Being a librarian has its perks. One of those perks is that I get to see nearly finalized copies of books before they are published called a “galley” that librarians, booksellers, journalists and other influencers use to review and share with potential readers. Sometimes those books are sent to me as a tangible copy but, more often, they are electronic or audio versions. My main source of the latter two are from Netgalley, which I have been a member of since 2011.
As a high school librarian, seeing books ahead of publishing helps me make better purchases and stretch my book budget farther by selecting the right materials for the school where I work. But last week, it occurred to me that having an account for The Stitching Coach will allow me to test projects and give you, my dear readers, an early glimpse at craft books that should be on your borrow or buy list.
My first two galleys arrived in seconds and a third a few hours later after a special request.
First is “Zigzag Rope Sewing Projects” by Katherine Lile. I discovered this book through my favorite thread company Aurifil. They are featuring three artisans making a different project from the book over the next few weeks to celebrate its publication this month. If you live in the Blowing Rock area in North Carolina (jealous, want to adopt me?) visit her shop for rope and other supplies. Tell her The Stitching Coach sent you!
Check out the interview and the featured artisans here:
I’m especially excited to try the coasters, placemats and hanging wall pockets to see which one I want to propose to a local library as a class. All three would be nice for my camper too! And if you know me at all by now, you know I love her idea of wrapping the rope with scrap fabric – genius.
My second galley is “A Call to Needles” by Dee Ann Eisner, which also published this month — check your local library/bookstore for a copy. This book’s premise is “craftivism”- in other words needlework as a political statement. But I think it goes even farther than politics and modern activism if you take into consideration the environmental impact of certain dyes, the carbon footprint of buying new versus upcylcing and the long history of women bucking the system with needle and thread.
Lastly, “Craft Your Own Cosy Scandi Christmas” by Becci Coombes due out Oct. 20. Check your local bookstore or ask your local library to carry it.
Coombes has created a hygge (pronounced hoo-gah), or cozy, book that’s filled to the brim like a Christmas stocking after Santa’s magic ride with edible treats, crafts using supplies from nature and games to chase away the gloom of Winter. Folks in the US and places not using the metric system will need to look up conversions for the recipes and measurements, but that isn’t difficult to do.
Hey, did you know that you can request books from your library before they publish or arrive? If the library has pre-purchased an item, it should show up in the catalog where you can place a hold!
I can’t wait to dive into these galleys with a nice cup of tea and I’ll be sure to share photos of anything I try from these and future galleys I receive.
Yours in stitches,
Dawn, The Stitching Coach
