Sewing Items Books

This book contains full size patterns that sew beautifully. Great selection of outfits and complete insructions that are very easy to follow.

My daughter (who is 10 years old) got her American Girl doll for Christmas this year...and after spending all that money on an 18" doll, I wasn't about to pay $24 per outfit.
I have some sewing experience. I can hem up jeans, sew pillows, fix a seam or button if need be...but that's about it. I've never used a pattern before.
The hardest part was finding the pattern pieces. There are two large tissue papers tucked away in the back of the book. Each piece appears to have hundreds of little patterns. Once you find the pieces for what you are making, it is a breeze.
I will warn you, there are some things that just can't be sewn with a machine. Invest in a thimble and proceed.
Half the fun is teaching my daughter how to sew. She loves her doll and wants it to have a wardrobe exactly like hers. I warned her that the deal was if she got the doll, she would have to help make the clothes. She agreed and we've been able to sew many outfits that closely resemble hers.
This book, in my opinion, contains the most modern clothing patterns. It also has very easy to follow instructions. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an American Girl doll.

Joan Hinds provides an excellent choice of patterns with which to create indoor outdoor fashions for 18" dolls. The patterns are timeless. They can easily be modified to reflect most style periods from the mid 20th century forward.

Nice group of different outfits, great pictures of the clothes. I am looking forward to sewing each outfit for the dolls. I have not taking the time to sew but I have cut and organized each outfit and mark what page in the book for the directions.

I have made most of the clothes presented in Hinds "Sew the Contemporary Wardrobe" and been very pleased with the results. Her instructions are clear and complete and allow for personal variation. My granddaughters and neighbor girls have been happy with their gifts of doll clothes!

Because I liked "Contemporary" so much, I recently ordered (via Amazon)and received promptly 3 more Hinds books.

This is a great kit for beginners. I sewed my first patterns easily and plan to do more.

I LOVE the stich it kit... I got one for myself back when they first came out.
This one is a gift for my neice. She opeend it the other day & we started right away, she loved the kit. The book has great stich diagrhams & the patterns are fun & up to date.

I have never emboridered in my life. This book showed in a short sweet step by step work up of how to get started. It touched on the diffrent threads.

I also loved the patterns included!

LOVES IT!!!! BEST GIVE EVER!! I HAD A COMPLETED PROJECT IN 2 HOURS... GREAT CRAFT BOOK!!! WISH I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT YEARS AGO!!! ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES AND PROJECTS.

If you are a beginner "stitcher" or want to learn embroidery, here's what you do...go to a craft store buy some DMC floss (25 cents a piece or less), a pack of embroidery needles ($1.39 or less), a transfer pen (I recommend Sulky brand $2.39 a piece) and something to trace that you want to embroider. Save your money on this kit....the designs are "cute" but you can find similar on the web or various websites...I like needlecrafter.com....hundreds of FREE patterns you can print, trace and embroider on your own. Don't forget the tons of blogs devoted to stitching and the kind women you give you FREE patterns or ones to buy for a lot less than this kit.

The only reason it got 2 stars was that Jenny Hart's little instruction book is written well and helped me master the split stitch and the french knot. However you don't need this kit to learn to embroider (go to the library and there are instruction guides...I was lucky to find The Stitch Sampler at mine and more helpful are those blogs I visit daily) and if you already embroider I think you will be very disappointed at the quality of the materials enclosed.

Fall 2006 saw the publication of a number of books featuring knitting with organic yarns and "living lightly." Tara Jon Manning's Nature Babies, is one of two specifically geared to organic knitting for babies. Manning states in her introduction: "Nature Babies presents you and your baby with gifts and accessories that employ some of our Earth's loveliest materials and that fit the philosophies of a natural and holistic lifestyle."

Manning's patterns follow her philosophy: "Live simply so others may simply live." By utilizing recycled and organic materials, Manning proposes that gifts for babies should help teach them that "less is more."

The sections of Nature Babies are color-coded to help readers easily locate the projects. The first section (pages edged in red) contains projects suitable for novice knitters, intersperse with information on organic yarns. The second section (blue edges) are projects made with felt, and Manning suggests recycling old wool (and other all-animal fiber sweaters) to create these fun toys and hats. The third section (green edges) contains sewing projects, the fourth (yellow edges) is pattern templates and the final section (teal edges) provides instructions on various techniques.

