Outdoor furniture and garden crafts are great projects to hone DIY skills. Slight imperfections are at ease with a rustic aesthetic; weathering can add character. Over the years I have discovered that adapting design to suit your skill level usually improves the outcome. If you get ambitious, then you need to stretch those skills – and acquire more power tools (which makes you happy, happy, happy, if you are a tool geek).

Search the CPL catalogue with subject keywords “outdoor furniture” for a fine list. The three books below come from different areas of the collection and offer different perspectives on the topic.

Outdoor Furniture: Timeless Woodworking Projects for the Yard, Deck and Patio is a new title in our woodworking collection. Projects, including benches, tables, chaise longue and serving trolley, are built with traditional woodworking techniques specifically designed to produce furniture that will withstand the elements. They offer tips for choosing the right wood, joinery and hardware, and finish.

There is a pattern for each project and detailed step-by-step instructions with photos and illustrations.

In Garden Mosaics: 19 beautiful mosaic projects for your garden (2009) authors Biggs and Hunkin work with all types of mosaic including vitreous glass, slate, marble, pebbles and broken china. The projects range from easy-to-make house numbers to a more demanding tabletop design inspired by an Italian herbal dating from the 14^th century.

Junk Beautiful: Outdoor Edition (2009) demonstrates the repurposing of flea market finds for furnishing garden and patio. Author Sue Whitney, founder of Junkmarket, is a crusader for creative reuse.

In the book she offers some inspired contraptions: an old pipe and gauge is attached to a battered red scooter. A weathered bucket hung from the pipe holds the ice that chills the wine that makes the company mellow.

Friday: Back indoors, looking at fancy ways with walls.

Gardening is a messy process that requires storage for gloves, tools, seed, left-over compost – the list goes on and on. Frequently, these are grubby items that are better stored outdoors than in. Since space and storage are almost always problems for apartment gardeners, if you can get double duty from furnishings, that's a good thing.

I have a small collection of Chinese pots accumulated over many years and they have been put to work in different ways. I wrote in an earlier blog about my water fountain made from a medium-size pot.

For another larger pot, I built a slatted top to create a storage table which holds gardening paraphernalia inside and supports beer and sandwich on top. Here's how.

The top is made of 1 x 4 cedar. Cedar is durable for outdoor use, easy to cut with hand tools and not too heavy to manage. Choose lumber with a smooth surface for painting. The top was designed to create a small overhang, but not too much - space is tight.

Using a handsaw and a mitre box, I cut a 45° angle into the corner pieces to prevent bruises from sharp corners. I attached these corner pieces to the supports underneath to prevent the top from shifting or being accidentally knocked off by a clumsy thigh (guess whose?)

Before assembling the pieces, I painted all sides, using the dining-room table, covered with a painter's drop cloth, as a workbench. I chose a favourite eco-friendly milk paint - colour basil - which is available at Faveri’s.

The top was assembled with screws from the underside, using a 1.5 inch, number 8 wood screws or, to generalize, screws long enough to penetrate two thicknesses of wood securely, but not long enough to penetrate the top surface.

To level the finished tabletop and keep it from rocking, I attached small adhesive bumper pads to the rim of the pot wherever it dipped. These are the same ones that might be attached to the corner of a cupboard door to keep the door from smacking the frame of the cupboard each time it is closed. They come on a sheet and are available at building centres.

This type of top could be constructed for any large attractive pot. You might find that other dimensions of lumber, such as 1 x 3 or 1 x 5, will produce better results for the pot you are working with. In my experience, cedar stock at building centres varies. The Cedar Shop offers a good selection.

Monday: DIY books on outdoor furniture from the collection.

The growing season has been kind to me this year and my little garden has been steadily producing edibles for many weeks. The radishes arrived first in early July and are now long gone. (Next year, I might try two plantings a month apart.)

Then came the ruby chard. I have been clipping large leaves for at least a month and allowing smaller ones time to mature. It has been infiltrated by worms that grow in the leaf. So, I’m sharing the bounty with the worms and there seems to be enough for all of us.

The zucchini has produced enough to give away. You’re right; I’m bragging. I followed the advice given to me about powdery mildew ; although the plants were damaged by it, they were not decimated like last year and are still producing.

I grouped two plants together in three distinct locations: an east box, a south box and a south container. The container has failed to produce anything, perhaps overshadowed by nearby tomato plants that turned into small shrubs. Although loaded with fruit, it’s in no hurry to ripen.

Initially a challenge, the green beans have grown into lovely large plants which are yielding a generous crop. The challenge was that something was digging up the seed – maybe magpies or squirrels? However, the pesky critter didn’t like the bean seed and left it on the surface of the soil. I kept poking the bean seeds back down into the soil with my finger for several weeks (even after some had germinated!) and the plants finally took hold and grew. Very strange but kind of fun.

