Read along

There are few things that bring me more joy than new craft books. Actually, new books of any kind make me pretty happy. These two treats arrived this weekend.

The first is the by-now familiar In Stitches by Amy Butler. I was a little skeptical about this item but now that I have it in my mitts I just love it! It's beautifully photographed and diagrammed. Even better, the patterns are full size - a welcome development after the Great Log Cabin Pillow Snafu of 2006 (i.e., last week). I'm so excited to get started. I have all sorts of gift ideas brewing, and possibly a third pillow to go with my growing ensemble.

The second item is what I hope will be the sewing counterpart to my beloved Vogue Knitting (for the uninitiated, Vogue Knitting is just the best! Clear pictures, all sorts of techniques and a great starter stitch dictionary). The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing by Singer is chock full of clear, large, full-color pictures. It's hard for me to say if it will compare to Vogue Knitting at this stage - I don't know enough sewing to know whether the diagrams and descriptions are helpful or not, but I'll keep you posted.

I foresee a trip to Purl this weekend for new fabric ammunition...