Fantasmas: Supernatural Stories by Mexican American Writers

Customer Reviews:

A Long Awaited Release.......2002-03-22

This book is actually edited by my former Creative Writing Professor, (in a later incarnation of the same class from which the book sprung). Dr. Johnson has a talent for seeing quality in other people's stories. If you like scary stories, try these on for size. They are interesting both in content and in cultural elements. It's about time that the literary world started taking Hispanic literature seriously. It has so much more flavor than a lot (not all, but a lot) of what comes out of (my own) WASPish heritage. Try it. You'll like it.

Truly scary reading on a cold, dark night!.......2002-02-08

Aptly edited by Rob Johnson (teacher of American literature at the University of Texas-Pan American, South Texas Valley) Fantasmas: Supernatural Stories By Mexican American Writers is an impressive and wide-ranging anthology of folklore-style fantasy tales, or cuentos de fantasma. Enhanced with an informative introduction by Kathleen Alcala, as well as being intrinsically shocking, spooky, and rich with cultural and traditional lore, the stories comprising Fantasmas make for truly scary reading on a cold, dark night!

Fantasmas : Supernatural Stories by Mexican American Writers

Average customer rating:

Fantasmas : Supernatural Stories by Mexican American Writers
Johnson Rob
Manufacturer: Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingue
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000P0U9P6

Amazon.com

The first volume of the Justice League of America in Showcase Presents, DC's competitor to Marvel's budget-priced black-and-white Essentials line, collects 20 early issues of the super team, starting in The Brave and the Bold 28-30 and continuing into the first 16 issues of the JLA's own book and Mystery in Space 75 (featuring Adam Strange). Truthfully, a lot of the issues have a sameness to them, with the Leaguers generally splitting up to tackle menaces (usually alien) individually and having to figure out how to handle something specifically designed to neutralize each member's powers, e.g., Green Lantern against something yellow (if only they'd selected those assignments a little better…). Notable issues include the JLA's first appearance, facing Starro the conqueror; the introduction of teen "hipster" Snapper Carr; the "origin" of the League; and the addition of Green Arrow and the Atom to the core lineup of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, the Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman. Fortunately this 1960-62 run by the classic team of Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky (with occasional other contributors) improved as it went along, with more use of teamwork and story lines involving Doctor Light, Felix Faust, the untouchable aliens, and the cavern of deadly spheres. --David Horiuchi

Book Description

The first volume of the Justice League of America in Showcase Presents, DC's competitor to Marvel's budget-priced black-and-white Essentials line, collects 20 early issues of the super team, starting in The Brave and the Bold 28-30 and continuing into the first 16 issues of the JLA's own book and Mystery in Space 75 (featuring Adam Strange).Truthfully, a lot of the issues have a sameness to them, with the Leaguers generally splitting up to tackle menaces (usually alien) individually and having to figure out how to handle something specifically designed to neutralize each member's powers, e.g., Green Lantern against something yellow (if only they'd selected those assignments a little better#133;).Notable issues include the JLA's first appearance, facing Starro the conqueror; the introduction of teen "hipster" Snapper Carr; the "origin" of the League; and the addition of Green Arrow and the Atom to the core lineup of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, the Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman.Fortunately this 1960-62 run by the classic team of Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky (with occasional other contributors) improved as it went along, with more use of teamwork and story lines involving Doctor Light, Felix Faust, the untouchable aliens, and the cavern of deadly spheres.--David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Creative Casting for the DC comics World.......2007-03-30

I enjoyed this huge graphic novel for the most part. The stories were bizarre but good if you expect that. Makes me think of B Sci-fi movies, very over the top but creative despite that. My favorite part had to be the creative use of super powers, one of the most fun parts of the book. Of course you expect Green Lantern to do some very different things with his ring, but the Flash does some amazing things too. He can control the world around him by varying the way that his uses his superspeed: create vibrations, slow down his rate of falling, create wind etc. (If you read this you will see what I mean).

The villains were all very different, using technology, alien intellect, or magic to trouble the Justice League. The plots have the general pattern of: 1. some seeming impossible challenge, 2. solution through the creative use of powers or some other clever device. This makes for some redundancy but still a lot of fun. (Don't try to read all in one setting...Space them out at bit.)

There are some flaws that draw you out of the fun that the book has to offer. The thing that irked me the most was "Snapper Carr." I understand this is the age of sidekicks, and part of this era of comic books, but he was definitely overused and annoying. The only other complaint is the lack of color. The color would add so much to the visuals. I understand this comes with the territory of these huge complitations, though.

I think this book is definitely worth the read and if you like old comics worth a purchase. It was fun to read these early comics and consider how much comics have changed.

