Customer Reviews

Fast, Fun & Easy Fabric Boxes: 8 Great Designs-Unlimited Possibilities

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I waited weeks for this book to be available and was very energized to make fabric boxes--thought this would be my Christmas present for everyone. But perhaps one needs the experience of making fabric bowls first because I was not successful.

One has to navigate through a lot of narrative to establish a shopping list. I had many false starts because the book is not clear enough on the specific products one MUST use. In many cases the photos do not match the adjacent narrative and at times photos show processes that are not described at all. Oh, I wish I had the same experience as the the positive reviewer. Unfortunately, after investing 6 hours, plus hours of shopping time, I still do not have a completed quality product. I am not a beginner sewer or crafter and yet, find this book does not stand alone to instruct someone new to this type of project.

As a sewer with 30 years of experience I was able to figure out the instructions in spite of those in the book. A beginner would have great difficulty. Side bars thruought state "EASY", "FAST", "FUN"... none of which I experienced. The chinese take-out box I made is very nice, but having to zig-zag stitch around the edge of the box 2 or 3 times proved VERY tedious. After you've made one, they are relatively easy, but not FAST and certainly not FUN.

I really like making these boxes. The book is very poorly organized. You have to jump between so many pages to find your instructions, but once you know how the book is, it helps. All the instructions are there but confusing to find. It sure could of been better organized. I want instructions for each project with each project. But in spite of this, I like making these boxes to give away...people really enjoy them!

i agree with all the people that wrote the reviews. i found this hard, difficult and very upsetting and i still don't get it. they want you to buy their products for these boxes that aren't cheap and i have different products in the area i live in and i am just trying to do one correctly and get it done with all of the extra material i have and i can't seem to do one correctly. the directions are hard and very hard to understand. not clear at all. i am still trying to figure which part to put the material to. i bought a double sided adhesive and i just can't tell where to cut the material out at. very hard for a beginner. tracy

I didn't think the boxes were that hard to make. I am no expert sewer, but I have been sewing for 15 years. This was my first foray into craft sewing. The book is a bit confusing. There are two sets of instructions- one general set, and one specific set for each of the boxes, so you have to flip back and forth. My suggestion is to make a practice box first, to get the technique down. I used Fast 2 Fuse interfacing- stiff interfacing with the fusible web alreading incorporated. I'm sure there are other similar products out there. I also used regular multipurpose thread. I needed to do the satin stiching twice, and I found while the topstiching thread looked very shiny and nice, it was way too thick and jammed under my foot the second time around. Buy plenty of thread per box- each box uses about 150-200 yards of thread. I used a rotary cutter- not all the fancy scissors they suggested. I also made a quick tailor's ham by gluing together two same size scraps of 2x4 lumber and covering it with scraps of fabric. It really helps in pressing the edges and corners. So, practice a lot, have patience and good luck!

I saw a demo by the author on HGTV's "Simply Quilts" and downloaded those instructions from that site which were vague, at best. I managed to cobble-together a box using different brands and types of fusibles as those recommended by the author; it wasn't a rousing success. After reading these reviews, I'm still going to buy the book but now know to read it ALL before attempting another box. Perhaps if we write to the AUTHOR and publisher of the book with our concerns the revised edition (if there IS one) will be more clear. I feel it would be extremely helpful to note in the book alternative brands/types of fusibles because I couldn't find what was recommended at my local fabric store. I agree that some amount of experience with fusing fabrics is helpful...I had to draw on my experience to figure out how to get my fabrics to stick together. A lot of sewing experience isn't necessarily needed or even usable...you literally have to "think outside the box" (no pun intended) in order to parse out the instructions. I think now that I have made one, I've seen the mistakes I made...and how the box could be improved over what the author suggested, so I'm still going to buy the book.

I have made several of these boxes - you can use them in your home to store things or give them as a gift box. Each box can be made in a night and they all go together really well. The author's instructions are clear and easy to read and follow. My best tip is to use a zipper foot when sewing up the sides of the box to make sure of a snug fit. Get the book and use up some of your stash to make some of these fun boxes.

I gave this book 4 starts vs 5 because, well, the instructions have to be read several times to discover the "style" of the author. Once you've read the instructions several times and gather your materials, which are discussed in the very front of the book, you can make lots of cool boxes. My very first box turned out great. I do have a lot of sewing and quilting experience,so that helped. But, I think that with a bit of attention to detail, this book would be fine for most crafters.

I needed a replacement for a lost library book. I was able to locate one in better condition than the original.
The book arrived well packaged and in a timely manner considering it was holiday season. For crafters it is a fun book,showing how to make boxes out of fabric.

I love this book. The instructions are great, the patterns even better. I plan to make many of the boxes to use as gift boxes for jewelry I am making for Christmas gifts.