Customer Reviews

Get Crafty: Hip Home Ec

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is not your mom's Better-Homes-n-Gardens home ec manual. This is a funky little book with everything from shabby-chic style projects to practical home care and clothing care advice. All with an eye to minimizing the budget and maximizing the effect.

This would be great for a college-bound person who is going to live off-campus for the first time, or for a person who just got a new job and their first place on their own. It makes the idea of housework and crafts sound fun and creative, not scary or boring. And for those who crave a craft of their own, it has a Craft-Q Quiz to find what would suit a person best--gardening? knitting? Gourmet cooking? Woodworking?

Of particular interest; how to shop at a thrift store--is that STAIN you see going to budge, and if so, how do you do that? Or is the item going to be tacky and a waste of money? I also liked the home recipes for mildew-removing solution and the recipes included last-minute meals that look stylish but take very little energy if you stock the right things in your cupboard. There are even recipes for homemade facial scrubs and the like.

The book is very attractively-printed on excellent paper so that it is pleasant to hold and leaf through. I found it quite enjoyable to read and it had some very interesting recipes and ideas. I can't think of another book quite like it--great if you are youthful and bursting with energy--and want home ec to be hip ec. Go for it.

I've been a peruser of Jean's fabulous website since its inception. She's really done a lot to bring the feminism of crafting back to light, and her book continues in just that vein. Not just another craft book, her essays on the hows and whys of crafting really set it apart and present us with a personal, modern perspective on what doing-it-yourself means. Jean encourages us to get past our outdated notions of domesticity, embrace it, and turn it into an expression of our creativity.

Jean's got some nifty features in here to help us do just that. There's a quiz to help you figure out what activities are right for you. This is probably the only craft book ever written that contains journaling exercises to help you get the most introspection out of your projects (who knew that introspection and crafting even went together!). Jean coaches you on how to reduce and reuse by thrifting, cook with a generous spirit, and cultivate "a crafty style". Community and cooperation are the name of the game here: resources on craft activism ("craftivism") are sprinkled throughout, and she has an entire chapter devoted to how you can connect with creative ladies of like mind -- a perfect remedy in an increasingly impersonal world.

My only complaint with this book is that I thought there could have been a little more in it. Getcrafty.com has always been packed with tips and projects and how-to's; this book was a little leaner than it could have been on all of those. On the other hand, that this book isn't just another overstuffed craft book is a good thing. The message is most important, and that shines through.

This book really goes a long way to explaining why crafting is back with a vengeance among younger women.

jean railla has captured the essense of what it means to 'craft consiously.'
this book seemlessly merges theory and practice, reflecting railla's insightful
take on crafting as much more than something you do to while away the time -
this is crafting as lifestlye. extending far beyond the boundaries of a
traditional how-to-manual (which is not to say that there's not a plethora of
how-to tips throughout!), 'get crafty' is full of engaging anecdotes of jean's
colorful life and adventures. a must for those who want to weave community
through activity, I'm looking forward to future reads by jean railla!

This was an excellent book- entertaining and easy to follow. However, Hip Home Ec left much to be desired. It's kinda hard to explain. If you are already remotely crafty, the recommendations are relatively dull. If you haven't done any crafts, the "how-to" steps are not very helpful. Personally, I was looking for a fun book to get me in a crafting mood and this worked great. I am now inspired, but unfortunately I need to buy another book to find something to do.

This book inspired me to be crafty in so many areas of my life. It's not just about "making stuff" - it's about having an overall attitude of creating a nice life, even if you don't have much to start with. I really enjoyed reading about the author's own life and how she was inspired by friends and family members. I highly recommend this refreshing book for those who would like to make a positive change.

If you're interested in being more crafty but haven't really gotten into it much this book is a good starting point. The craft projects in the book aren't difficult and have good instructions. However, if you are a seasoned craftster you will probably find this book too elementary for the projects alone. It's more of an idea book and it gets you thinking about projects that aren't necessarily spelled out in the book. I refer to it often because I enjoy the author's writing style and philosophy.

A wonderful, fast read about how to not only "do" craft projects, but how to LIVE a crafty life. Jean Railla goes into great detail explaining that the word "craft" has deeper meaning than most people realize. I especially appreciate that Jean admits she was not always crafty, and that it took her years to finally embrace the creative, domestic things in life that are so often related to crafts.

I recommend this book to any and everyone who has a bit of crafter inside them, or has always been "craft-curious." It is a great, fun book: well-written, nicely-illustrated and motivational.

This book is so inspiring and entertaining. I feel like I found my soul-sister. As a former career woman in a high-stress job, it is so refreshing to hear another woman's take on the pleasure you can get from being crafty and good at keeping a nice home.

This was not what I expected. I am a visual learner and a book full of text in a "craft" book is very disappointing. I expect a lot of text if I am reading fiction, biography or a textbook, but in a crafts book I expect photographs of the project. There are one-color photos in the book (they have a pinkish tint), that do not really show any projects. For example, there are one-color photos of things like scissors, a ring of keys, limes, a sprig of rosemary, a pair of cleaning gloves or some other inconsequential item. The only full color picture in this book is on the cover.

There is a section in the first chapter called, ""Which Craft is Right for You?" that includes a little quiz to help you figure out what craft you might like. I have done most of the crafts in this book from crocheting, cooking and scrapbooking to quilting, gardening and needlepoint. This quiz was so off, I just laughed. Question 2: Did you make your bed this morning? Answer: If you said yes, you tend to be more detailed-oriented and like knitting, needle crafts and sewing. If you answered no, you are less detail-oriented preferring gardening, cut and paste crafts or cooking. Now, I didn't make up my bed this morning but I am getting ready to finish sewing a quilt. I am VERY detailed oriented which I think is useful when I garden (I landscaped by entire backyard alone) and when I cook (has to be right for the recipe to turn out properly...at least the first time). Today I was just more excited about sewing than making up my bed! LOL

The book is not really laid out in a logical fashion. The chapters are titled: Joy of Doing it Yourself, Importance of Home, Second Time Around, Consuming Pleasures, No Woman is an Island. There are a potpourri of projects and recipes that don't always seem to pertain to the chapter heading, i.e. stain-removing tips in the Second Time Around chapter. Seems to me it would be better in the chapter where the other cleaning products were listed.

The reason I am giving it 2 stars are because of the soap and cleaning products recipes and some of the food recipes. I have not tried any of them yet so I have no idea how effective or good they are, but at least it's was interesting and potentially useful. I would recommend looking at books that have similar topics but that contain photographs of the projects and recipes. You might want to check this out of the library before buying.

As a long time devotee of GetCrafty.com (Jean's site), I was so thrilled to see this book come out. It's a must-have manual for all things hip and domestic. I love that it isn't only an instructional book, but also has so much of Jean's spirit in it. Reading it feels like your best friend put it together just for you! And it doesn't only cover crafting and knitting, there are great tips on recycling, craft groups, parties, the list goes on. Just go buy it already!