Two Days at Simon Leach’s House

From The STC Craft Blog

Almost exactly one year ago, I got into a car wtih Jared Flood and Karen Schaupeter, both of whom I had brought on board to photograph and style Simon Leach’s Pottery Handbook. We were headed to Simon Leach’s house in rural Pennsylvania, and I must admit, we didn’t have much of a plan. Many people know Jared Flood as the creator of the yarn line Brooklyn Tweed, but what many don’t know is that he is also an amazing painter and a fantastic photographer–a true lover of art and master of light. And for the styling, Karen Schaupeter is our go-to girl, always adaptable, versatile, and loads of fun to have on set. Basically, I had my pottery photoshoot dream team, and we were headed to the countryside to shoot on the fly. We had a one-page shoot list that broke down the book by chapter, and we had a pretty good idea of what we hoped to photograph when we arrived, though we had no idea what would actually be waiting for us when we got there.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

From The STC Craft Blog

As the days grow warmer and the trees and bushes begin to fill out, it’s hard to think of a more promising season than Spring. Admittedly, I’ve always had a bit of a black thumb when it comes to nurturing my plants, but the excitement of watching tiny green knobs emerge from my own pots this year has inspired me to turn over a new leaf (pun intended). Whether you have a great expanse in which to plant or are working from a few little pots on a windowsill like I am, here are some of our favorite gardening essentials sure to get you in the mood to grow.

The Shape of Knitting Cover: Behind the Scenes

From The STC Craft Blog

Choosing a cover from all of the lovely photographs taken for each book is often one of the hardest parts of the bookmaking process, and creating something to define Lynne Barr’s third groundbreaking book, The Shape of Knitting, was no exception. With Thayer Allyson Gowdy’s beautiful photography as a starting point, designer Mary Jane Callister got to work.

What Do(odle) You See?

Now On The STC Craft Blog

Created by Dawn “The Doodle Queen” Sokol, Art Doodle Loveis an interactive fill-in book full of prompts that will motivate you to discover yourself while developing your artistic skills. The pages provide fun, colorful backdrops that are sure to jumpstart your creativity.  

Eager to put markers to paper, we picked a prompt from the book and challenged some people around the office to let their creative juices flow, doodling what they saw within the splotches and drips. We were amazed by the different ways each person interpreted and altered the page. See what we came up with over on the STC Craft Blog.

Handmade Holidays!

Now On The STC Craft Blog

The holidays are always an exciting time of year, with the brisk post-Thanksgiving air inspiring us to begin decorating (and stocking up on peppermint treats) in anticipation of the upcoming December festivities. And what better way to prepare than by taking out a box of shiny baubles and crafting holiday odds and ends!

Head over to the STC Craft Blog to read the full story >>

STC Craft at Vogue Knitting LIVE New York

The second annual event is this weekend!

The second annual Vogue Knitting LIVE NYC is this weekend, and if last year’s show was any indication, midtown Manhattan will transform into a knitter’s mecca come Friday. STC Craft is excited to be part of the festivities. If you’re attending, we hope you’ll check out our author events. Head over to the STC Craft blog for the full schedule!

Shooting Heather Ross’s new textiles book at Melanie Falick’s house

(And this isn't the only time our STC Craft Editorial Director's home has served as the background for a photo shoot)

Over the years I have worked at STC Craft, many photos for many of our books have been photographed at Melanie’s house. (When I’ve seen these photos after the shoot is finished, I’ve actually found myself thinking “and now it’s really a Melanie Falick Book.”) From Sewing Green to Knitalong to Weekend Sewing, Melanie’s home makes numerous appearances. And if you look closely, in almost all of these books, you’ll even see the infamous grass-green cabinet. (It’s shown above on the lefthand side, though the cover of Sewing Green is where the cabinet makes its most prominent appearance.)

A photo shoot for our latest Custom Knits book

Making the trip to sunny LA for the latest in the popular craft series

What you see when you look at a knitting book is the finished product: patterns that have been exhaustively reviewed; graphic design that has been overhauled nine times until every detail—from fonts and palettes to captions and dingbats—is exactly right; and beautiful photography, which is one of the most challenging (and important) aspects of the book-making process. Photography makes the first impression and sets the tone for the whole presentation. And that, of course, is why photo shoots can be so stressful—for the author, for the photographer and stylist, for the editor, for everyone. Everything you’ve been working on has built up to this moment, when every participant must tap into his or her most creative and fashionable resources, work together as a team, and record the garments in a matter of just a few days. And if you don’t get it right? Well, you either decide you can live with it or you find the time and resources to shoot it again. But the underlying tone of every photo shoot is this: Get it right.