Man....I love this stuff........2006-12-31

First, I grew up reading DC comics. Green Lantern, Flash and Justice League were my personal faves. This is a terrific opportunity to have the early JLA stories, in a great format, without costing an arm and a leg. I'd love to give this Five Stars, but the lack of color (which, I assume, would have increased the price), for me keeps it at Four.
The early issues of the JLA title are all here as well as the first three JLA stories from The Brave and The Bold. Starro, Faust, Amazo....all the big bad guys are here as well. Great art and terrific stories from the sixties! What more can you ask for?

A somewhat contrary opinion.......2006-05-26

I like older comic books, written back in the day when things were simpler. For this reason, overall, I have enjoyed the Essential series from Marvel, and I optimistically decided to try out one of the similar Showcase volumes that DC is publishing. My first experience was with the Justice League of America, and sadly - contrary to many of the other reviews expressed here - I cannot give it a positive review.

The Justice League consisted of the all-star lineup of the DC universe: Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman and the Martian Manhunter. Joining the group later would be the Green Arrow and the Atom. Also, part of the team was one of the more annoying sidekicks in comics history, Snapper Carr, a finger-snapping teen with a tendency to speak in pseudo-hepcat language.

The artwork is consistently nice, but the writing has its problems. I understand that these comics were written in a different era and with kids as the key demographic, but compared to the work of Stan Lee and company just a year or so later with Fantastic Four, this material is very weak. The personalities of the superheroes are almost exactly the same; outside of references to superpowers, you could mix up the speech bubbles for the characters and never know the difference (I suppose this is the only thing that makes Snapper stand out).

In addition, the same plot seems to be recycled issue after issue, with just the villain changing: each story has a villain threatening the world; the Justice League splits into smaller groups to deal with individual threats and being overcome until they reunite as a team to stop the bad guy.

I suppose the big problem is that these comic books were never meant to be read as a set, but rather as individual stories read a month or two apart. It's kind of like of cookies: if you eat too many at one time, you'll get sick, but eaten at separate times, you can enjoy each one. Because of this cookie concept, I am giving this book a low three stars although it probably really rates only two. This set has more historical value than entertainment value.

THE START OF DC'S GREATEST SUPER TEAM.......2006-03-15

As I began to read Showcase Presents the Justice League of America I soon quickly came to the startled realization that in my thirty plus years as a comic fan, I had never read the first appearance by the JLA in Brave & The Bold #28. This came as a surprise as I had read, in some form or another, the first appearance of just about every major superhero or team: Superman, Batman, The Avengers, Spiderman, The Fantastic Four, etc..., but never the Justice League. It came to me that growing up I had read many of these DC first appearances in those old, oversized, Famous First editions, and read many of the Marvel first appearances in Origins of Marvel Comics collections. But somehow I missed on the Justice League. Thankfully DC continues to produce these affordable and jam-packed Showcase editions. With over 500 pages, this book collects Brave & the Bold # 28 - 30, Justice League of America # 1 - 16, and Mystery in Space # 75, the formative years of DCs greatest super team. All of the stories in this book were written by Gardner Fox with art by Murphy Anderson, Mike Sekowsky, and Carmine Infantio, all with great Anderson covers. Murphy Anderson was as much the artistic face of DC comics in the 1960's as Kack Kirby was at Marvel in the same period.

Interestingly, in Brave & the Bold #28, we get virtually no origin at all. In fact the league is already established with members The Flash, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Superman, and Batman. It's obvious they've already worked together as they have communication devices to signal each other when needed, which Aquaman does when he discovers the threat of Starro the Conqueror, a giant, intelligent starfish from space. Only Superman fails to answer the call as he is deep in outer space battling a meteor swarm. Then in Brave & the Bold #29, the team goes up against the Weapons Master Yotar from the year 11960 who travels back in time with his futuristic weapons to destroy the JLA. In Brave & Bold #30, professor Ivo creates the synthetic humanoid known as Amazo who has the power to steal the powers of the heroes.

Superman would see his first action in Justice League of America #1 as the team would meet for the first time one of their greatest enemies, the tyrant Despero from the planet Kalanor. Other long time JLA villains also make their early appearances in this volume including Doctor Light (the lighting rod for the Infinite Crisis storyline) and Felix Faust. Green Arrow would gain membership into the team in issue #4 and the Atom would join in issue #14. One of the very first issues of the title I remember seeing and reading was #7. This one has the famous funhouse mirror cover with distorted images of the team including the hefty Wonder Woman which I always got a kick out of.

