A Bag for All Reasons: 12 all-new bags and purses to sew for every occasion [Hardcover]

Lisa Lam (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 29, 2012

From the author of the bestselling The Bag Making Bible (over 70,000 copies sold) come an outstanding collection of 12 inspiring bags for you to make at home.

• 12 bags and purses for every occasion
• Full-size pull-out patterns to use right away
• Fully photographed step-by-step instructions

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Without Lisa Lam, I would never have learned to install a flush zip pocket. She not only knows bag construction inside and out, she has a gift of being able to explain complex sewing processes in simple, friendly language." - Diane Gilleland, CraftyPod.com

"Lisa's website u-handbag.com is the ultimate knowledge base for making well designed bags, her instructions are thorough and clear. A Bag For All Reasons is a useful extension of her website - it is as an excellent resource for all your purse making needs." - Kathreen Ricketson: whipup.net founder & author of Little Bits Quilting Bee

"Lisa has created another, spirited collection of gorgeous bags that are fashionable with an added higher purpose of being incredibly useful! This information rich book will elevate your sewing know how with versatile techniques and inspiring suggestions for making these bags your own." - Amy Butler, author of "Style Stitches"

Thank you Lisa for bringing such lovely style to our bag making world!" --Amy Butler

"A must have for beginners and experienced bag-makers alike." --Anna Stassen, UK Handmade

"Lisa is the first lady of handmade bag patterns." --Perri Lewis, craft journalist and author

"It is an excellent resource for all your bag and purse making needs." --Kathreen Ricketson: whipup.net and author

"This information-rich book will elevate your sewing know-how with versatile techniques and inspiring suggestions for making these bags your own." --Amy Butler, fabric designer

"Lisa does a great job of explaining each step." --Twin Fibers

"[A Bag for All Reasons] is beautifully made...love that it's spiral bound allowing the book to lay flat!" --Jessica at Funky Finds blog

"Lisa's instructions are well written and in a way that feel like she's talking to me one-on-one giving me personal instruction." --Monica at Happy Zombie

"The range of bags is perfect for everyday or special occasions" --Sew Mama Sew

"I really like this book...pull-out patterns: awesome...lays flat when you're working: awesome...all the projects in the book (there are 12) are all really cute and functional and not too intimidating." --Kira at Oops, I Craft My Pants

"[Lisa is] chock-full of bag sewing tips." --Judy at This Creative Journey

"The Bag Making Bible and A Bag for All Reasons...are full of information on everything you'll ever need to know to make any kind of bag." --Heather from Olive & Ollie

"I am the biggest fangirl of Lisa and credit her for my bag-making fearlessness." --Jodi of Sew Fearless

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About the Author

Lisa Lam is has a very successful website, uhandbag.com, which has successfully sold handbag findings and kits since 2005. This unique site, through which Lisa showcases her passion and speciality to the world, has become a valuable source for advice. The author, who lives in the UK, also has a popular blog and has developed an engaged social media community across several platforms. Find her under 'U-Handbag' on Twitter and Facebook.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: David & Charles; Spi edition (May 29, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1446301850
• ISBN-13: 978-1446301852
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 1.2 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45,702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Needlecrafts & Textile Crafts > Sewing
  • #94 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Needlecrafts & Textile Crafts > Fashion

More About the Author

Lisa Lam successfully combines her love of sewing with her work in her busy online store http://www.u-handbag.com She stocks purse making supplies, her own sewing patterns and kits. Lisa also regularly contributes to sewing magazines and writes in her craft blog http://u-handbag.typepad.com Her first book is "The Bag Making Bible".

Lisa was born in the UK to parents for whom DIY was a way of life. As a child she loved experimenting with her Mother's huge 70s fabric stash. Fun school holidays were spent sewing up Sindy Doll dresses or crafting brum-brum cars out of big cardboard boxes. Now Lisa has grown-up nothing has really changed except she now has her own (out-of-control) fabric stash.

