Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Book Reviews: The Handmade Marketplace & Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts

The Handmade Marketplace- How to Sell your Crafts Locally, Globally, and Online by Kari Chapin: This 200 page book is a quick and easy read with the how-tos of selling your crafts. Lucky for me, I already knew 90% of what the book suggests. A couple of things I am taking away from it are: 1. Always spell the editors name correctly when you email them and make sure you use their first name. It must be a big deal because they mention it about 4 times in the book. 2. Be Polite. 3. Leave Thoughtful Comments. 4. Contribute to Conversations. So basically, they are teaching you to play nice in the happy craft world where there are rainbows and puffy cotton ball clouds. Yawn- nap time.

Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts: I loooved the basic techniques and the tools & materials glossary but I could do without all the projects that I never want to do. The book is 400 pages and 265 of them are projects. She should have made a sprial-bound book with sewing how-tos and sold it for $14.99 instead of $35. I know what you are doing Martha- up the cost of the book by adding projects you have been gathering on your website and magazines. I did put a measuring tape along the edge of my worktable- that was a good thing.

Thank You Denver Public Library. No Purchase Necessary.