By today's standards the stories may seem a bit simplistic and they are but this was, after all, the very early 60's, pre-Beatles and Viet Nam and it was a simpler time. The running theme of teamwork is present in many of the stories as the team learns to work together to best utilize their abilities. Yes the comics are in black & white and printed on low-cost newsprint paper. But in color this book would be three times as much and that's what the hardcover Archive editions are for. This is great stuff. Vintage Silver Age comics at their finest!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Priceless Fox-Sekowsky classics! The classic JLA in all it's glory (minus four colors)........2006-03-03

"Showcase Presents: Justice League of America, Vol. 1" collects the earliest issues of DC's flagship silver age superteam, the JLA. These are definitive classics that helped shape not only DC comics, but the industry in the sixties. DC at that time had a reputation for being a bit stodgy in their storytelling, something that tended to separate them from the looser Marvel comics, but there's nothing conservative about the stories here! In fact, they out-weird anything Marvel ever attempted. When Grant Morrison rejuvinated the JLA in the nineties, he got a lot of attention for his eccentric, very unique stories. Here, you'll see that he was just continuing a JLA tradition.

The strangest thing is that these wildly imaginative plots were framed in the context of very straight-laced scripts by Gardner Fox. It creates a dichotomy that causes the reader to be a little off-balance throughout. You never can quite get a handle on where Fox is going, to his credit.

In terms of art, Mike Sekowsky is both a legend and a figure of controversy. He was far from the typical dynamic superhero artist that one might expect in a mainstream team book (THE definitive team book, in fact). Instead, Sekowsky had a very quirky style that used lively angles and very fluid, kinetic figures that weren't always fully polished (intentionally). His quirky style frustrated some fans who wanted a more illustrative style on such an important book, but looking back, it's obvious that Sekowsky was the perfect choice for Fox's off-kilter, existential stories.

In my review for the Archives Edition volume of these early JLA tales, I compared Fox and Sekowsky's work to the Avengers (the TV show, not the Marvel superteam that followed the JLA's example a few years later). The Avengers was a quirky show that presented a serious front, but buried outrageous plots beneath it, all in a very coy, self-awere package. The JLA is like that in many ways, though done so as not to alienate the youngest demographics.

In that same Archives review, I said that the JLA stories in that format were "pricey, but priceless". Here, you don't have to worry about the "pricey" part.

The lack of color should not be a deterrent. When you're dealing with artists as talented as Sekowsky (or Kirby, Gil Kane, Infantino, etc), they're good enough that the work holds up well in black & white. The lack of color does slightly alter the mood of the art, of course. Without the bright four-color reproduction, the art seems a bit mroe serious, less cartoony, but not enough to really change the atmosphere of the art overall. And since it's line art, you do get a more intimate representation of the artist's work, even if it's not presented as intended for original publication.

Recommended!

Customer Reviews:

A rehash........2001-06-15

THE JANUS CONJUNCTION is a book that doesn't know where it wants to go and never really gets there. The story borrows very heavily from certain Jon Pertwee adventures and does not end up escaping. This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but there isn't a point in the story where I found something that I hadn't seen before. Everything felt as though I'd seen or read it a few times previously. The real shame of this is that it disguises some of the actual original pieces in it.

As for the plot, I'm afraid there are just one too many impossibilities for me. I don't mind a little bad science every now and again if it isn't distracting and it helps move the plot along. Minor errors that crop up are usually more annoying than anything else, but in this case they really got in the way of my enjoyment of the story. If there had been more to the plot, then it might have just gotten away with this, but as the story was so straightforward (and, frankly, dull in many places) the science mistakes became that much more apparent. I was actually not terribly bothered by these errors until almost the very end, when a huge deux ex machina pops up, destroying all manner of physical laws, just in time to save the day.

Another major problem that I had with this book was the use of Sam, though to be fair to Trevor Baxendale, this is not completely the author's fault. Sam is a very annoying character and there just isn't a terribly satisfactory way of putting her into a story without the reader wishing that she doesn't end up dying after her Torture of the Month. SEEING I got away with using Sam well by having her grow up and putting some of her more annoying characteristics into perspective. VANDERDEKEN'S CHILDREN starred a generic companion who just happened to be named Sam and shared very few of her positive and negative points. But JANUS just shows us Sam in all her annoying, holier-than-thou glory. The results are very painful in places. While some authors have gone to great lengths to keep her out of situations that will bring out the worst in her character, Baxendale does not do this. It's hardly his fault that he was stuck with a companion that has to be tiptoed around, but the story he has written really clashes with the Sam that he had to use.

The other characters (including the Doctor) are fairly bland. If you've ever seen a Pertwee episode then you've met these people before. We have the 70's era environmentally friendly colonists that are looking for a nice place to live away from the hustle and bustle of Earth. They're lead by the council of elders who are slow, bureaucratic and don't listen to the Doctor until it's too late no matter how much sense it would make to do so. The bad guys are a group of mercenaries who are evil, greedy and are only in it for the money and the glory. The exceptions are the soldiers who end up siding with the colonists by the end of the book, which, again, is a plot point that we've seen again and again.