Throughout, Manning discusses imaginative play and the benefits of toys without batteries and flashing lights. Her theory is that "simple, natural toys absorb the child in a world of touch and fantasy...to develop a strong sense of the natural world and their place in it."

Armchair Interviews says: Nature Babies provides a wide range of garments and toys that are sure to delight any new mother or baby.

This is a delightful new book of baby patterns with a twist; the materials used are either organic cottons (which I personally adore; they are so soft and cushy because they are not treated or dyed) --and recycled materials liked felted old sweaters. Now, organic cottons can be a tad pricey but for babies require so little yarn, you can afford to knit with the best. I love the idea of organic cotton because babies have thin, delicate skin. As to recycling, you can go to the thrift store or your own closet and felt good but worn-out sweaters of pure wool and make delightful fabrics to cut up and sew for baby toys or clothing.

The patterns include:
Hemp stroller tote
Hoodie sweater
Cable Aran sweaater
Stripe sweater and knicker set
Beanie
Cotton Topper
BOnet
Bottle Cozies
Argyle Vest
Nursing shawl
chenille robe and washcloth
recycled wool jacket for a toddler
Sherpa fleece pants and jacket
hats of all sorts
hot water bottle cover
Toys: stars, blocks, bear, snake, doll, star babies, fairies, wizard, a mobile of felted stars

There are templates in the back for cutting out the sewing projects and easy knitting instructions. Aside from a few more complex knit patterns involving intarsia (color knitting pictures) most are easy knit.

A new mom will probably love this book and could furnish her entire nursery with items from the book. Very very cute and plenty of variety.

I own a copy of this book and of Louisa Harding's "Natural Knits for Babies and Moms," which was a better book for a couple of reasons: the knitting instructions were more clear and the projects were more beautiful.

In general, the projects in "Nature Babies" are cute, although some are not to my taste (the fit of some of the clothing items is too baggy to be really cute on tiny ones, in my opinion). I have made the cable beanie 3 times, and have really enjoyed making and giving this project. The chart for the decreases is a bit confusing, but following the written directions cleared up that confusion for me.

I have also made several dolls similar to the ones featured in this book (Waldorf dolls, not patterns from this book) and they are beautiful, cute, and always well-loved.

I did find it a bit strange that this book includes a pattern for a knitted bottle cozy, since most of the organic mamas out there probably breastfeed.

In general, I have enjoyed having this book, and will continue to make projects out of it, but will get more use out of "Natural Knits for Babies and Moms."

I purchased Amy Butler's "In Stitches" and loved it. So I found this "Sew it Kit" and bought it thinking it would have more fun patterns. Out of the 15 patterns 11 were the exact same ones as the book! They should describe these items a bit better to save the hassle of buying the same thing twice!!! Put new patterns out there!!!

I went ahead and bought this because I love Amy Butler's designs. It was disappointing at best to open the shrink wrap to find out that there aren't many new patterns, and the fabric was very drab compared to the rest of her collection. Save your money; don't buy this kit.

If you already have the In Stitches book then you will be dissapointed with this kit. The pattern unless one or two are all in the book and the fabric that comes with the kit is just for a little project only.

Although I love Amy Butler's fabric line and other books, this kit was disappointing. The projects were fairly simple, and I found the cards to be pretty gimmicky. That being said, it would make a lovely gift for someone who is just getting interested in sewing.

I was very excited to be getting another set of Amy Butler patterns, but was extremely dissapointed to find that only 3 of the patterns are new. All the others are available in Amy Butler's In Stitches: More Than 25 Simple and Stylish Sewing Projects. Highly recommend purchasing "In Stitches" instead of this little kit. The only advantage that this kit provides is that the patterns are on small cards that you can take with you if you are going to a sewing group get together instead of carrying a book.

spending money on this one. I actually had another book of hers that I was quite disappointed in but I didn't recognize the name. She has many repetitive or lousy ideas, gives few directions, and no measurements. How am I supposed to know how large something is finished, or make them for that matter, without measurements? Bad directions, unbelievably skimpy for "100" ideas... pass on it.