Jonathan Hay presents a richly illustrated, in-depth introduction to the visual arts of China during the Ming to mid-Qing period, c.1570-1840, focusing on artefacts made for the home rather than export market. With photographs and reproductions of 228 objects, including paintings, porcelain, metalwares, carvings and furniture, the text explores issues of materials and technique, patronage and taste, and the cultural role of the decorative arts.

Packs of pre-cut fabrics are the materials used in this quilting guide with a difference. It features 20 projects, including wall hangings, throws and mats, as well as bed quilts of all sizes, each carefully explained and illustrated step by step. The designs are modern, colourful and varied, and are suitable for quilters of all levels of experience. Full-size, ready-to-use patterns in a pocket at the front of the book make getting started even easier.

Painting watercolour portraits that come to life with realism and personality is the task at hand in this practical guide. Nine detailed step-by-step demonstrations show you how to build portraits of people of all ages and with a wide range of skin tones, facial features, hair colours and textures. There is advice on selecting an effective background for your portrait, placing the subject, correcting any mistakes, and editing visual information to create greater impact.

This is a modern sourcebook of stitching techniques, with 20 projects demonstrating how to use them. A wide range of fabrics are stitched into new forms by hand and machine, creating innovative pieces that are beautifully photographed. The techniques include pleating, pintucking, cording, quilting, embroidery, applique and smocking. A basic knowledge of sewing is required, but the explanations are clear and the finished pieces inspiring.

This practical guide, illustrated entirely in black and white, shows you how to draw a wide variety of animals, from cats and dogs to horses, dolphins, turtles and birds. It is organized thematically, with chapters on creating form, adding tone and texture, capturing movement, animal interaction and personality. There is guidance on using pencil, ink, pastel and charcoal, and for each study clear, step-by-step illustrations to take you to the finished work.

The 50 craft projects in this original collection are all inspired by nature. Organized by season, the gifts, decorations and ornaments combine new ideas with time-honoured techniques. Some are ephemeral while others will last a lifetime. There are table decorations and napkin rings, planters, headdresses, wreaths, tree decorations, pots and displays. Key techniques including drying, pressing and frosting are all explained, and will enable you to transform your home by bringing the garden indoors.

This volume on sketching people starts with the basics of shape, line, tone, colour, perspective and composition. A variety of exercises follow, with step-by-step illustrations. The emphasis is always on developing your own style, a refreshing change in practical art guides.

After covering the basics of sketching, this volume presents exercises looking at techniques for successfully drawing structures, grasses, flowers, trees and reflections. The examples use a wide range of media and drawing styles, from the botanical to the free-flowing.

Nature lovers who enjoy recording their environment in drawing and watercolour will welcome this practical guide to capturing the beauty of the seashore from a botanical illustrator at France's National Museum of Natural History. Step-by-step projects cover the intricacies of plants, seashells, seabirds, fish and a range of landscapes, from sand dunes to shingles. Tricky elements, such as reflections on water and the pearly surface of a shell, are discussed, and there are lots of detailed hints and tips.

Lynne Stein, whose modern, creative rugs have been widely exhibited, begins her guide with an introduction to the rag rug technique and an exploration of its centuries-long history. She then discusses materials, tools and equipment, and outlines a number of projects including wall hangings, bags, cushions and accessories. The instructions for planning, designing and making each piece are clearly written and illustrated with photographs, while additional decorative techniques such as felting and fleece carving are explained in full.

This handsome, highly illustrated volume showcases the work of the members of the prestigious Royal Watercolour Society, including such well-known contemporary painters as Diana Armfield, Ken Howard and Sonia Lawson. Each artist discusses the inspiration behind their art and shares practical advice for working in the medium, in an intimate exploration of their daily creative striving and technical processes that will fascinate professional and aspiring watercolourists, collectors and anyone who enjoys watercolour paintings.

This companion book to the fourth series of the BBC Two programme shows how to develop your sewing skills and includes the full-size paper patterns needed to make 27 projects, many of them seen on screen. A useful introduction summarizes the basics of materials, terms and techniques, then the projects follow in order of increasing difficulty. Tops, skirts, dresses and more are accompanied by techniques such as applique, pleating, lining, buttonholes and inserting zips. Detailed step-by-step drawings explain each process.

There are 44 varied illustrations to colour, plus reproductions of the artist's original plates to work from, in this superior colouring book. They are taken from the long-running Curtis's Botanical Magazine published by Kew and drawn from life, so feature accurate tones and intricate details to linger over. Anyone with an interest in botany will find much to delight while they hone their illustrative skills.

Susan Brewer tells the story of girls' papers from the worthy journals of the 1900s, through the golden age of picture-story comics to today's celebrity-led magazines.

The works of Faberge, Tiffany and Lalique are synonymous with bygone opulence. Yet these three great designers came together only once, for the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. The fabulous jewellery, furnishings and objets d'art on display there were reunited for the first time in a major exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Sumptuously illustrated with modern colour photographs and richly atmospheric period images, this magnificent catalogue explores their work, and the glittering milieu for which it was created.

