Signature Styles by Jenny Doh

Inspirational book showcases 20 profiles of women entrepreneurs who share with readers their signature craft or design, with step by step color photos.

Signature Styles: 20 Stitchers Craft Their Look is a combination craft and style book, and a biography book. Author Jenny Doh has profiled some of the top women who take their craft to the next level, and each is successful in their own right. From sewing mavens to knitting gurus, this book touches on many popular forms of crafting and the women who make them popular.

The Women Crafters

The women profiled in this book each have their own signature style and medium they work with. Many have their own websites, blogs, or books they put out besides the many classes or designs they work on. The women give their sources for inspiration, and vital list of things they can't live without.

• Amazon: Signature Styles: 20 Stitchers Craft Their Look

Think you're any different from them? That's the beauty of Signature Styles and the profiles in it. They are just like the average woman. All the women enjoy similar tastes and a way of life: they all pull their inspiration from the things around them, or things that bring comfort, such as handmade clothes made by a mother or antique jewelry found on an online auction. Reclaimed, vintage, and thrift store items are often the source of materials for their work.

The women profiled in the book are Heather Bailey, Serena Thomson, Meg McElwee, Elsie Flannigan, Rashida Coleman-Hale, Kathy Cano-Murillo, Betz White, Meg Allan Cole, Bari J. Ackerman, Erika & Monika Simmons (twins), Kayte Terry, Megan Hunt, Sonya Nimri, Megan Nicolay, Ruth Singer, Sandy Stone, Bonzie & Ger, Teva Durham, and Amy Tangerine.

Business Styles and Models

Readers will get a glimpse into the lives of the artists and designers, but also how they got their starts. Creativity seems to be the hallmark of all the women, but also hard work. Each of them reach for the people or things most loved for motivation and inspiration. Their business models are similar. What many of them found is that there is a fine line between hobby and business, and taking what you love to do to the next level requires work and determination to get projects done.

Fun Crafts Throughout the Book

Not only do we read about the women and see them working in their studios or homes through the many color pictures, but each shares what their signature craft is and how to do it. Step-by-step projects include purses and bags, baby pants, belts, appliqué t-shirt and skirt, and sewn accessories such as bracelets, headbands and a necklace made out of fabric and felt. Each project is simple enough for beginners to accomplish but also easily customizable for advanced sewers. Templates are in the back of the book for some of the projects.

Recommended for Inspiration and Ideas

While Signature Styles has loads of crafts to do, it is also filled with the women's prized wearables, or things they can't live without. Many of them list of their essence of style with detailed pictures showing them in their work spaces. Jenny Doh does a great job detailing the women and their work. And for those needing a little inspiration or even motivation to get their craft projects done, reading how these women found success doing just that will give anyone reading it just what they need.

Book Information

• Signature Styles: 20 Stitchers Craft Their Look; by Jenny Doh
• Lark Crafts, 2011
• ISBN13: 9781600597916
• Flexbound book, full color, 144 pages

Disclosure: This book was provided by the publisher and any opinions are my own.