Fine how-tos

Deep in a box in the back of my closet, there is a copy of Fine Homebuilding from around 1991. The cover line reads "Raising an eyebrow," and the picture is of a beautiful cedar roof with a small skylight winking under a gracefully curved gable. That picture inspired me through the arduous process of building the house that contains closet, box, magazine and six skylights -- though none, alas, with such a fine frame.

Fine Homebuilding is published by Taunton Press. Along with their homebuilding magazine, they publish Fine Woodworking, Fine Gardening, Fine Cooking, Kitchen Garden and Threads. Each one is splendid, with beautiful layout, focused and useful articles written by real experts, and terrific pictures. And they're all very inspiring -- the kind of magazine you might find yourself saving for a decade or so.

This is definitely a publishing house with a philosophy. The projects, from sewing to carpentry, are never even remotely tacky. Everything is done beautifully, whether it's pruning a rose bush, sharpening a chisel or altering a dress pattern. Even the ads are interesting. The advertising department has a good grip on what readers of these upscale how-to magazines will be interested in.

Browse through some recent issues

Fine Gardening The most recent issue has an article on garden design that focuses on the geometry underlying successful designs. It gave me a lot to think about. In fact, it gave me exactly twenty things to think about while designing my garden (colour, texture, scent, sound, touch, pattern, form, ecology, focal points and eleven more!)

Threads Why would I long for an inkjet printer after reading a sewing magazine? The most recent issue has a long and detailed article on using your ink jet to print on fabric. I'm intrigued. Regular columns on sewing basics and fitting would be useful for any tailor. A recent article that I'm sure to use explained how to copy a favorite pair of pants without taking the originals apart.

Fine Cooking Call me a nerd, but I really like the food science column in this magazine. The most recent describes how egg whites become meringues. Their may issue had a great foldout of sauces: dessert sauces, gravies, salsas and Asian dipping sauces, among others. Yum. Of course there are lots of recipes, but the articles go beyond recipes to explain why things work the way they do.

Fine Woodworking The Methods of Work section, with reader's tips illustrated with line drawings, is one of the most useful parts of this magazine. There are always wonderful photographs of furniture built by crafts people: wonderful cabinets, tables and chairs that show wood at its best. There are often some quirkier features too: a recent issue gave instructions for making wood stains from beets and turmeric.

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