In any case, JANUS is a run of the mill adventure that's let down heavily by it's reliance on very poor science and some rather cardboard characterizations. It's a very fast read, but there is not a whole lot there to recommend it.

Review of The Janus Conjunction.......2000-05-13

Baxendale uses vivid description to describe the various characters in his novel. Zemler is portrayed as a grotesque, dying, lunatic while Lunder is portrayed as aggressive and benevolent at the same time. Baxendale also uses character evolution in the case of Moslei who started out as an antagonist but ends up being the savior of Menda. Baxendale's use of characterization is excellent especially in the case of the madman Zemler and his troopers. Baxendale's viewpoint is from the characters and not an omniscient narrator. The viewpoint bounces back and forth between the Doctor, Sam, Lunder, Julya, Zemler, and even Moslei. The structure of the novel was very organized and kept the attention of the reader. Baxendale did an excellent job of fleshing out the antagonists early in the novel yet not boring the reader with narration. There was much tension to keep the novel moving. Several things kept the novel going such as Sam's dying of radiation, Lunder's conflict with his former leader; Zemler, and the Doctor struggling to disarm the conjunction weapon and find a cure for Sam. Baxendale's use of Menda and Janus Prime as the setting was excellent and did not confuse the reader. His descriptons of peaceful and serene Menda and barren and radioactive Janus Prime enabled the reader to paint a perfect mental image of both. The concept of the Janus Conjunction was original as were its characters. It echoes the moral that absolute power corrupts absolutely. The novel's style was fast paced and was not heavily laden with narration. The dialogue was original and the descriptions of the settings and characters were crisp and imaginative. It is sentimental at times but not too melodramatic. It is action packed yet not to the extent where the plot is lost.

Good Author keeps writing good books.......2000-03-22

The Janus Conjunction is exeptionally descriptive, leaving you able to picture each of the settings. The action isn't too slow. The plot is good. This is an all around good book. I highly reccomend it.

Good Author keeps writing good books.......2000-03-22

Excellent Eighth Doctor Novel.......2000-01-11

The author does an excellent job of characterizing the 8th Doctor and Sam, aswell as the other main characters. The mood of the book is suitably dark and the locations are fantastic but beleivable.

The pace of the adventure is quick, although it did get a little bogged down in technobabble towards the end (making a few jokes at it's own expense along the way).

It would make an excellent TV story and sticks to the formula of limited locations, but being part of a galactic problem.

Thouroughly recommended for Who fans and casual readers alike.

Customer Reviews:

Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel.......2007-10-11

Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel

This is one of the most influential, informative, scholarly works - one of the most important on the subject of Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic and has a prominent place in my personal library.

The Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel are absolutely fantastic - an awesome read - Frank Moore Cross does an absolutely fabulous job with detailed footnotes and a thorough treatment of this all important topic - the ancient council of the gods, the names of deity, their meaning and their influence on the Canaanites and Hebrew people - and on the formation of religion as we know it today, both Jewish and Christian.

A top notch book and one I will highly recommend to all who want to understand GOD more and HIS influence as portrayed through his epitaphs.

Difficult but indispensable.......2007-08-13

This book treads roughly the same ground as Mark S. Smith's The Early History of God and The Origins of Biblical Monotheism. It is a tour de force of historical reconstruction from biblical sources. It deals with many of the thorny problems of the disparate historical books of the Bible (Chronicles and Joshua-2Kings). It includes the crucial paper on the dual redaction of the Deuteronomic History (Deuteronomy and Joshua-2 Kings). That paper alone is worth the purchase of the book, because it has been so influential over the years. Furthermore, he shreds the fashionable Jebusite hypothesis regarding the origins of Zadok, David's high priest, although his own theory has holes as well.

In order to fully appreciate this book you will need a solid grounding in Biblical Hebrew grammar, ancient Near Eastern history and mythology, and Biblical literature. Some of his discussions get extremely technical regarding paleography, epigraphy, and West Semitic grammar.

