In celebration of Nicki Trench – a book review

For long time I have been an admirer of author and all round uber crafter Nicki Trench. She is the founder of the wonderful Laughing Hens yarn website and gorgeous Rooster yarns, but it is her recently publications which have really delighted my heart.

If you are just beginning to crochet and you are thinking of making little things for little people, then Cute and Easy Crocheted Baby Clothes has some wonderful staples. There are plenty of good hats and booties to get you started.

I love this this hooded jacket

Who wouldn’t be delighted with this teddy? If you feel a little unsure about colour choices, then I think this book is an ideal place to start.

The second book by my bedside is A Passion for Quilting. I wish, I wish, I wish I made more time for patchwork and quilting. I’ll be honest I have quite a few quilting and sewing books and they tend to be more eye candy than practical help.

But seriously I would think about making most of the the projects in this book.

I love the styling in this book, each image has something yummy to look at.

But what is really useful are the illustrations and technical support. There are sewing techniques explain here which I have never understood before. The illustration are beautiful in themselves.

If I am honest I would probably buy this book for the interior shots alone. Wouldn’t this be the most dreamy bedroom?  Many of the projects are popping up in craft magazines but if you are at all interested in the home-made, do get your sticky mits on a copy of this book.

You can discover more about Nicki Trench at her blog here.

The photographs in her books are taken by Penny Wincer – Baby Clothes, Emma Mitchell and Holly Jolliffe – Passion for Quilts. Stylists are Luis Peral-Aranda – Baby Clothes, Rose Hammick and Tanya Goodwin – Passion for Quilts and illustrators Kate Simunek and Michael Hill. All published by Cico