truly make your garments one of a kind. Mary offers 23 patterns in sizes 2-6.
Polliwog Learning Products, LLC
http://www.etsy.com/shop/polliwog77
My daughter started Montessori Preschool this year and I am always searching for fun and inspiring tools to help her education. I came across Michele's site, Polliwog Learning Products and was hooked! I love her sandpaper letters and numbers. They are a brilliant tool for helping kids learn their letters and numbers by tracing, and feeling how the letter or number is created. We now own upper and lower case letters as well as numbers and my daughter loves them. Michele is a preschool teacher who handcrafts each order when the order is placed. These are reasonably priced tools for your children and will last a lifetime.
Montessorium
For those who have young children who are hip to the digital age, the Montessorium apps for the iPhone, iPod and iPad are what you are looking for. Created by Montessori educators, these apps focus on the typical lessons you will learn in the young Montessori classroom. I have downloaded Intro to Math and Intro to Letters for my daughter and they are both excellent. I found it fascinating to watch her work. She was familiar with the sandpaper letters and numbers that were discussed above, and after a couple minutes of confusion, she picked it right up and was tracing away. The app simulates the sound of tracing the sandpaper with your finger in exactly the same way as the traditional tool. I think it's brilliant. There are many other lessons included in each app and there is also an Alpha Writer app, focusing on the Montessori Moveable Alphabet that was released in January 2011.
Bonnet Love: Five Bonnet Patterns & a Template to Design your Own
by Larissa Brown and Lynette Fitzpatrick
www.StitchMarker.net
US $15
Well known for her first book, Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together, Larissa Brown has teamed up with her sister, Lynette in this lovely e-book Bonnet Love. Larissa designed four knitted bonnets and one sewn bonnet, and 2,900 miles away, Lynette styled and photographed them. Larissa speaks in great detail in the introduction of the book of how necessary the bonnet is: you can try your hand at a new stitch pattern, use a gorgeous luxurious yarn, or make an equally impressive one out of scraps. The bonnet should be knitted and worn by both baby girls and baby boys, and heck, while you're at it, knit one for an adult too! Knitted bonnets are like knitting candy for Larissa, who speaks very lovingly about her grandmother who knit and stored hard candy all around.
The four knitted bonnets are adorable, quite lovely actually, and are knit in Cascade yarns with ribbon edgings. Milkweed, the one sewn bonnet is sweet and folds up like a milk carton. Larissa also writes about the "anatomy of the bonnet" and offers a template to design your own. The options are endless!
I really enjoy Larissa's writing style, it's very inviting and fun to read. Lynette's photographs are lovely. I do hope that this pairing and e-book publishing is just the first of many projects for Larissa and Lynette.
The Que-i
della Q
www.dellaq.com
USD$ 40.00
The Que-i 15 Pocket Interchangeable Needle Case is the mother of all needle cases. It has 15 numbered pockets for your interchangeables sized US 2-17 and 6 unnumbered pockets for your cords. It is made from poly silk and is perfect for all of your interchangeable needs. If you want a smaller case, check out The Que-i 12 Pocket Interchangeable Case.
I had so much fun with this case, it was perfect for my interchangable needle set. I have several and with this case I had lots of room for extra cables and needles. It's wonderful to be able to pick out a pretty solid colored silk to compliment my purse so I can still be stylish.