Still groundbreaking, although some reconstructions pf the premonarchic cultus are questionable.......2006-10-15

As it was written in the 70s, Canaanite Myth is a little behind the times- it assumes, for example, that monolatry was present in Israel from the premonarchic period, and that later prophetic polemics and reforms were directed against "syncretism." We now know that this is probably not the case, and that most of the gods condemned as "foreign" by the prophets and Deuteronomists- Asherah, Astarte, Baal, and the Heavenly Host- were simply pan-Levantine gods that Israel had inherited from its Canaanite ancestors. It is Cross's work that has, in large part, prepared us to deal with this however. Cross's book meticulously examines a wide variety of biblical and extrabiblical texts, early and late, and observes many continuities between Israelite and Canaanite beliefs and modes of worship; poetics, theophanic language, and so on are largely identical between the two cultures, the only real difference being that Israel's public religion was overwhelmingly focused on a single deity (but not, as Cross assumes, completely excluding others, at least until the late monarchy). Cross's reconstruction of the Judean monarchic cultus is based on a lot of evidence both biblical and comparative; the chapters on the development of apocalyptic language are where the analysis really shines. When he extends this reconstruction into the premonarchic period, however, it becomes problematic. His assumption that the Israelite league was a solid and largely unified politco-religious unit, rather than a loose, shifting coalition of tribes as even the Bible itself suggests (the list of tribes in the Song of Deborah includes ten tribes, not twelve, two of which are demoted to the status of sub-tribal "clans" in later lists) largely distorts his analysis. Nonetheless, the book is still a must-read for those interested in understanding the biblical world.

On following the proofs:.......2004-05-31

Cross is a scholar of outstanding merit. That said, the true worth of this book lies not in its bottom line conclusions-that the God of Israel represents an often overt, sometimes absurd, form of continuity with its antecedent Canaanite theogonic fellows--but in the rigor of its proofs and the tools manipulated in arriving there. However, without specific training in the field, one will be at a loss to evaluate exactly this most valuable dimension. In point of fact, I was often unable to so much as check the content of his citations; Cross, in accordance with ancient phonetizations that I could only glean from assorted footnotes, felt (potentially legitimately) no compunctions to adhere to the Masoritic text that I possessed. With this as the state of affairs, I could not critically examine the salience of any particular argument nor sense when Cross was engaged in something truly novel, to be taken note of.

Nonetheless, there is much to be gained about the rules of this primarily academic game simply by taking stock of Cross' presumptions and tools of reference. On top of that, the conclusions are fascinating, and even without fully 'grokking' the rigor of their proofs, they alone will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Conservative, Radical, Challenging, Debatable.......2002-01-11

"Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic" is a series of related essays on the composition of the Hebrew Bible. It is conservative in that it takes the general framework of the Biblical chronology as accurate, and Cross refers readily to "patriarchal folk", "the league" of tribes, "the empire of David and Solomon" and the "divided monarchy". Within this conservatism, Cross adheres to the relative conservatism of the Documentary Hypothesis, which is taken for granted by most scholars, but anathema to those who hold to the unity of the scriptures.

The book is radical in that Cross isolates themes and expressions derived from Canaanite mythology, particularly from mid-2nd millenium tablets found at Ugarit, written in an alphabetic script. He delves deeply into the names, titles and attributes of God, as well as into various sources which were united in the Bible as we now know it. "The Song of the Sea" rates a special chapter in which Cross demonstrates the independence of the poem from the story that surrounds it. He also reconstructs archaic precursor poems to various Biblical texts.

The book is challenging in that it is quite difficult and detailed. When I got started reading "Canaanite Myth..." 6 months ago, I quickly realized I didn't know enough to read it, so I took a few months to acquaint myself with the rudiments of Hebrew and middle-Eastern archaeology. Hebrew text, transliterations of Ugaritic, discussions of etymology and usage, sources of scribal error, and so on, using technical terms are the stuff of the volume, so it's not nearly as simple or neat as a least one of the other reviewers has suggested.

Finally, the book is debatable in that the reconstuctions of archaic texts based on the text we now have, the oldest exemplars of which date from the Hellenistic/Roman period, and projecting them backwards a millenium, and deriving political and ritual presumed practices from them seems to me highly speculative and ultimately dubious. For instance, while Cross does successfully demonstrate that "The Song of the Sea" is independent of the J and E sources, without more data, how can anyone possibly know at what point the poem became Yahwistic? The author cites archaic usage in dating, but it does not escape me that in our own culture, which is much less conservative than ancient cultures were, right into the 20th century, virtually all religious texts were translated into pseudo-King James English, which itself was archaic in 1611. Without securely dated copies, how would any future scholars date these? At the same time the book raises a number of issues which merit further study. This is not a book to read once and put on the shelf. It has much to offer for long term study.

Book Description

Seldom does the dŽbut of an antiques publication introduce a completely new area of collecting, but that's exactly what this book does. The authors turn the world of mid-nineteenth-century French porcelain upside-down through their interpretation of two recently discovered factory books from the earliest years of the Haviland porcelain works at Limoges. Shape drawings from a mysterious volume at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, complemented by paintings and prints from a heretofore unknown design catalog preserved in the Haviland family, reveal the shattering truth that many pieces of anonymous "Old Paris" in collections today are actually Limoges porcelains designed, decorated, and marketed by American entrepreneur David Haviland during his first two decades in France. Anticipated on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the most significant contributions of original scholarship on French ceramics in a generation, this study combines carefully researched text with 450 illustrations, including full-color photographs of previously unidentifiable porcelains and many unpublished documents from archives in France and America. A beautiful volume, it is the indispensable reference for curators, scholars, dealers, and aficionados of French ceramics. Readers will find their views of nineteenth-century porcelains enhanced and transformed.

