Sew Home in the Kitchen: 18 Insulated Projects, Perfect for Beginners

Bennett (Modern Prairie Sewing) focuses on the kitchen this encouraging guide to her “favorite kitchen, dining room, and food-related things,” which includes 18 projects intended to “keep things hot or cold longer.” A beginning section lays out project must-haves, such as a sewing machine, seam gauge, and scissors, but the primary material for these projects is Insul-Fleece, a heat-resistant material composed of metalized Mylar. The Insul-Fleece projects that follow cover both warming and cooling: while “Mama’s Hot Rolls Towel” keeps food “nice and toasty,” there’s also a “Cold Beer Koozie” and a “Let’s Go Shopping Bag” that can be used to keep either “ice cream cold” or “the rotisserie chicken warm.” Other decorative designs, such as place mats and table runners, are heat-safe, too. To drive home her point that memories made in the kitchen are her favorite, Bennett includes a family recipe in each chapter (such as “Nanny’s Sausage Gravy” and “My Nan’s Chili”). The cheerful tone and easy-to-follow instructions make for a delightful collection of doable projects. (Dec.)