I began the season by enriching all the soil from last year with composted manure and have worked harder to keep the plants consistently watered and fed with a weak solution of fertilizer about every 10 days. I would like to say that all my efforts and experience are paying off – but who knows? A garden has a way of keeping you humble and never sure what is good luck or good management. This summer's garden included lettuce seed that didn’t germinate at all.

How has your garden grown? I would love to know about both flower and veg - especially if it's in a pot or a box. Tell me, as well, about books or websites that have inspired you. Pics are good too and could be shared here. Leave a comment on the blog or email me: Jane.Harrison@calgarypubliclibrary.com

Friday: DIY storage table from a Chinese pot.

Summer flowers and plants hold a promise that outlasts the fleeting season: they are a traditional source of colour for dyeing fibres. Rebecca Burgess, an artisan and teacher based in San Geronimo, California, shows the way with her new book, Harvesting Color: How to Find Plants and Make Natural Dyes.

In the first part of the book, Burgess walks you through the steps of establishing a safe, simple home workspace. She identifies the necessary tools and equipment, demonstrates the process and offers master dye recipes.

The second part of the book is divided by seasons and plants associated with them. For many wild plants, she shows the range of native growth throughout North America. Many of the plants are common garden flowers, for example, the zinnias pictured on the cover of the book or black hollyhocks which produce a pretty mint-green hue.

She uses Japanese indigo, which is not indigenous to North America, to yield blue dye and describes its culture in her garden. For more detailed gardening information, have a look at the Sheep to Shawl website. It was created by Donna Druchunas, an author of several knitting books in the CPL collection.

A Green Guide to Country Crafts is another new book which offers information on the natural dyeing process along with a selection of homespun crafts like rug hooking which reuse household materials.

Both books offer resource lists for the States; Burgess includes a list of Canadian resources.

The Heritage Weavers and Spinners Guild of Calgary offers workshops and classes on weaving, spinning, dyeing throughout the year. In addition, they have a well-stocked library and equipment rentals and for their members.

Here is the perfect book for those of you with a cupboard full of fabric remnants.

Furoshiki: The art of wrapping with fabric (2011) by Kumiko Nakayama-Geraerts introduces a traditional Japanese craft. A furoshiki is a cleverly knotted piece of cloth, about one metre square, used to carry or wrap things. According to the author, the practice dates back as far as the Nara period (710-794) but became firmly established in later centuries when the population was nomadic.

In Japanese culture, furoshiki is also linked to the ceremonial nature of gift giving; the wrapping and the presentation are symbolically as important as the gift.

Today, the custom is enjoying a revival in Japan promoted by the Minister of the Environment because it is an eco-friendly craft that helps keep packaging out of land fills. It’s trendy: Google “furoshiki”, you will find an amazing number of sites embracing the custom. Check out this demonstration on youtube from a famous furoshiki store in Kyoto.

The whole concept is easy and fun. The basic four knots used have been mastered by anyone who has learned to tie shoe laces. The preferred method of hemming the fabric is by hand rather than machine. There are folds for carrying and folds for wrapping. Learn to make knapsacks and carriers for bottles and books. Wrap an apple into a rabbit-shape.

Did I mention stylish? The summer issue of Marie Claire Maison features an article on Furoshiki: “Baluchons nippons” on page 121. This lovely magazine is available at the Central Library. The back issues have been sprung from reference captivity and are now available for borrowing.

Friday: Crafts to dye for

Intelligent Design- Part II

Design Futures (2011) examines key factors with potential to shape the design and architecture of tomorrow. “Designers seem to move between two worlds, creating in the now yet anticipating the future markets in which their products will sell,” says author Bradley Quinn.

The Rotor House concept created by Luigi Colani features a cylindrical core that contains a bathroom, bedroom and living room. The space-saving unit rotates the room out of range when not in use.

How handy could this be? If you haven’t made your bed, rotate it out of sight. Same for the spouse or children with whom you are arguing. Good stuff.

A kitchen designed by a French design studio converts food and water waste into a fresh resource and harnesses wind and solar energy to power equipment. Bonus – the stainless steel and enameled green surfaces look really cool.

Quinn describes mega materials which underpin revolutionary innovations – smart plastics, soft concrete, inflatable membranes – and shows examples of products which use them.

At the end of the book, his interview with David Shah is heartening. Shah is known for his expertise in identifying emerging consumer trends and his predictions are counter-intuitive to the high-tech content of the book.

He says we are living in a participatory culture where consumers are “wresting control of their own lifestyles and purchasing decisions from marketers, celebrity-based media and insensitive corporations.”

He also predicts a future with growth in the DIY design movement inspiring people to make more things themselves. As well, he sees a new frugality where consumers are more likely to try and make things last longer.

Now that’s a good-news day.

I just finished reading Tina Fey’s irreverent memoir Bossypants. The book is as wacky and off the wall as the characters she creates. Sometimes, you think you have the inside track to her world and other times it’s, “Nah, she’s just kidding”.

