hissingpotatoes's reviews
1390 reviews

There is some specific information for crafting a journal and drawing in it at the beginning, but the majority of the book is more for generic inspiration. Everything is basically "sit still and draw what you observe" without much more detail. There are lots of examples with the author's notes about when she drew them. The book is more an exploration of the author's art journal than a how-to. 

Emily Henry's books just make me happy, not least because of the humor and lack of toxic masculinity. I like the way she weaves the romance and friendships with the characters working through their personal hangups. The ending could have lasted a little longer between resolution and epilogue to give more space for some of the issues (like with Daphne's father), but overall the tension was well paced. I read the book in two sittings because I didn't want to put it down. 

The instructions seem thorough and include diagrams. However, almost all of the projects look obviously DIY. Many just don't look nice at all, sometimes because of baffling materials like bubbled bath mats. I like the idea behind reusing suit coats and such but the executions don't impress me. 

This is a great bag sewing book focused on techniques, not projects. The projects are all simple totes or pouches, each showcasing a different technique. Most steps have an accompanying photo, sometimes two! The instructions are clear and useful with lots of helpful tips. 

There are no photos of the finished projects, just highly stylized illustrations. The instructions are laughably bare minimum. Many of the designs look hideous/impractical and/or just include random cutouts as if that makes a style. 

I'm not too impressed with these basic projects. There's a lot of repetition, like making flowers to put in various applications. Most of the projects could be made with any fabric/yarn, so the t-shirt doesn't really seem to be highlighted. 

Despite the title saying "Beyond Fashion," the vast majority of the ideas are for shirts, bottoms, and fashion accessories. There are sections for babies/children and men, though the men's section is mostly the same decorative technique applied slightly differently. Like the first book, the models are all thin, though at least this book calls for relative t-shirt sizes instead of specific ones. While I question the longevity of some projects like the dog leash and the oven mitt that doesn't use heat-resistant material, the ideas are great and varied. It's fun to flip through this book and look for easy ways to freshen up your wardrobe. 

The transformations included are mostly for shirt variations and other types of clothing. The ideas are great, though every single model is super thin. The easy-to-follow instructions make getting creative with t-shirts approachable. There are lots of little tidbits about t-shirts in history and pop culture. 

There aren't as many diagrams/photos as I'd like, but the written instructions seem to include the necessary details to make following along easy. The projects are quite varied and all fit the "on-the-go" theme nicely. 

The projects are varied, some with nice applique/paint designs, some with cute animal shapes. Each numbered step in the instructions has a photo, but when each numbered step actually includes multiple steps, it's hard to tell what's being pictured and to follow the unpictured steps. The instructions don't always clearly indicate which sides should be facing where. I like the breakout instructions for common methods like installing hardware and making pockets.