Thursday, May 18, 2017

Book Review of Yellow Owl Workshop's Make It Yours by Christine Schmidt

I requested a free copy of Yellow Owl Workshop's Make It Yours: patterns and inspiration to stamp, stencil, and customize your stuff by Christine Schmidt from Blogging For Books for the purposes of review because I've been wanting to get back into crafts lately. This type of creativity isn't something I do all the time, but every once in a while, I get a yen to put stamps to paper, dye fabric in intricate patterns, or feel a brush glide over clay beneath my hand. I especially enjoy saving money on gifts or decorated items by making them myself. However, when the book arrived, I must admit that I was a little disappointed in the cover design. Though I could see the possibilities in each project showcased on the cover, how much the finished products contrasted sharply with my personal aesthetic made me wonder if Make It Yours was really going to enable me to make anything mine...  or if I'd just be churning out craft projects I didn't love and wouldn't want to use or give away.


However, the more of this book I read, the more I realized that most of these projects are highly customizable, and simply by selecting colors or creating patterns that fit into my own personal tastes, I'd still be able to follow the steps included and make the projects in Make It Yours truly mine. Here are some of the projects I've added to my to-do list from this book:


  • The Laundry Bag (This seems like an easy, low-budget project to decorate a personalized laundry bag that would be more fun than work. I'm going to file this one away under, "Ideas for high school graduation gifts," and bust it out the next time I need to come up with a present for a college-bound grad.)

  • The Custom Monogram (I maintain relationships with several penpals, and I'm a bit of a stationery fiend, so the idea of creating my own custom stationery is appealing. In the past, I've done several things with pre-made rubber stamps, but creating my own monogram stamp--and perhaps monogram stamps for others, to make gifts--is very appealing to me, especially because this project is simple and easy, and will enable me to use plain paper and envelopes I already have on hand, keeping my costs low. However, if you don't have paper and envelopes, and you don't want to buy them, there are even patterns included along with directions for making your own.)
  • The Logo Stamp (Similarly, this project also involves creating your own stamp, although this one uses a Carve-a-Stamp block or rubber block, so it is a significantly more advanced. I did this one time in a middle school art class and loved it, so I'm eager to try again with the new application of a logo... perhaps for this blog? I appreciate that Schmidt included not just the step-by-step instructions for actually making the stamp itself, but also lots of tips, tricks, and things to keep in mind when designing your own logo.)
  • The Art Deco Dresser (This one is more of a long-term goal, and is the big kahuna of my list. We currently have a plain dresser in need of a new paint job that I use to hold most of my medical supplies, and this advanced project involving gold leafing with patterns included in the back of the book in one of my favorite styles, Art Deco, will be just the thing to make it look new again.)



The reason I wanted to review Make It Yours specifically is because I heard that Yellow Owl Workshops was infamous for taking things to the next level: by Schmidt's lead, you don't just stamp--you create your own stamps, you don't just tie-dye--you board clamp to create straight lines on the fabric, you don't just paint pottery--you DIY Delftware-style. This is a benefit and a drawback of the book, depending on what your level of ability, experience, and budget might be. If you've done lots of crafts at home and you're ready for something more advanced, if you aren't intimidated by projects that have lots of steps, and if your budget (or your craft supply stockpile) can withstand several projects requiring 10-25 tools or supplies necessary to complete them, but you're looking for something new and different to kick things up a notch, this is exactly the right book for you.

But, if you're a beginner at crafts who doesn't have many of the basic skills down and has a small budget (or lacks a stockpile of supplies, as many beginners do), then you may ultimately find Make It Yours frustrating and intimidating. While there are several projects in the book that only require a few supplies, and don't employ advanced crafting skills, I doubt somebody who purchased Make It Yours with the intention of only doing those projects would feel it was worth the investment. My guess is that they'd probably just feel frustrated at their lack of experience or resources, and regret not having chosen a book that was more suited to their needs and goals.

I love the large size of this book, and the fact that it is paperback to keep the cost down, but seems durable. I really don't understand why the publisher would have made such a book's binding so it doesn't lay flat in an open position. I mean... you expect me to spend hours following your steps through a craft that takes potentially dozens of actions and tools or supplies on my part, and you also expect me to fight to keep the book open whilst I do it!? I also appreciate that patterns and templates for many of the projects are actually included in the back. I don't like that not all of the projects in the book have clear lists of supplies needed or difficulty ratings, and I don't understand why something that seems so crucial to the chosen format wasn't maintained throughout the book. The big, colorful illustrations add lots of visual interest, and also serve as explanations where the step-by-step instructions might still leave questions as to what the finished product should resemble. I like that Schmidt seems to have really thought through what a home crafter's experience would be when working through the steps of each project, and she included as much information as possible to help with any obstacles her readers might encounter without heaping on so many details that it would become overwhelming. I don't like how the book is organized, more by how the patterns look than what their purpose is. I'd prefer to be able to turn to a section on textile crafts, one on papercrafts, one on gifts, one on things that could be used for a small/home-based business, etc.

Ultimately, I recommend Yellow Owl Workshop's Make It Yours only for serious, experienced crafters ready for more advanced projects that require lots of time, skills, and supplies,

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