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Alexandra - Reviews

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120 Patterns for Traditional Patchwork Quilts
120 Patterns for Traditional Patchwork Quilts
Author: Maggie Malone
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
 6
Review Date: 2/13/2009
Helpful Score: 5


Maggie Malone has put together one of the most comprehensive pattern books ever. One of the unique features is a color index in the front of the book showing each of the 120 designs in color. Readers can select patterns easily and turn to the indicated pages to learn the range of expertise required. Each pattern in labelled Easy, Moderate or Difficult. Tables are provided for each pattern, listing the number of pieces per block and per quilt for each fabric and the yeardage required. Pattern pieces are full size and instruction are in clear, simple language.

Students of quilting lore will be pleased to note that whenever possible the author has provided information on the origin of the various quilts. Although some of the traditional and classic designs will be familiar, many will be new to most readers.

Some patterns examples are: Hunter's Star, Kansas Dust Storm, Grandma's Hopscotch, Lindy's Plane, Missouri Puzzle, Flywheel. Waste Not, Spider's Den, Maryland Beauty, Loop the Loop, Exploding Stars, Pickle Dish, Nebraska, God's Eye, Feathered Star, Madam X, Lady of the White House, Indian Patch, Saw Blades, ...... and much, much more.


Action Packs: Night Sky
Action Packs: Night Sky
Author: DK Publishing
Book Type: Hardcover
  ?
Review Date: 7/7/2008
Helpful Score: 1


This interactive book/information pack is not just for kids but adults will love it, too. I had one for my children and the whole family got into it. It has a satellite orbit model, to assemble, that hangs as a mobile, a night sky guidebook, constellation cards, planisphere, planet factbook, glow-in-the-dark stickers, a couple of large colored posters and more. It's just great. We just worn it out! Kids and adults will love it. It's a great thing for everyone to work on together.


The Africa House : The True Story of an English Gentleman and His African Dream
Review Date: 11/20/2008
Helpful Score: 2


'The Africa House' is an unusual and enchanting true story. I was captivated by the whole thing of this English aristocrat going out into the depths (and I mean DEPTHS) of what was Northern Rhodesia in Africa and building this gigantic and humungous manor house and a nearby village and farming estate. There weren't any real roads to this place for years. Even today the place is off the beaten track totally.

It follows his life and his dreams for this African life of being Lord of the Manor. He's a little wierd about his aunt and spent his WHOLE life hankering after her. He really would have loved to have got it on with her except she kept him at arms length. Finally he married the orphan daughter of a sweetheart of his youth, who got away from him. The girl was a teenager and he was in his 40's. His wife looked just like her mother and even had the same name.

His life story is really fascinating and I enjoyed it a lot.


American Patchwork Quilt Designs
American Patchwork Quilt Designs
Author: Ondorisha
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 2/1/2009
Helpful Score: 1


The Ondori Quilt books are just fabulous. They have very attractive color photos of the projects plus their diagrams are wonderful. The diagrams have a lot of detail which makes it easier to understand. I also enjoy seeing the color combinations that they use on their projects. Some of the projects in the book are: small coverlet, pillows, wall hanging, bedspread, placemats and napkins, tablecloth, tray mat and coasters, potholders, tea cozy, pincushions, scissors case, picture, cosmetic cases, lunch bag, tote bag, small bag and Christmas ornaments. Although photographed in Japan and the book is made in Japan the designs are very American. Japanese women love quilting. I got a lot out of this book. It's a pleasure to read.


An Amish Quilt in a Day - Variations of Roman Stripe
An Amish Quilt in a Day - Variations of Roman Stripe
Author: Eleanor Burns
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 2/1/2009


I was lucky to take a class by Eleanor Burns and what an education I got. Eventually I made a quilt out of each of her Quilt in a Day patterns. They look great. I even tied them, which I never do. By tying them you can use a double batting and make it really warm and puffy. It was so great to do a quilt in a day and take it home. Granted it's a long day but worth every minute!


Anyone can fly
Anyone can fly
Author: Jules Bergman
Book Type: Unknown Binding
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 12/30/2008


What's it like to fly? For the experienced pilot - despite moments of high drama - it's a challenging but fairly routine world of carefully coordinated skills and demanding attention to details. And yet, for the beginner it can be a mysterious, even disturbing new experience. This book should bring these two worlds a little closer.

