Imagine my surprise when I was contacted about participating in the Purses, Bags & More Blog Tour!!! I was thrilled. What an honor! Really!
So ok, let’s get on it with already!!! This brand new book is called Purses, Bags & More by Pearl Louise Krush. The photo above is the front cover of the book.
(Sweet and Sassy p. 13)
And the purse I am reviewing is called Sweet and Sassy. And I must admit up front that I love to sew...but I don’t always love to sew bags. But this book has honestly made me reconsider that thought. The bags and purses in this book are so adorable and stylish. There are at least two that I will definitely be stitching, including this one called Sweet and Sassy.
To start with, no strange supplies or materials are needed. I think that is one reason why I rarely stitch bags...I never have the wooden handles, magnetic closures, etc. needed. BUT I have everything needed RIGHT NOW to stitch this bag, and I bet you do too (i.e., fabric, thread, buttons, quilt batting, and elastic). See, I told you this is a great book! And it gets better!
The author has done a fantastic job writing the directions. Some of you know that I edit sewing patterns for a handful of independent designers/friends. I have been doing this for several years and I do it because I really enjoy it....no other reason. So I actually had fun looking through the directions. What did I find? The directions are wonderful! The author has broken the construction down into bite-size steps that anyone can do without feeling stressed. The cutting directions use a rotary cutter which I find to be very efficient. And the actual quilting of the fabric and sewing of the bag, are in small chunks so as not to overwhelm you. Plus, if you have several little children like I do, the small steps make it easier for me to remember where I left off when I get up from the machine. (I’ve mentioned before that often I will sit down just to stitch one seam even if I only have a few minutes here or there.)
Another thing I look for when editing patterns is if I could construct the item from the directions alone (no pictures), and also from the pictures alone (no words). I honestly can tell you that I could construct this bag either way. The directions are clear and to the point. And the pictures are in color and detailed enough that my Emily (she’s 11 years old) could follow.
I know you are going to want to hear/read more about this book, so I’m going to include the other stops on this Blog Tour so you can see what others are saying:
Monday, March 21 Tara of Tinkerfrog
Tuesday, March 22 Me....you are here!
Wednesday, March 23 Stephanie of Unfinished Project Party
Thursday, March 24 Ruth of Sew Chic
Friday, March 25 Julie of From These Hands
And of course, the book is available from Clotilde here. Really, go check it out! You will be glad you did!!!