She has advanced self-deprecation as an art form – or perhaps elaborate defense mechanism. It often seems she’s saying the most foul and funny things about herself before anyone else can bushwhack her with them. A very pretty woman takes pains to let you know it’s all Photoshop.

Fey has made it big in a male-dominated world and is determined to make the most of her gains before her best-before date expires and that has been cruelly early for most women in the business. She says, “I’ve known older men in comedy who can barely feed and clean themselves, and they still work. The women, though, they’re all ‘crazy’.”

I would love to quote her next sentence as well, but CPL would probably shut me down if I did. You’ll just have to read the book.

Anyone struggling to handle both a family and a demanding career will relate to her angst; she wants another child but knows that the livelihood of the large crew of 30 Rock depends on her.

Fey has some great advice for women in the workplace: “When faced with sexism or ageism or lookism or even really aggressive Buddhism, ask yourself the following question: ‘Is this person in between me and what I want to do?’ If the answer is no, ignore it and move on.”

She is generous with praise for the very talented people she works with and just as happy to skewer the jerks - or at least get the last word. For fans, the best thing about the book is the sense of hanging out with this really cool and funny person who feels like a friend.

My favourite line of all: “...I am a firm believer in” Intelligent Design,” and by that I mean I love IKEA!”

I’m with you Tina. Don’t you just love it when you shop there and find a solution to a problem you didn’t know you had? Though, having read the book, I can't imagine when you find time to shop. And, BTW, thanks for punting the expression back to the field where it truly belongs.

Of course, this gets me thinking about another new design book that takes a look at where the field is drifting. (Come on now, you knew I would eventually work my way back there.)

Friday’s blog: Design Futures.

French country style is a sensual exploration of a storied culture. Here is a tantalizing sample of books on country French design from the collection at Central:

French country style at home (2010) by Sébastien Siraudeau reveals the charm of the countryside in homes where rustic simplicity meets modern restraint. Très au courant.

French Country by Philippe Saharoff & Agnes Zamboni (2006) is an evocative look at vignettes of country life and an examination of the elements that make the style so special.

In The Art of French Country Living (2005), Jean Naudin and Colette Gouvion pay homage to the rich cultural and sensual experience of life in France. Along with interior design, the book provides fabulous country vistas and scenes from famous gardens like Giverny –a lovely book for armchair travel.

A French Country Home: Style and Entertaining (2005) reveals the savoir faire of Jocelyne Sibuet, a hostess and hotelier. She shows us chalets in the Alps and guest houses in Provence, in the vineyards of the Luberon and on the Mediterranean coast. As well, her favourite recipes are featured with mouth-watering photos of French fare like plum tarts and Provencal meatballs in vine leaves.

French country style comes to America with The French Inspired Home (2010) by Texas author Carolyn Westbrook. Her French country has frou-frou cottage flavour and traditional settings.

Charles Foudree is another American designer inspired by all things French. French Country Signature (2003) displays lavish attention to detail in extravagantly designed rooms. His style will appeal to those who enjoy magazines like Traditional Home, House Beautiful and Veranda where his work has been frequently featured.

Recently, while working in the collection, I came across a book that I haven’t seen for awhile: New French country: a style and source book by Linda Dannenberg (2004). When I came to the story about a tiny walk-up apartment in Avignon with a bedroom overlooking the Palais des Papes, I almost wept.

The ancient city of Avignon is a world heritage site with the famous bridge of nursery-rhyme song; the ruins today extend only part way across the Rhone River. The papal palace was built in the 14^th century, when the city was the seat of the papacy.

In 2007, I travelled there and stayed in a hotel about a five-minute walk from the Palais – that is, it was five-minute walk once you knew the way. Narrow streets are a tangled maze that radiate out from a central plaza, the Place de l’Horloge. When you go the wrong way – which I frequently did – you literally hit the wall. The old city is surrounded by stone fortifications that made the popes feel secure and now are very handy for the disoriented tourist.

Among the many charms of my trip was finding that the homes and villages in rural France really do look like the pictures in the books and Kodak moments are everywhere you turn.

From Avignon I travelled to a rural writer’s retreat in La Roque-Alric, at the summer home of Canadian author Marianne Ackerman, who is based in Montreal. Her latest novel, Piers Desire (2010), is set in Avignon where she and her husband lived and worked for many years. Piers, the central character, is a sexually repressed, middle-aged Canadian author living with a feisty but elegant landlady and her nubile niece. The plot romps around unresolved family issues, a jealous and scary boyfriend, seething desires and unexpected couplings.

Ackerman's retreat included leisurely evening meals with rambling discussions about story writing, a workshop on food writing and an afternoon’s outing through wine country. We visited the village of cookbook writer Patricia Wells whose memoir includes one of my favourite recipes for eggplant (p. 212).

I’m not alone in my infatuation with all things French. In our catalogue, a search with subject keywords “France decoration” yields about 100 titles. (To say nothing about food, wine, architecture, gardens, etc.) French style has many flavours besides country, so expect future excursions.

Next blog: More books on French country style from the collection.