Customer Reviews:

Lots of beautiful pictures and information.......2006-09-18

This book is so informative! It has documentation of designs from the old companies. It has pictures of the most beautiful early Limoges I have ever seen. Almost like visiting a museum.

Average customer rating:

All the Patterns I Need for a Basic Wardrobe

like a store bought shirt

Great book, but One Warning about patterns

GREAT basic sewing resource. Learn to sew or brush up on your skills. AND with patterns!

Helpful sewing book

Easy Sewing the KWIK SEW Way
Kerstin Martensson
Manufacturer: Kwik-Sew Pattern Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Kwik Sew's Sewing for Children

Kwik Sew's Sewing for Toddlers

Kwik Sew's Beautiful Lingerie

Kwik Sew's Sewing for Baby

How to Make Sewing Patterns

ASIN: 0913212199

Book Description

This book details the current leading edge of sewing techniques, teaching time saving methods and allowing the creation of professional looking garments. This book is simple enough for a beginner, yet exciting for an experienced sewer.

The book contains patterns for knit tops, blouses, skirts, and pants; all in misses sizes XS through XL. Using this book, an entire wardrobe can be created in a minimal amount of time.

There are numerous full color photographs of the garments, very detailed instructions and technical illustrations. The book covers creating garments from the included master patterns and basic pattern alternations to make additional styles; the tips and techniques within this book will help any level of sewer.

According to Kerstin Martensson, "Easy Sewing THE KWIK SEW Way is a valuable addition for anyone who sews. We are very excited about our newest book; it allows you to create a wardrobe while learning the latest methods in home sewing. This book is the culmination of a large project within KWIK SEW's design department to help our customers better their skills, but this is not a weighty textbook, it is a very readable and sewable book!"

As with all KWIK SEW books, their latest book contains master patterns to allow home sewers to create all the garments that are detailed within the book. The Master Patterns are colour printed on durable, white paper, as are all KWIK SEW patterns.

Customer Reviews:

All the Patterns I Need for a Basic Wardrobe.......2007-07-05

Easy Sewing the KWIK SEW Way

I have only attended basic dressmaking class and this book made me a much happier and busier home sewer. Now I spend less time knitting eyebrows and scratching my head; more time sewing more stuff.

By the time I received this book one or two weeks after I ordered it, I found out that I am expecting our second baby. Although there are no maternity patterns in this book, Ms Martensson's comprehensive instructions on design and alteration in the book allowed me to figure out how to create my own maternity wardrobe.

The only things I missed, but managed to figure out from the basic patterns in this book too, were sleeveless tops and camisoles -- these are much needed in the country where we live, as weather here is summer all year long.

like a store bought shirt.......2007-03-16

My husband saw the shirt I made and asked where I bought it!!! Not bad for someone who had not sewn since childhood in 4-H and had forgotten so much. This book will get you going on sewing and make it fun and easy.... and your clothing will turn out great!!!!!!

Great book, but One Warning about patterns.......2006-11-11

One thing I wish I knew before buying the book (and getting my hopes up) is that the pants and skirt patterns are for ELASTIC WAISTS ONLY. I personally can't stand elastic waists on anything other than sleepwear and workout wear, so that will really cut down on what I'll make from those patterns. Overall, I'm glad I bought the book, because it has so much great information.

GREAT basic sewing resource. Learn to sew or brush up on your skills. AND with patterns!.......2006-07-29

I learnt to sew as a child, later my mother died, and I continued to perservere. Much later I came across an earlier edition of this basic, and FINALLY learnt to sew SIMPLY and easily. That was in 1984 I think.

If you thought you hated sewing because of a disastrous introduction in home ec, or some nameless pricey paper pattern company sold you an expensive pattern that just didn't work and ruined your fabric (along with a desire to sew!) then help is on the way!

Kerstin teaches you a lot of quick techniques used in ready to wear-- flat construction, quick knit techniques and more. I quit swearing at my machine and feeling confused by pattern directions and started sewing again using this book.

Don't be put off by the pictures of the garments. They are rarely accessorized well, and look a bit clunky. The paper patterns in the fabric store are similar. Very basic pictures.

In reality when you sew them, the fit is MUCH better, more like ready to wear and the patterns are easily accessorized to create new looks.

