Customer Reviews

Free-Style Handmade Bags & Skirts

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

 

 

I am an experienced sewer...I sew everyday...I have made tailored garments and lingerie...I quilt...I do embroidery by hand and machine...and I REALLY like this book. I would say it accomplishes what it sets out to do: provide creative and fun projects that will result in unique bags and skirts.

In response to previous reviews:

The full sized patterns that come with the book are meant to be traced. We in the U.S. are not used to this, but it very is common in European patterns such as Burda magazine. Instructions are clear and concise and do not leave you guessing, but part of the fun is not being dependent on pre-printed patterns that give cookie-cutter results. The strength of the book is its creative, edgy designs.

The basic skirt patterns provided are in size x-small (the book is Korean) and instructions are given to enlarge as needed, but really, any 99-cent skirt patterns would suffice. The book is about embellishment and customizing the look of the basic silhouettes.

Of the 40+ projects, only 2 involve remaking pants into skirts, and they are from the chapter called "Reform and Remake." This re-purposing of unwanted garments is all the rage among "green" sewers....see the popular Threadbanger website. But there are also dainty, sophisticated, and everyday-casual skirts featured in the book's other chapters. This NOT a "take junk and make other junk" kind of book!!

I think the book's projects will appeal to a wide range of ages and tastes. My college age daughters love the book. I plan on making 2 skirts and 3 bags for myself (and my taste in clothes is hardly avant-garde.) And my mother-in-law has requested the reversible tote for her upcoming 78th birthday!

This book is perfect for teens and twenties. If you like to rehab old clothes or make your own trendy clothes, this is the book. One of the freshest sewing books I have seen! I looked through it at a bookstore, and plan to put it on my wish list so I can make some of the items for my kids.

This book is great for inspiration & had some good tips, but at the same time it wasn't what I thought it would be. The fashions are... definitely not from the U.S. or just outdated. The best new information, to me, was on how to work with vinyl or rubber & how to use grommets.

I just bought this book at Joann's (should have checked here first!) because I fell in love with the cover bag. The book offers lots of ideas for cute little bags and some ideas for repurposing old clothes. I'm self taught, so I have to read instructions very carefully so I'm rating this a 4 because I thought the instructions lacked detail. It seems that some steps are skipped because the writers assume you would know what do to. There are no measurements to the finished product, but they are very cute! The patters sheets are not mean to be cutout, but you can just trace them over waxed paper. Overall I would recommend this book for anyone that is looking to be inspired to create gifts for their friends and family.

I am absolutely impressed with the vast knowledge and experience this book offers. Not only does it give you beautiful patterns to try it also teaches you how to make alterations to suit your individual style and size. Invaluable advice. The section on repurposing pants was great. For the beginning sewer this book will push your comfort level (It will make you better). For the experienced sewer it will tickle your fancy. Overall enjoyed.

This book is totally different from most sewing books from the US. If you like craft books or skirt making books from Japan, then you will like this one, too. The book introduces multiple designers that lead the fashion industry of Korea. They are not in kawaii flavor though.

I am used to this type of overwrapped pattern and it does not bother me at all, hence the skirt pattern--it is better to have a pattern in various size and I don't know why they didn't, but instead, there is an instruction of size alternation. I am going to try and make skirts for my super slim size 0 daugther using this method.

The bags are simple and cute, some are too plain but with your creativity, you could make it OOAK indie style. I love the bag on the cover and I bought this book just for this, and I see other projects pretty atractive and interesting. That was a bonus. I recommend this book if you like challenging, enjoy DIY, and think that just following an instruction to make exactly the same stuff as 3,000 other readers is boring. There are so much flavor that you can add to the basic ideas you'll see in this book.

The patterns are all printed on one page at the back of the book with over-lapping color-coordinated lines. There were only two patterns I was interested in once I received the book.

There seemed to be a lot of make-pants-into-a-skirt patterns.

It just wasn't what I thought it would be.

This is definitely not a good book for a beginning sewer.

I liked this book and found the instruction section to be very informative. The skirts are nice and I love the reuse/recycle of other clothing. The bags are cute, and there are several I would love to make. What I didn't like was the limited sizing on the skirt patterns, although with a little guidance they could be altered. There isn't a lot here that I couldn't find in other books that I already have or on the internet, so I will be returning it.

It's always great to have new handbag making books - this one is OK, not earth shattering.

I was really excited to make some of the skirts. Went out and bought fabric and was ready to get started when I saw it, buried on page 10 or so: ALL SKIRT PATTERNS ARE A STANDARD SIZE 4!!! I haven't worn a 4 since I was 14. What a waste. I guess there is still potential for the bags.