Customer Reviews

Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just got the book and am making the maternity/nursing top. The design is so cute and really functional. My only problem is that I think I may have come across a few problems in the pattern, some of which were not fixable. The pieces in this pattern are all rectangles and I think for one part, the orientation (cross-wise or with the grain) is not given correctly. Once it's cut however, there is no re-doing it without a trip to the fabric store! I was able to finagle it because the print I was using was pretty forgiving but it's a serious flaw depending on the print.

I also thought the lengths didn't end up all the same - I had to cut some pieces to create a straight hem in the end. Not much of a problem however the top is already fairly short. My attempt at lengthening it (using the 'long' direction from the larger and the 'wide' direction from the smaller pattern) was foiled by the aforementioned flaw where the orientation was wrong. Not a big deal - once the shirt doesn't cover my belly anymore, I will just wait to use it as a nursing top.

If you're tall, I definitely recommend figuring out how to make the top an inch longer.

I still love the book and will make the mariposa dress next - I wish I could have found a fabric as cute as the one in the picture, but I had to resort to something less special. I might updated my review based on the next project...

Update: I finished the mariposa dress today. Again, I had a problem with the pattern - this time the width of the skirt back panel and the bodice back panel didn't work out to match after cutting the hip shape as instructed. I don't think I messed up. I could still work around it though. There was one typo in the instruction referring to step 38 instead of 39, which was a pretty obvious one yet disastrous if not caught.

I am currently 32 weeks PG (and currnetly 167lbs) and the dress in the S/M size barely fits my belly. I made the dress an inch longer and I wish I'd made it 2 more inches longer. I am 5'8" which makes me sometimes 'tall' but mostly 'regular' in store sizes. This is not a serious flaw, just something to be aware of.

Something else I noticed is that when they say 'line up the notches' that you cut to mark the orientation in the pieces (e.g. when putting in the sleeves) it just means to put them together so the notches are on the same side. If you tried to actually match these notches, you'd end up with a mess. I usually sew of European patterns which are altogether different, so I am not positive this is really a flaw. But I am used to have the notches actually match exactly, so this was disconcerting and I am glad I went with my gut feeling and didn't line them up exactly.

Overall the dress came out cute, and I have gotten compliments on it. I took only 1 afternoon to sew (after cutting the previous day), and it's really a neat design.

Update#2: I have now made the hooded toddler jacket as well as the reversible toddler pants from this book, both projects went off without a hitch and came out TOTALLY ADORABLE. Lots and lots of compliments on the results. I wonder if I will figure out how to post a photo. This book as proven itself totally worthwhile and I think I will continue to use the patterns in it a lot.

I have been waiting for this book to come out, so I was thrilled when it arrived in my mailbox. I love Anna Maria Horner's style. I think the baby projects are great - reversible pants, cute booties, quilts and other necessities, but stylish, modern and sweet. The instructions seem clear, though there could be more photos or diagrams of some patterns.

My biggest disappointment is in the Sewing for Mama chapter. The pattern sizes for clothing are only in small, medium and large. I'm not an accomplished enough seamstress to properly enlarge a pattern for myself, so the Mariposa dress I was really hoping to make is out. But, that part aside, I am really enjoying the book and have already picked out some projects to work on for my little one.

I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this book and Anna Maria does not disappoint. The projects are really cute and versatile. While of course there are a group of projects specifically for babies (it is a baby-book after all), many of the projects can be made for other purposes as well. I just made the Lingering Layers skirt, and I can say that the directions were clear and the pattern pieces fit together as they should. I highly recommend this book for any sewing/crafter.

After all the rave reviews my expectations of this book were pretty high. When it arrived I ended up being let down. There are a couple of cute patterns in the book that I might have considered making, but honestly you could find most of these elsewhere. It was nothing new or exciting. I ended up returning it, rather than keeping it for 2 patterns.

I have been patiently waiting for this book to publish ever since the author mentioned it on her blog a few months ago. The projects are really unique and I love that the book has projects for the mama, baby, family and nest. Any sewer would find these projects inspiring. As soon as I received it, I started working on a pillow that would look great in any room of the house. I can see myself making projects out of this book for myself- and wonderful baby gifts for others- for many years to come.