Don't judge Kwik Sew patterns by the photos or the drawings, the fit is much much better. If you were ever put off by a dress that seems 2 or more sizes too big, or looks like a potatoe sack from your sewing efforts with the big pattern companies, try Kwik Sew, and try using this book first.

This book comes with a basic wardrobe of pattern peices. As you gain experience you may wish to use them as your own fitted "sloper" which means your basic fit guide. They will make basic designs and as you use them, you will adapt the fit to really fit YOU and once you do that, all other patterns can be changed easily. Here is how.

Put your perfectly fitted pattern piece up to any other paper pattern peice and adapt the newer pattern to fit your Kwik Sew "sloper" just changing the neckline or the collar to suit the current fashion style that came with your paper pattern.

That way the pants will fit, the crotch won't ride down around your knees or give you an impromptu "wedgie" look, neither of which is attractive! And you can make the pockets, the waistband, the width of the legs, or the hemline to suit whatever the current trend is.

Meanwhile these patterns in this book will give you a great beginner course or brush up in sewing techniqe. (do look for regular patterns in Kwik Sew or Burda at the pattern counter in the fabric stores too)

Later you may want to subscribe to Burda Moden and take what you learnt and apply it to their slightly more difficult trace and sew patterns, or move onto sewing bathing suits and lingerie with Kerstin's other fine books (sewing courses really).

I use this book still to replace most pattern directions and especially for Burda Moden magazine trace off patterns. The instructions on putting stuff together is a bit lacking in Burda and for that reason they aren't for amateurs. Learn how with Kwik Sew in this book and you won't have a problem with Burda Moden.

The way things are put together in the big 4 paper pattern companies aren't always written properly, nor do they always use easy techniques so I refer to Kwik Sew to get it done right.

I do know of one lady who fortunately knew enough to realize her expensive Vogue designer pattern had made a critical mistake in the layout and cutting instructions. It would have DESTROYED the garment had she followed their instructions.

Avoid the problems, learn it from Kerstin first, then you are explosion proof so to speak for routine garment construction.

I used this book to teach my son and daughter how to sew in home schooling. It's an excellent course. For the boys just use basic Kwik Sew menswear patterns in pajamas, shirts, shorts and pants.

Kwik Sew patterns, including the ones in this book are multi sized, easy to adjust and traceable. Which means you don't have to cut over the other sizes if you prefer to keep them. This helps if you sew for others, or your kids grow fast!

For tracing these patterns I use a sharpy marker and a roll of cheap white paper sold as table cloth rolls. Get the huge rolls of paper from any party rental outfit. People unroll them onto tables, then tape to tables for a disposable tablecovering.

I found them to be really easy to trace thru (especially the thinner cheaper paper) and just the right width for tracing off any pattern piece.

If you are tracing a Burda magazine pattern you need a bit more sheerness but for that I use wax paper and fuse it to get the width.

This paper roll is ok for Kwik sew which is printed on white paper, not the newsprint Burda uses.

Hope that helps.

Helpful sewing book.......2005-08-05

I liked this book because it has easy-to-follow directions. I think it could be used by the beginning seamstress as well as a good review for those who haven't sewn in a while. I especially like the fact that patterns are given, as well as instructions on how to alter the patterns to fit. An added benefit is the fact that there are a couple of easy-to-follow pages on the simple basics of applique. I consider this purchase to be a good one!

Book Description

Chinese Style: Living in Beauty and Prosperity shows how to transform, or simply add a touch of Chinese style. China has long captivated the world's imagination with visions of softly rustling silks, delicately fragrant teas, exquisitely fine porcelain, and elegant lacquered furniture. Take the popular decorating concept of Feng Shui to a whole new level with authentic information on how to create a Chinese aesthetic! Learn how to alleviate clutter and increase the flow of chi, the universal life force; discover creative new ways of integrating Chinese furniture and decorative arts to today's more flexible decorating styles; and stroll through a rich collection of images from homes, museums, and galleries. Also included are interviews with Chinese antique and style experts, thorough research, and everything you need to know to achieve an energizing and nurturing sanctuary.

Customer Reviews:

Home interior design collections will find this focus a popular reference........2007-02-03

Chinese Style: Living in Beauty and Prosperity hold lovely illustrations to demonstrate the possibilities of redecorating an entire home or a single room in a Chinese fashion. Think 'China' and you'll think of silk, tea, porcelain and lacquer furniture: these and other elements can be combined with modern styles for maximum impact. Home interior design collections will find this focus a popular reference.

All style and no substance.......2007-01-25

This book has no worthwhile information and the photography is not of the highest quality. I would definitely not recommend it.