Not only is she passionate about making bags and sewing in general she is passionate about sharing her sewing knowledge. "Thanks to my Mum, sewing and craft is what I do. Because it's fun and it makes me so happy I can't imagine life without it. Give it try and I'm sure you'll be hooked!" Lisa lives in Brighton, UK.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Wonderful Book From Lisa Lam! May 15, 2012

By S. R. macdonald

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just finished my first perusal of Lisa Lam's new book. As with her previous book, The Bag Making Bible, this book is inspiring and gives clear instructions to construct bags with professional touches.

I have been wondering lately how to make a bag with a concealed top-edge zip--and BAM, right there on page 24 is exactly what I need to get going!

There are 12 projects in this book and all of them are winners--bags that I want to own, will try to make, and know others would like me to make for them! The first project could be the Train-Style Vanity Case, which both my daughter and I would like to have.
I love the laundry bag that has a divider for hot and cold wash clothing. Also, the wallet is great--has space for coins and is designed so the cards won't slip out of the wallet.

The descriptions and generous use of photographs make this bag a solid reference tool and also a spring board for many projects!

If you like bags and you like to sew--whether you are a beginning sewist or have been sewing for years,this book will delight you!

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Big tradeoffs in improvements and downgrades June 11, 2012

By yellow menace

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If it's any qualification, I have Lisa's first book and completed all but two of the projects listed. So it was with great interest I saw a followup title release. I wish Amazon let us do half star reviews, this would be 3.5 stars. These are my condensed thoughts:

Pros:
- The layout, thank you for making it spiral bound this time! The presentation of information is concepts first, patterns second. I am neutral on this, further comments under Cons.

- The patterns are now printed in such a way that you can cut out the pieces, not overlapped like the first book. The paper is also pleasantly not flimsy so it appears the pieces can endure some level of wear.

- Some better clarification of techniques/concepts. When I did the messenger bag in her first book I gave myself brain damage trying to figure out how the adjustable strap worked. This is an instance in which step by step illustration would've really helped. Even though I figured it out it was the opposite way of which she instructed. This time around a few of the techniques have much better pics to help clearly define the text direction.

- Two of the patterns are dreamy and are on the top of my list to make (the new version of messenger bag and what's called a diaper bag but that can be just a regular bag). These styles are what she's known and greatly appreciated for worldwide. She creates high quality looking items with DYI moxy.

Cons:
- I understand these kind of books are forced to limit the amount/length of information that appears for printing purposes. The concepts pages are taken from her first book. This is both smart and obnoxious. It's smart because resources can be allocated to other things like new patterns and a few new photographs. It's obnoxious because this time they really pared down on the intro information. What I liked about the first book is it seemed she took more time discussing the nuts and bolts: fabrics, hardware, how to use the patterns, how to adapt the patterns, etc. I do not like the assumption that the sewer who plans on using this book can afford all the resources. If using oilcloth no paragraph on what to do if you don't have a teflon foot (using wax or tissue paper), she just says get a non-stick foot.

- I am interested in maybe half of the patterns listed. A couple just seem unusually....filler like. The cover of the book is for a bike tote, like a saddle bag really. How practical is this, even for me, a city girl who has a bike? There is a clutch kisslock frame pattern. You can essentially get this, and much better instruction, for free on her blog.

- The patterns that I would make are definitely not for the beginner. She's upped the complexity for some of them, which is nice but not if this is your first foray into bag-making.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great addition to my sewing book collection June 1, 2012

By Mrs Clare

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This new book from Lisa Lam is even more exceptional than the first! The new bags are such eye candy and my little sewing heart CANNOT WAIT to start making all the new goodies! It makes me want to quit my job and stay home all day to sew.

For those of you who said it was just a rehash of the first book, you need to specify that you are refering specifially to the techniques. Of course they are the same, because Lisa was so thorough in her first book, she didn't leave any awesome techniques out, so it would make sense that she would put them in her new book too. But anybody flipping through "A Bag For All Reasons" can clealy see that each bag is a brand spanking new awesome design that just cries out to be created.

This book is a true gem and is definitely one any bag-making addict needs! Thank you, Lisa for continuing to show us how to create yummy looking and very functional bags!