The Crafty Princess Diaries

Tammy Powley’s Crafty Weblog

June 15, 2015
by Tammy
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Book Review: The Funeral Dress


The Funeral Dress: A Novel is written by Susan Gregg Gilmore and published by Random House. (You can read an excerpt of it on the publisher’s site here.) It is about 350 or so pages and runs $16.00 in the US and $18.00 in Canada for the paperback version.

This book somehow became my summer 2015 “read,” and I’m not exactly sure how that happened. I think I started reading it even last summer, and since then, it has been one of those books that I pick up and put down. I get hooked for a little while but not enough for me to just finish it already. It has been hard to determine why this is the case because the story is actually pretty good, and the historical connection to a clothing factory in 1970 Tennessee is a solid and interesting setting.

So why did it take me so long to finish this book? I have been wondering about this, and other than the fact that I am a very slow reader and really struggle with just reading for pleasure (probably due to so many years having to read and synthesis what I’ve read for a grade and/or for a research paper), the biggest hurdle for me on this book was the switching of point of view. This is a trend I’ve seen gain popularity over the years, and sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn’t, at least for me. I want the story to move forward, and when I’m forced to move back and forth and hop from one character’s mind to another’s, I get impatient after awhile.

I found that once I sat down and relaxed into the joy of just reading for no other purpose than falling into another world for a few hours, I finally got through the book and enjoyed it. However, I can’t help wonder if we were in just one person’s head (for example, Emmalee’s who I think is the protagonist) would I have finished this much sooner. It is a good story. I just felt like it moved slower than necessary.

(A review copy was provided by the publisher.)

June 15, 2015
by Tammy
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Book Review: Knitting Beaded Purses


Knitting Beaded Purses: A Complete Guide to Creating Your Own (Schiffer Books) is written by Nancy Seven VanDerPuy and retails for $16.95 in the US. It is a 64 page paperback with color photographs showing “how-to” elements as well as colored graphs for the patterns used to make seven beaded purses.

The beginning of the book includes some brief history about beaded knit purses and basically what it requires. This includes a discussion of materials, and this moves into a fairly good size techniques section. In the techniques chapter of the book, basic knitting stitches as well as casting on and off are covered, and this is where the full-color photographs are included. This is followed by more discussion of how to actually include the beads with the stitches and how to assemble the knitted purse once its parts are constructed.

The projects section starts with a basic explanation of how a beaded purse is made, and then each pattern that follows is really the same as far as how to make all the sections and put them together with the difference being the pattern such as a rose, beach scene, or graphic design. So once you get the concept of the basic bag, you then need to follow the graph pattern to form the different types of purse patterns. Sprinkled throughout color photographs of similar purses already finished.

The last part of the book show how to finish the bags. This includes lining if you want to do that, and then there is a gallery section showing of more beautiful knitted beaded purses.

The projects are obviously beautiful but also not for the immediate gratification type of crafter. While the instructors are thorough and there are plenty of illustrations to help guide you through the projects, just be prepared that each of the projects is fairly involved. While there are basics about knitting included, I would be surprised if a total beginner could take on any of these. However, for more experienced knitters who love the look of these cute purses, this looks like a good go-to book to get started.

To get a chance to win a copy of this book, head over to my Ravelry discussion group, and look for the June FOs thread.
(A review copy was furnished by the publisher.)

June 14, 2015
by Tammy
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Free Projects, Patterns, and Inspiration Links

Art Bead Scene

Check out Heather’s beautiful color palette from our gorgeously vibrant monthly challenge piece!

Guitar String Bracelet Tutorial

Here is a fun idea for recycling old guitar strings. Terry shows how to make a bracelet and gives other ideas to make out of old instrument strings.

Much Crafting!

Crafty Princess published another crafting video podcast where she shares all the crafting madness, crochet, knitting, and beading!

Father’s Day Craft Ideas

Father’s Day is June 21st. Here are 18 project ideas to check out.

Beading Arts

Cyndi has posted a tutorial for a quick and easy little bead embroidered pendant for the summer, featuring a beautiful painted button!

Connie Gee’s New Pattern

Connie has added a new Welcome Sampler Cross Stitch Pattern to her Etsy shop. It is colorful and suitable for stitching on Aida or Linen. She’s also added a new free pattern to the site, so be sure to check out recent blog posts.

June 7, 2015
by Tammy
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Love Some Craft Links

Making Beaded Stitch Markers

Learn to combine beads and findings to make pretty beaded dangle stitch markers for knitting.

More Glass Bottle Flowers

Cherie’s still making bottle flowers for the garden. This time with paint and beads.

Father’s Day Pocket Album Card

What’s in your stash? Almost all the supplies for Eileen’s pocket album card were free. A mini photo album for Dad lifts out of the pocket for viewing.

Beading Arts

Cyndi has a brand new e-book in the works…Arm Candy! Come see what will be included.

May 31, 2015
by Tammy
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May 31st – Last Day to Enter to Win!

The month has slipped away from us, but there is still time today to post your beautiful finished crafted projects on the May Finished Objects thread in the Crafty Princess Diaries Ravelry group. Below are the details. After reading them, make sure you go over and post right away!

Share your finished objects this month, and be entered to win! This month’s prize is a $5 giftable Ravelry pattern, and if I get at least 50 posts in this thread, I will add another prize (probably a knitting or jewelry making book since I just got a bunch in from Sterling recently to review).

ALL types of crafts are eligible …yarn, needlework, beading, whatever you make…post a photo of it the May FOs thread on the Princess Diaries Ravelry group and give us a little info about it. You must be a member of this group to participate. However, you can post as many finished objects as you like.

Feel free to chat as well in this thread. I will just pull out chatting when I pull the prize after this month is over. Chatter does not count as entries too by the way.