I have Anna Maria Horner's first book, Seams to Me, and have made some projects from that. So I was very anxious to get this book--especially because I'm expecting my second baby now. It's so hard to find good maternity clothes patterns, so this book is like a breath of fresh air! I love, love, love the Lingering Layers Skirt. You do need to do careful bias cutting (I couldn't quite master folding on the bias, so I taped the pieces together and cut as a single layer on the bias), and you need to make sure you take your time with pinning/basting and then clipping curves and pressing. The overall look is stunning. It's so comfy for my belly, and really flattering. I plan to follow the directions to modify to make non-maternity after I have the baby. I'm in the middle of the Mariposa Dress now, and so far, so good. I'll be trying some of the baby projects next, like that adorable baby doll/quilt one, so my toddler can practice being a big brother! The booties and the coat are on my list, too.

I definitely recommend this book to any sewer who wants to make original, interesting, adorable projects for mama, baby, and family.

I haven't made any of the projects in the book so I can't speak to the accuracy of patterns but the designs are really fun. Beautifully photographed. For those who are having some trouble with the patterns, I'm not really super surprised. Independent designers don't have the support of pattern testers and technical writers like the main pattern companies like McCall's etc. who use standardized terminology, phraseology, symbols etc. Sort of the trade off you end up making when you select a pattern from an independent designer. On the other hand, have you noticed that a lot of fabrics from quilt fabric designers are showing up in the big pattern company catalogues? Also, every time I walk into a department store it seems that some textile manufacturer has ripped off design ideas coming out of the blogosphere. After reading the reviews here, I think I would try to make a mock up of any of the clothing garments out of inexpensive muslin as a trial before I cut into my expensive fabric from the quilt store. Also, it would be so nice if these patterns could be published simultaneously with the launch of a new fabric line so people have the opportunity to buy the same fabric as that seen in the sample from the book. Either way, the book is definitely a keeper, something I'll enjoy in my library for a long time.

There are so many "sewing for baby" books out there. And they all seem to have certain obligatory projects that are just too simple to actually be in a book (plain bib, changing pad, baby blanket/quilt). But Handmade Beginnings stands out because the projects are different, inspiring, and not something an advanced beginner couldn't just whip up on their own without a pattern or instruction. This is a book that would actually be used for patterns and instructions, not just eye-candy ideas.

I have only made the quick-change trousers so far, and I did alter the pattern a bit to fit more loosely over a cloth-diapered bum. But they worked up fine and I didn't run into the errors that other reviewers claimed were out there. Double check Anna maria's website for Errata (known typos and omissions) and you should be good to go!

I've looked at a lot of sewing for baby books (preview from the library before I commit to buy) and compared to Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby or even Amy Butler's Little Stitches, this book is a stand out.

After reading the reviews on here and having limited experience with patterns, I chose Ana Maria's book over the Amy Butler variety. I'm glad I did. The patterns/instructions are detailed, and there are projects for every skill level. I am a novice sewer, and some of the projects are quite beyond my skills to figure out, but there are enough simple patterns in the book that I felt it was well worth the price. I have only made one thing so far: the Quick Change Baby Pants. They're adorable and only took me one evening to cut and one evening to sew up. I am slow, so that was great for me! I can't wait to try a few more. One thing to note is that the full-size patterns included have several patterns overlapping on one page. This isn't a problem, I just wish I'd known so I could have purchased tracing paper at the same time.

Like other reviewers, I found the baby items in this book to be fantastic! Very creative, easy to sew and not the usual (ie: a baby hoodie instead of just burp cloth/bib pattern). The nesting blocks are adorable and the blankets are so unique and creative.

However, the chapters for Mom were disappointing. The sizes run small and only go to a size Large. The instructions for the Mommy patterns are patchy. I'm not sure if anyone could figure it out.

Having said that, I bought this book to make items for baby, not myself. And for Baby it is a truly great book that is well worth buying and keeping on your bookshelf.