Sew, Play, and READ this summer!

As we enjoy the last days of summer, we're thrilled to announce our latest release from Modern June crafter and "Oilcloth Addict" blogger, Kelly McCants!

SEWING WITH OILCLOTH celebrates true oilcloth, laminated cottons, and chalk cloth—easy-to-sew and fun-to-use specialty fabrics! Inside Kelly shares easy-to-follow instructions, special tips and tricks needed to get the most out of these fabrics, unique applications for each type, and advice on how to treat and care for the finished pieces. Among the 20 projects: a Chalkboard Table Runner (perfect for parties!), Seat Cushions, Party Banners (fun for outdoor summer celebrations!), Make Up Bags, a Farmers Market Tote, Lunch Bags (re-usable and so much cuter than anything you can buy!), Laminated Cotton Baby Bib, Mommy and Me Aprons, and more.

Modern June is known for handmade housewares for the hip home--check out Kelly McCants website and Etsy store. Click below to see her fun SEWING WITH OILCLOTH book video!



Kelly will be on a blog tour beginning Monday, August 29, come celebrate SEWING WITH OILCLOTH with her. Tune into her first stop at Wiley Craft to be eligible for a fun giveaway -- one lucky winner will get a prize pack of all the fabric you need to make a Farmers Market Tote and a copy of the book! Good luck to all!

Monday, August 29: Wiley Craft

Tuesday, August 30: Crafty Pod

Wednesday, August 31: Sew Mama, Sew

Thursday, September 1: MADE

Friday, September 2: Craft

Monday, September 5: True Up and Craft Gossip

Tuesday, September 6: Oilcloth International

Wednesday, September 7: Average Jane Craft

Thursday, September 8: Prudent Baby

Friday, September 9: Craft Sanity

Sara's Interview with YA Fantasy Guide

Attention: YA fantasy writers. If you're planning to query me soon please check out my interview with "YA Fantasy Guide", just posted today. I share some common mistakes authors make in the querying process, my favorite (and less-so) fantasy and YA sub-genres, what makes me stop reading a partial, and my best piece of advice for writers. See the full interview here. - Sara

In the Studio: Dina Bursztyn

The Land of Lost Things/El país de las cosas perdidas is just released by Pinata Books---we visited with Dina in her studio to hear more about her debut picture book which was named a Junior Library Guild Selection!

The first time I visited "the land of lost things" was in my childhood. In my family things frequently got lost. I have a childhood memory of looking for a missing blue pencil while drawing, not finding it, and making do with another color. Often I have wondered why that very particular memory has stayed with me, and I decided to draw it; as soon as I did, it called for another image, and then another, and before I realized it, I had a book.

The drawings in my book are created with gouache, pen and ink and collage. It was a fun challenge to render so many mittens and umbrellas. I became a hunter for paper scraps, bits of gift-wrap, origami and handmade papers, stationary and fabric.

Also, I used fragments of photos and ads from magazines, a part of a sky, a mountain, a rug, some fur.

I started writing children stories growing up in my native Argentina. I had to leave the country and came to New York. Being transplanted into a different culture wasn't easy, my English was poor and I felt words had "lost" their meaning. I began to work as a visual artist---creating ceramics, sculpture, drawing and painting. I often use my children's stories and illustrations working as a "teaching artist" in New York City public schools. I love to share stories with students, hoping to inspire them to make their own stories! "The Land of the Lost Things/ El país de las cosas perdidas" is one of those stories. What are things that you've lost and never found?

Argentine artist and arts educator Dina Bursztyn paints the way to where the lost things are in her fanciful new picture book, The Land of Lost Things / El país de las cosas perdidas! Dina is an artist whose sculptures, drawings and public art have been celebrated worldwide. Her work has been represented extensively in galleries, museums and public spaces around the globe, including in the Dominican Republic, Germany, Japan, Mexico and the United States. This is her first book. To learn more about Dina Bursztyn, and see her upcoming events visit her website!

Interview and Book Giveaway with author, Jennifer Ward!

Calling all nature-lovers: Check out this great blog interview from "Imagine Childhood" with author, Jennifer Ward, about her latest book, IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE: 52 Nature Activities for City Kids. See lovely open-book photos AND partake in an easy book giveaway. Simply leave a comment at the end of the post for a chance to win your very own copy of IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE! Find it all here!

Visit jenniferwardbooks.com for more info about books by Jennifer Ward!