Lyrical Beauty.......2006-09-19

"Lacquer is a natural sap from a sumac tree...growing in southern and central China between elevations of 1200-1500 feet. Applied in layers over logs, beams and furniture, its protective qualities preserve the wood over time. And, its transparent sheen enhances surfaces, while reflecting light." ~pg. 33

Chinese Style is a mingling of ancient beauty with modern functionality that still embodies a spirituality evident in the rich symbolism within the designs. Camphor wood cabinets, apothecary chests, softly rustling silks, intricate screens, fragrant teas, exquisite porcelain and richly colored lacquered antiques fill the pages with beauty.

You can imagine yourself wandering through an Antique store filled with warm colors, rich crimson accents and comfy soft fabrics covering chairs in which you could read for hours. The details on the chair on page 44 are very intriguing and the complexity almost becomes serenity.

The main chapters include:

What is Chinese Style?
China's Export Trade
Recognizing Authentic Chinese Antiques
Poetic Imagery as Design Symbols
Rooms that Welcome and Entertain
Rooms that Nurture and Heal
Rooms that Celebrate Memories
Beauty in the Details

The pictures throughout are the highlights, but each section describes the designs and gives a deeper understanding to the furniture's purpose that goes beyond simple form and function. The bathroom with a fireplace looks very inviting and the author explains how a statue of an elephant gives the room a sense of peace and prosperity.

Sunamita Lim also explains the meaning of bats, bees, bears, butterflies, cranes, dragons, eagles, fish, dogs, lions, goldfish, horses, ducks, roosters, peacocks and tigers. The next time you see a rug with various fruits like cherry, pomegranate and persimmon, you may think of a long life instead of just a display of fruit. Foods also have deeper meanings as do plants and symbols from the natural world.

"Bamboo, in symbolizing nature's purity and steadfastness, is most significant for the higher ideals that scholars seek, such as integrity and noble action." ~ pg. 72

If you are decorating, you might want to consider a beautiful moon window that gives a room such a nurturing quality. If you love reading poetry, the symbols from nature will be enlightening all on their own. This book can be enjoyed for its spiritual and aesthetic dimensions.

~The Rebecca Review

Average customer rating:

Why so mean with photos?

Chinese Style: The Art of Living
Bradley Quinn
Manufacturer: Conran
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Style | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Book Description

From the Ming eraÂ's austere minimalism to the Quing dynastyÂ's baroque exuberance, this is the definitive guide to classical Chinese design. Authentic, informed, and visually breathtaking, it shows how to add that perfect touch of Eastern exoticism to the home. The key areas of architecture, furniture, decorative details, textiles, and ceramics all receive extensive attention.

Customer Reviews:

Why so mean with photos?.......2005-10-31

It's a beautiful book, but why so mean with the photos? I by this kind of book to be inspired and expect to see a great number of seductive photos of objects in the Chinese Style. The most annoying thing is to be presented with only two pictures on a spread and they show exactly the same things, one is a close-up and the other from afar. Sorry, possibly a three-and-a-half star (because the book is well structured and designed), but no more.

Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan: Ancient Chinese Way to Health

Average customer rating:

Excellent Material on Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan

Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan: Ancient Chinese Way to Health
Wen Zee
Manufacturer: North Atlantic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Healthy Living | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

China | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Accessories:

ASIN: 1556433891
Release Date: 2002-03-29

Book Description

Developed over many centuries, Tai Chi Chuan is one of the treasures of Chinese culture, incorporating the principles of Taoist philosophy with the accumulated knowledge of the traditional martial arts. Wu Style is known as the "three-in-one exercise," invigorating the mind, the internal energy (qi), and the body. At all times the practitioner focuses on using mental strength, not raw force. With the mind, one directs the qi, and with the qi, one directs the whole body. Continuous round movements are made without ever breaking or interrupting the flow of internal energy.

Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan describes the origin and philosophy of Tai Chi Chuan, and then details its multiple health benefits. Step-by-step instruction in the practice of the Tai Chi Chuan solo form (including many photographs) is presented, followed by a chapter describing the two-person exercise known as Push Hands, for which the Wu Style is famous.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Material on Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan.......2003-02-15

Simply put, this is a very good book. It explains so many useful concepts that you need to focus on and try to apply in your tai chi practice. The language (including the very useful translations from Tai Chi Classics) is clear and the book is well organized. Notice however that although the book also describes the slow form, you will not be able to learn it from the book. The form is there for reference.

Average customer rating:

Chinese Style : The Art of Living
Bradley Quinn
Manufacturer: Conran Octopus UK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000W2Q3GG

Product Description

An informative, visually seductive guide to integrating Chinese style in your home with furnishings, interior decor, accessories, ideas, photos of rooms, items, Chinese interior design history.

Book Description

Artwork by Bridget Riley, Liam Gillick, Sarah Morris, Matthew Ritchie.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books