Making Fairies & Fantastical Creatures: How to Weave and Carve in Wool and Chenille
Welcome to fairy land, where a large squiggle of chenille stems is a tree house home or a bird's nest; sculpted yarn makes a sheltering toadstool or a cluster of berries; and friends include pompom owls and caterpillars, and chenille grasshoppers and bees. The fairies themselves are charming humanoids resembling woodland flora and fauna: acorns, berries, flowers, moths, and dragonflies. This is the world of Julie Sharp'sMaking Fairies and Fantastical Creatures, a delightful collection of two dozen mostly easy projects using simple techniques and common materials to construct fairies, creatures, little hideaways, and mini-furniture (the treasure trunk made of woven pipe cleaners is especially clever). A techniques section lays down the basics--manipulating chenille stems, constructing yarn pompoms, making felt garments--and each project is explained in detail and carefully diagrammed. Most of the time Sharp manages to avoid the cutesy and turn out enchanting creations.--Amy Handy