Sandrine Kielt-Michaud invites you to make small stylish clasp purses and cases decorated with vintage fastenings of every size and shape. These old-style clasp fastenings are beautifully embellished and will look chic on cases, bags or coin purses. The book contains a number of designs, ranging from the simple to the highly sophisticated. These project will make fantastic gifts for friends and family or as a beautiful treat for yourself.

Create a variety of bags including Boston style bags, backpacks, pochettes, drawstring and pouches. Each project comes with full size sewing patterns making it easy to sew and customise your very own bag.

Sewing never goes out of style, and today it is more popular than ever! Sew Retro offers twenty-five stylish, vintage-inspired sewing projects—beautiful bags, essential skirts, unique pillows, and more—that are a pleasure to sew, thanks to easy instructions, helpful diagrams, and a pocket of ten full-size patterns. This fun, inspirational book also uncovers sewing’s colorful history, from the introduction of the sewing machine to the modern DIY movement, and features interviews with today’s hottest fabric and pattern designers, including Amy Butler, Betz White, Barbara Brackman, Emma Brennan, Judie Rothermel, and Kathy Miller of Michael Miller Fabrics. Filled with gorgeous project photography and quirky vintage illustrations that bring the 1920s, 1940s, 1950s, and beyond to life, Sew Retro celebrates sewing yesterday and today. Learn more about Sew Retro and enjoy bonus projects and tutorials at www.sewretrothebook.com!

In Sew Beautiful Quilted Bags, Japanese quilt artist Akemi Shibata combines elegant yarn-dyed fabrics with colour prints to demonstrate her signature patchwork style. With an astounding 28 hand-quilted designs, you'll discover a trove of unique bags to make in all shapes and sizes including purses, pouches, shoulder bags, backpacks, sewing cases, cross-body bags, totes and more! Learn how to incorporate multiple techniques into the same project to create sophisticated, multifaceted designs featuring patchwork, applique, embroidery, beadwork and hand quilting. Full of ingenious Japanese construction methods, you'll learn how to create beautifully finished bags that can be considered works of art.

Embrace a simpler approach to stitching with bold one- and two-color embroidery motifs Zakka Embroidery presents designs that are an elegant blend of Japanese and Scandinavian style. The motifs and patterns are spare and graphic, yet softened with organic shapes and imagery drawn from nature. The result is embroidery that evokes a personal feel and conjures a sense of nostalgia. The task of picking just the right palette for an embroidery project can be overwhelming to beginners and experienced stitchers alike. But when you take away that challenge, a whole world of texture and style becomes available. Here Japanese designer Yumiko Higuchi presents embroidery motifs to be stitched using just one or two colors—creating patterns and designs that are more evocative for their form than for a play of colors. Each embroidery design is paired with a simple craft project, transforming the stitched fabric into a functional object, including pouches, pillows, aprons, and more. With beautiful photographs, clear step-by-step instructions, and detailed diagrams, Zakka Embroidery will be an inspiring guide for those new to embroidery and a delightful experience for those experienced with needle and thread.

Please the pickiest tech-savvy teens and tweens with these 21 trendy projects you can sew. Most of us would agree that sewing something that teens will like is, without a doubt, a challenge. In Project Teen, Melissa Mortenson, sewist and mother of three teenagers, shares not only her 21 teen-approved designs, but also invaluable tips and tricks for sewing for this unique (a.k.a. picky) age group. Whether you make a stylish tech cover, a cushy study pillow, or a personalized quilt, your teen will love these handmade gifts as much as you love them. • 21 projects, specifically for teens and tweens (ages 11+), including quilts, T-shirts, tech covers, totes, accessories, and so much more • Lots of inspiring ideas and designs for the perfect gifts • Get the 411 on what’s cool when it comes to fabric and style—so that your teen is sure to love what you make! Praise for Project Teen “Mortenson has a good eye for what teenagers actually need and want. . . . Something here will appeal to that trickiest of demographics, making the book a worthwhile buy.” —Publishers Weekly “Project Teen is a fresh, mod, fun way to sew for the tweens/teens in our life - kids, grands, nieces & nephews. The projects meet the ever changing needs of kids, from travel blankets and tablet covers to simple bags to store everything in.” —Generation Q Magazine

"The information in this book was originally published in the Japanese language by NHK Publishing, Inc., Japan in the following title: Naoko no Shishu no Hon - Bag, Pouch, Komono"--Title page verso.

A how-to manual for sewing beginners covers how to choose and use equipment and materials, laying out fabrics and patterns, and tricks and advice for cutting and sewing.

Gertie Sews Jiffy Dresses is Gretchen Hirsch’s modern reinvention of a simple idea, focusing on easily mastered sewing skills, minimal pattern pieces, and fabulous designs. “Gretchen ‘Gertie’ Hirsch is a passionate home seamstress, a sought-after sewing teacher, and the creator of one of the web’s most popular sewing blogs.” —Creativebug In the ‘50s and ‘60s, Simplicity released their popular line of Jiffy sewing patterns, which had minimal pattern pieces and simple constructions, yet were chic enough for fashion-conscious customers. This approach appeals now more than ever to stylish women who are continuously looking for ways to fit their love of sewing into busy lives packed with family, work, school, and countless other obligations. With the lessons offered here, you can make a Popover Dress, Chemise Dress, Swirl Dress, Boatneck Dress, and Patio Dress. Everything you need is included: pattern maps, finished garment measurements, and more. And the best part? Readers will end up with a sparkling wardrobe of easy-to-wear, fun-to-style dresses that will fill busy modern lives with retro charm. Chapters include: Supplies and Tools Fabrics Getting Ready to Sew Dress Construction: The Basics Dress Construction: Essential Skills Trims and Flourishes Fitting Hirsch writes in her introduction, “So why did I write this book? Because I want to show that it’s possible to cultivate real sewing skills without spending days or even weeks on a project. Sewing more projects means more practice!” The vintage aesthetic of these projects will appeal to beginner and expert crafters alike. They stand on their own as great examples of retro fashion. They aren’t just simple sewing projects. So, don’t wait. Start sewing! Includes color photographs and illustrations Also available: Gertie Sews Vintage Casual Gertie’s Ultimate Dress Book Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing Gertie’s New Fashion Sketchbook

Knitting and beading can blend. Projects include spool-knitted wire and bead jewelry, elegant purses highlighted with beaded fringes, and more.