Here, in a completely revised and updated edition of the popular and widely consulted guide to private flying, ABC science commentator Jules Bergman has written a down to earth introduction to this lofty and often intimidating but always exciting sport. Unlike other books in this field, 'Anyone Can Fly' focuses not so much on the aircraft as on the actual aerial maneuvers themselves which are an invaluable part of understanding the art and science of flying.

Interwoven in a lavishly illustrated format of over 200 photos and drawings (many taken from inside the cockpit and in flight), 'Anyone Can Fly' takes the beginner through each stage of instruction - from the first orientation session, preflight checks, soloing, simulated emergencies..... right up to the FAA pilot's exam. At the same time, we follow in detail the correct procedures for safe flight - from the interpretation of weather reports, in flight naviagation (both VFR and IFR) and radio communication to the well honed skills that bring the plane down again.

The result makes for a remarkably accurate visual "feel" of just what it means to fly, and a complete and concise handbook of just how you or anyone can learn to fly.

Special features include a picture gallery of "American's Private and Business Planes" and a comprehensive glossary of flight terms.


As the Crow Flies (Audio Cassette) ((Unabridged)
Review Date: 10/14/2012


I so very much enjoyed this audio book! It starts off a little slow but once the story got going I loved it. Archer is truly a master story teller!


The Best of Florida Design
The Best of Florida Design
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 3/14/2009


This is a very lavishly illustrated book with great photos. Lots of great ideas from the houses featured.


The Birthday of the Infanta: And Other Tales
Review Date: 5/23/2008


Through the years since they were first written, Oscar Wilde's fairy tales have received many different treatments. The five stories chosen for inclusion here have been somewhat abridged (long philosophical passeages and such omittted), but have not been adapted. All of the words are Wilde's words. The resulting stories can easily be read by young readers and are fine for reading aloud.
It is the pictures, however, that make this book special. Their elegance, detail, sympathy for the author's intent and delicate yet forceful colors stand in unusual counterpoint to the text.
The stories themselves are familiar; most adults and even many children know well 'The Birthday of the Infanta', The Selfish Giant', 'The Nightindale and the Rose', 'The Young King', and 'The Happy Prince'.


Blackwood Farm (Vampire Chronicles, Bk 9) (Unabridged Audio Cassette)
Blackwood Farm (Vampire Chronicles, Bk 9) (Unabridged Audio Cassette)
Author: Anne Rice
Book Type: Audio Cassette
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 8
Review Date: 3/20/2011


I sooo much enjoyed the listening of this book. I got it at a book sale and just bought it (reluctantly because there weren't many choices) to listen to when driving. Well, I am not into vampires and the like at all. But, I really enjoyed the story very much. The characters are so well written and the story really grabbed me. Some books are for reading and some for listening. I am now looking toward Anne Rice as someone who I will now read/listen to. I listened to an unabridged copy and I think if you went with an abridged story you would lose some of the story continuity. BTW - the reader was excellent.


Bonjour Kale: A Memoir of Paris, Love, and Recipes
Bonjour Kale: A Memoir of Paris, Love, and Recipes
Author: Kristen Beddard
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 5/10/2017


I'm reading 'Bonjour Kale' now and am really enjoying it. The memoir is great - love her descriptions of Paris and Parisians and the apartment hunting. The recipes r wonderful and feasible. My husband grows kale for Farmers Market and I plan to try those recipes! Definitely a 5 star book.


Celestine: Voices from a French Village
Celestine: Voices from a French Village
Author: Gillian Tindall
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 10/27/2007


Late on a summer afternoon in the very heart of rural France, in a small centuries-old house newly abandoned to its ghosts, Gillian Tindall came upon a cache of letters dating from the 1860's. Neatly folded and carefully tucked away, all were addressed to the village innkeeper's daughter, Celestine. All but one were proposals of marriage. Celestine Chaumette (1844-1933) was to reject each of these suitors to wed another; yet she preserved the letters, keeping them throughout her long life.
Something about the letters, about the woman who had so clearly cherished them, fire the historian's curiosity and the novelist's imagination. With a house in Chassignolles, Celestine's village, Ms. Tindall would spend years searching in dusty archives and farmhouse attics, probing the memories and myths of the men and women from the village and the surrounding countryside The treasure she unearthed reaches far beyond the mystery of Celestine to tell of a vanished way of life, of a century of revolutionary change - and of the strange persistence, despite all, of the past. The result is both moving and profound.


Christmas Quilts
Christmas Quilts
Author: Marsha McCloskey
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 1/31/2009
Helpful Score: 1


This is hands down the best Christmas quilt book ever. The colored pictures are beautiful and inspiring. I ombined details from a few quilts in this book and designed a prize winning quilt. I've read hundreds of quilt books and this is the best for Christmas quilts.