Fairings are small china ornaments depicting a scene or tableau, usually with a caption, making a social, political or humorous comment on English life. They were produced in Germany between about 1850 and 1914 and sold as souvenirs at the popular English fairs of the day. This comprehensive guide presents fairings arranged alphabetically by their captions, with over 400 colour photographs and guide prices, and provides notes on collecting, including advice on how to spot fakes.

To provide adequate heat sources and tools capable of handling molten glass, advanced skills in working with ceramics and metals are a prerequisite to the emergence of glassmaking within a society. Nevertheless glass production can be traced to about 3000 BCE in Mesopotamia where it likely developed from the use of glazes on pottery. This comprehensive and well-illustrated volume describes the development of heat-formed glass and illustrates some of the most beautiful examples in the history of the art form.

Arranged around 20 key events in the development of animation, this guide explores the history of the art from Muybridge's sequential photography to 3D computer-generated imagery.

If you like making things, the 18 machines featured in this book cover a wide range of interests and skill levels, and they all do something when they are completed. The six-volt wind turbine will provide enough power to light up your workshop while you create the paddle-operated punt, the lemon cannon, or possibly the 'compact theremin' for playing eerie tunes. These inventive projects are all clearly illustrated, use affordable components and really do work.

Atul Vohora's thoughtful analysis of the artistic depiction of the human form is illustrated with re-creations of celebrated artworks ranging from Ancient Greek figure paintings to modern masterpieces.

Iain Rice provides a comprehensive guide to creating accurately detailed and appropriate engines for 4mm-scale layouts, explaining their mechanics and how different designs suit different terrains.

Based on the unrivalled collections of British ceramics in the V&A, this book charts their development from simple drinking vessels of the 17th century to the sophisticated enamelled tableware of the 1800s. The narrative describes changes in taste and manners as British potters assimilated and adapted new influences from Europe and the Far East. With photographs of nearly 150 carefully chosen pieces, this volume presents an expert yet highly accessible view of a rich seam of British material culture.

The ceramics collections at the V&A are unrivalled in their range, diversity and global reach. Featuring 120 masterpieces, this beautiful book traces developments in world ceramics from ancient times to the present, and shows how worldwide trade and cultural interchange have shaped their histories. Outstanding new photographs reveal an array of stunning pieces, from dramatic Chinese funerary sculpture to exquisitely painted Italian Renaissance pottery and boldly modernist wares.

The V&A's collection of medieval and Renaissance stained and painted glass is the largest and most comprehensive in the world. This selection of the Museum's panels spans the period 1140 to 1540 and shows the technical and artistic advances between the Romanesque and Renaissance eras, while also illuminating the beliefs and images, sacred and secular, of the medieval world. The collection is represented here by 110 plates, including full page details of important pieces, with following commentaries.

European traditional jewellery - the jewellery worn with national costume - was highly popular in 19th century Britain. An invaluable reference for today's jewellers and collectors, this book illustrates a wide selection of beautiful pieces from across the Continent drawn from the rich collections in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Spectacular examples include gilded Norwegian wedding crowns, elaborate gold crosses from Normandy, ornate earrings from Spain and Italy and delicate filigree clasps from the Balkans.

Drawing on collections in textile museums, personal histories and Swedish folklore, this book reveals the heritage of Swedish knitting and its great variety of techniques and styles. Richly illustrated with photographs and charts, there are patterns for clothes, accessories and decorative items featuring regional variations, techniques such as jacquard, embroidery and twined knitting, and traditional Swedish motifs such as the Dala Horse.

Designed for artists and students, this beautifully presented, practical guide provides comprehensive information on both the traditions of calligraphy and its contemporary practice, including digital work. It contains graded exercises for creating the traditional lettering hands, highlighting the key characteristics of each; detailed examples of different lettering techniques; tutorials on illumination, decoration and composition; and profiles of leading contemporary designers.

From Renaissance Italy to 19th-century Russia, this illustrated study traces the practice of creating jewelled settings for the 'portraits in little' that were popular among the rich and ruling dynasties.

The company of Farnell & Co is of unparalleled importance in British toy history. Founded in the early 19th century, it created Britain's first teddy bear, as well as the bear that inspired Winnie the Pooh. Kathy Martin tells the story of Farnell here for the first time: it is a tale not only of highly prized teddy bears, many illustrated here, but also of business triumphs and setbacks, family rift, devastating fire and untimely death.

This practical guide, with a section of step-by-step projects, covers decorative knotwork from relatively simple flat knot mats to 'Turk's Head' knots and three-dimensional knob knots.

For younger aviation enthusiasts, this book offers a great introduction to the aircraft and the history of the Battle of Britain. As well as the Spitfire, Hurricane and their chief adversary, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the book describes another nine planes that took part in the aerial battles over southern England in 1940 - among them the Bristol Beaufighter, Gloster Gladiator and Junkers Ju87 'Stuka' - and there are die-cut card pieces to make models of all twelve planes. Ring bound. Age 8+

Around 1900, the Wurtemberg Electro Plate Company (WMF) was the world's largest manufacturer of domestic metalware. This book reproduces the company's 1906 catalogue, featuring its much-sought-after Art Nouveau pieces.

