Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Author Amy Karol, whose Angry Chicken is one of the best-loved craft blogs on the Web, brings stitchers everywhere a down-to-earth introduction to sewing, including thirty projects so adorable and cool they’ll inspire anyone to pick up a needle and thread.

Written with Amy’s characteristic warmth and flair, you’ll find information on basic equipment and supplies, advice on choosing and using fabrics, and a fantastic section on techniques. In addition, Amy walks readers through easy, inspiring patterns designed for the fashion-savvy crafter. Playful, modern projects, which include pillows, aprons, and purses, help novices master sewing skills while providing immediate sewing gratification—and confidence. Best of all, Amy explains what’s easy, what’s hard, and when not to sweat the small stuff.

With its best-friend tone, solid reference section, and supercute projects, this is the introduction to sewing that you won’t want to be without.

About the Author

Amy Karol is a trained interior designer, artist, seamstress, and self-professed fabric junkie. Find her popular craft blog, Angry Chicken, on her website at www.amykarol.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Potter Craft (June 19, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307347214
• ISBN-13: 978-0307347213
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,953 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

203 of 209 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Projects, Terrible Directions, August 28, 2007

By	M.A.D.Y. (Flushing, NY) - See all my reviews

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This book has some great and really accessible projects in it for a beginner and intermediate sewer. I've done three of the projects so far- the bib, scalloped blanket and charming handbag. All great things. However, I really struggled following the directions, and the sewing process was much more frustrating than it had to be. Vital measurements and directions were inexplicable left out at steps in each project. For instance, indications about whether to sew right sides together were often left out. The handbag directions never provided the measurements for the length of the handbag handles. The scalloped blanket directions did not provide any guidance on how to apply the template to the fabric (my scallops ended up not matching in the corners the first (and second) time I tried). It was really very, very frustrating to have to stop a project mid-way through to figure these things out. Another peeve was that, unlike other similar books, Bend the Rules provides the size of fabric you need to do the project (i.e. 13" x 13"), but not the size of fabric you'd need to buy (i.e. half a yard). This can be figured out of course, but I'm terrible at it. This just added another layer of annoyance to the project.

I think a true beginner would have a lot of difficuly completing these projects successfully. I'd recommend starting with Amy Butler's In Stitches: More Than 25 Simple and Stylish Sewing Projects. The directions there are very detailed and very good. Once you've got a few projects under your belt, you'll be able to figure out what's missing in Bend the Rules. I think Bend the Rules is a worthwhile book because the projects are great, but I do wish it had been better edited.

70 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Ideas but Needs Better Editing., July 2, 2007

By	Jodi Renshaw (Corinna, ME United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I absolutely love this woman's blog. Her sewing ideas are wonderful and leave so much room for personal creative expression.

Overall, this book is good for beginners, BUT I had a hard time with some of the patterns, as they were missing some vital measurements. Thus, I had to guess and I was often wrong. Perhaps I am way more novice than I thought, but I have been a quilter for over 10 years ... so I think it might have been the book, not necessarily me. I also thought that some of the step-by-step instructions needed to be written out more clearly. I had both my best friend and my husband re-read some of the pattern instructions with me, because I thought maybe I was missing something, but it turns out that they couldn't understand it either.

Yet, I am still in love with this book. The ideas alone were worth the cost of the book ... and the photos are amazing! Amy is also a fun writer - often talking to the reader as though they are old friends.

Thanks, Jodi

73 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good book for beginners but title doesn't tell you that, June 22, 2007

By	E. Nelson "littlehippymom" (New Durham, NH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This isn't a bad book, and I think its a great book for beginner sewers. However, I think the title isn't clear about it being a beginner book and nor do the reviews really stress that. As an experienced seamstress, I'm disappointed because I thought it might have more "unusual" bend the rules like short cuts or quick tips for more substantial projects. I do think there's some cute projects in here, and I do think they're great ideas for those quick gifts/projects you might need and might not come to mind.