Clothes Sense
Clothes Sense
Author: Jane Procter
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 2.5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 11/16/2008


The secret of style is confident imagination, that wonderful feeling a woman achieves when she knows she looks great and why. In a colorful, easy to use format, 'Clothes Sense' teaches you to be your own fashion consultant by anayzing your figure and lifestyle and selecting a wardrobe which is right for both. 'Clothes Sense' pinpoints styles that work well for each figure shape and shows you how to make the most of line, proportion, color, and texture. Convenient shape symbols indicate at a glance whether or not a certain style will be flattering to your figure. The emphasis is on individuality and creating your own best look - whether you're dressing for the office, a glamorous evening out, a weekend in the country, or a workout at the dance studio.


Codex
Codex
Author: Lev Grossman
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
 7
Review Date: 7/10/2007


Absolutely riveting book. If you like books, history, computer games and my
stery you will enjoy this immensely. Author is great with descriptions and has peopled this book with interesting characters. I couldn't put it down for the last 50 pages.


Collector's Guide to Toys, Games, and Puzzles (Collectors Guide Series)
Review Date: 9/6/2008
Helpful Score: 1


This handy guide provides guidance and tips on collecting. There is an overview and history of the categories, insider collecting tips, clues to spot reproductions, copies and fakes, how to care for, display and store items and sources for more information. I found this guide very helpful. Has pictures throughout. It is an oversized paperback and 164 pages. It was very useful for me.


Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns
Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns
Author: Jack O'Connor
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 11/21/2008


Book published 1963
"This is the definitive book on rifles and shotguns. It is clear, concise, organized for easy reference, encyclopedic in its coverage and fully illustrated with photographs and drawings.
The author traces the history of shoulder arms from the unwieldy midget cannon through the Kentucky rifle and the plains rifle, the breech loading systems that replaced them, up to today's precision pieces.
The book discusses in full detail American and foreign sporting rifles. It cover the cartridge, its evolution, primer system, parts and chambering, and how cartridges are named and numbered in the U.S. and abroad. It explains types and actions of big game rifles, barrels, stocks, iron and telescope sights.
Also is valuable information on windage, sighting and trajectory. There is advice on the best rifles and cartridges for hunting in mountains, woods and plains, for shooting all kinds of game, including soft skinned and hard skinned big game.
On shotguns, the book completely covers actions, stocks, barrels, choke devices and shells. The author names the proper guns for upland game, waterfowl, skeet and trapshooting. He tells how to choose shot size, hot to fit the new gun and covers techniques for aiming and scatter gunning on clay targets.
The unique Pioch drawings were created especially for this book. The drawings, explained by easy to follow captions, show the complete cycles of operation of typical gun actions of all periods. Many of the actions have never before been illustrated.
The illustrated Seven Lesson Course on rifle shooting is another unique aspect of the book. Step by step, the course covers all the fundamentals of good shooting, including shooting positions, trigger squeeze, use of the gun sling, practice on moving targets and sighting in.
As a reference book or manual, this book will be an indispensable companion and guide for everyone who likes and uses guns."


Copy Art for Quilters
Copy Art for Quilters
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 1/31/2009


Give your business cards, ads, newsletters and flyers a fresh look with these all new copy art designs. Or, use the illustrations to make posters, stationery, fabric or paper labels and recipe cards.

You are the designer!

Reproduce these delightful images on the photocopier or use thermal image transfer or your computer scanner.

Choose borders, banners, logos, holiday motifs and more. Combine or use alone to create your own unique designs.

Use your imagination!

Publication of That Patchwork Place.


Cork Boat
Cork Boat
Author: John Pollack
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3/5 Stars.
 12
Review Date: 10/20/2008
Helpful Score: 2


This was an interesting concept to build a cork boat and good enough so it actually works. There is a lot of build up to the actual event. I though it interesting how he collected corks! The author does talk about his liberal leanings and his work for the Clinton administration but I just quickly leafed through that section. I thought his observations about the White House and Air Force One interesting. Overall it was a good little read about a unique idea. It is not my favorite book but certainly not my worst.


Counting Our Way To Maine
Counting Our Way To Maine
Author: Maggie Smith
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 5/21/2008


This is more than a counting book. It is the story of a family preparing to go on vacation to Maine and it counts the baby, the dogs, the bicycles, ice creams cones they ate on the way and up to 20. The pictures are marvelous.


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