Over 200 crochet stitches are presented in this smart and practical ring-bound book. Ranging from basic single and double rows and rounds to special effects such as boucle loops, beading and woven checks, the stitches are fully explained with photographed samples, row-by-row instructions and easy-to-follow symbol charts. There are also chapters on basic techniques and materials and an illustrated stitch selector.

The 'parlour dome' of stuffed birds and flower arrangements was a familiar Victorian ornament. This lavishly illustrated study describes how they were made and the extraordinary variety of objects that were entombed under glass.

Charting her own progression from strict classical lettering to an informal style, and using a wealth of examples of her own and her students' work, teacher and type designer Rosemary Sassoon presents ideas on how to teach lettering and ideas for individual work ranging from pen lettering to the first stages of type design, including both commercial and decorative lettering.

From amaryllis to zinnia, Sherry Nelson provides illustrated step-by-step lessons in painting in oils, with line drawings to copy and lists of the materials and colours you will need to paint each of 50 flowers. Her unique approach breaks down the process of painting into logical steps that are easy to learn, and in addition to the projects there are tips for creating your own floral designs.

Victorian properties comprise about one in six of all houses in the UK and most of them, thanks to the building methods of the period and the passage of time, require regular and sympathetic maintenance. This manual provides expert advice on the care and repair of Victorian properties with clear step-by-step photographs on how to fix and renovate common problems such as worn sash windows, damp walls and rotten floorboards.

The railway modelling techniques and inspiration in this yearbook are based around a fictional urban junction in the period 1957-1967, when diesel, steam and electric all ran side by side.

Updated to take account of recent developments, this basic introduction explains how to construct your first model railway, from planning the layout to running a realistic timetable.

The tradition of Fair Isle knitting stretches back nearly 400 years, but remains as popular as ever. The 20 projects in this book use the classic techniques and dyes of Fair Isle, but also introduce modern designs and colours in patterns for accessories and garments including gloves and kelliemuffs, socks, hats and scarves, a cardigan and a shrug. There is also a 'Design Notebook' with instruction on Fair Isle technique and guidelines for designing your own patterns.

With 'workshops' on casting on and off and basic knitting, purl and simple cable patterns, and colour knitting (stripes, intarsia and Fair Isle) as well as 17 achievable projects for bags, cushions and garments such as hats, scarves, bootees and mittens, this is an excellent introduction for newcomers to the world of knitting.

Traditional Scandinavian and Icelandic designs are given new life in these 25 projects, with new floral, star, feather and geometric motifs, all knit in fresh and modern colours. The patterns - for hats and tams, mittens and gloves, and socks, knee-highs and leg warmers - are all clearly presented with full-colour charts, variations on the main pattern to allow you to customize, and tips and tricks for sizing, construction and stress-free knitting. Felt-tip mark on upper trimmed edge.

'Papercraft', writes Marie Clayton, 'is an exciting and absorbing pastime that offers a simple and effective way to express your creativity, without having to learn complicated skills or buy lots of expensive tools'. This colourful, step-by-step guide shows how to get started in papercraft and how to progress from simple colouring, through card-making, gift wrapping and scrapbooks to origami; and a final chapter gives a taste of crafts such as papier mache, paper flowers and quilling.

In a practical guide to sewing techniques, with over 30 projects for clothes, accessories and home furnishings, the star of the BBC's Great British Sewing Bee, shares tips and tricks from her 40 years' experience as a textile tutor. The book starts with the equipment and fundamental techniques you need to get started, then presents a range of projects - from simple wrap cushion covers to adults' and children's dresses - to suit beginner, intermediate and advanced degrees of skill.

Decorative ceramic tiles have been an integral part of interior decoration for centuries. They have been used to adorn temples, churches and palaces as well as modest domestic interiors. Illustrated with hundreds of colour photographs, this is an outstanding reference directory of tiles from all periods and places, from ninth-century Mesopotamia to medieval Europe, and from Maiolica and Delft to Art Nouveau, Art Deco and the work of contemporary ceramicists.

Rather than specific projects, this book provides detailed information about fabrics, colour, design and assembly to enable readers to design and make their own quilts.

From 1934 to 1962, the Needlework Development Scheme collected contemporary and historical textile work for teaching and encouraging needle crafts. Deposited at the Glasgow School of Art when the Scheme closed, and augmented by later acquisitions, the collection now includes work from many countries and many different techniques. Presented by the curator, this catalogue describes and illustrates 82 of the best examples, ranging from a 17th century plaited silk belt to a 1930s linen sample book.

Sarah Herman presents an illustrated history of the LEGO brick, from the carpentry workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen to the market-leading, award-winning and ever-expanding range of LEGO toys today.