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57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Patterns and Instructions to Create 7 Types of Handbags, May 11, 2006
This book gives you the patterns & instructions to create seven basic handbag and shoulderbag types. Then the author shows you creative materials and embellishments that will inspire you to create a truly individual purse. Each variation is explained thoroughly. Several new techniques are shown in these projects. All of the essential purse shapes are covered - clutch, tote, large purse, messenger bag, envelope and more. The patterns are in the text on graph paper. They're easy to scan into the computer and create any size. This book begins with a great introduction on designing handbags. Just this section alone made me consider several projects. If you just want to dip your toes into making purses, the first few projects use ready-made purses. Another chapter discusses fabric choices in depth and illustrates basic techniques like lining and pockets. These construction details help you customize your designs. My favorite thing about this book is that this approach really teaches you to design your own bags. It is very clear how to follow one of the designs, but they also provide that extra information to help you if you stray away from the pattern, as I usually do. Finally, if you would like to go totally hip with your bags, there's an outrageous photo gallery of the most modern of handbags.
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Great ideas, poor instructions, September 26, 2007
The purses in this book are all variations on a set of basic patterns. The color pictures are great and show a lot of great ideas. The text is written in an entertaining and humorous style that is fun to read. Where this book starts to fall apart is when you go to actually make one of these purses. Vague instructions and errors abound. One one page, the instructions list the size of one pattern piece as different than what the pattern piece is drawn for. The author glosses over how to insert anything but a fabric handle. There are no instructions on how to put in a magnetic clasp or bag feet. And the measly section on how to put in a zippered pocket was so vague that I had to rip out the pocket three times. I finally went to another source to get clear instructions. The book also doesn't give guidance on when to add the extras. Should trim go on before sewing the lining together? Handsewn on afterwards? If the author knows, she's not tellling.
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspirational, Even For A Beginner, March 20, 2007
I can sew a straight seam on a sewing machine (and that's it !) but this book inspired me to get out there and start making handbags. The patterns and instructions are extremely clear and easy to follow and I particularly like the way the 7 basic shapes are presented at the start as basic calico forms which Valerie then gives variations for. The other thing I really like as a beginner is Valerie's confidential, fun tone. Its like having a hip girlfriend showing you how to do it - she makes even scary stuff (zips ! linings !) seem straightfoward. This is one of the very very few craft books where I actually read it straight through, including the "boring" technical stuff at the start, because Valerie's tone is so engaging. Good thing too ! Its the boring technical stuff that makes the handbags work, but because its so fun to read you almost don't realise that she's just shown you how to make a lined pocket, or attach a clasp. I originally picked up this book at the Library because I wanted a pretty nappy bag that didn't cost $180. My prototype was leapt on by my Mum, my sister, and various girlfriends with shrieks of delight and then gasps of amazement that I had made it myself. As I write this, I have two up for sale in a girlfriend's shop, two ordered by my Mum, one by my sister, and one for my God-sister who's just had a baby. I have given one to my sister-in-law and another to a friend for her baby shower. I have even gone and got myself some sew-in labels for my "brand" !! Crazy !!! Who would have thought that one book would spark something like this ? And its FUN. I have a really short attention span and I keep telling myself "I'll stop when it stops being enjoyable" but I still find myself on the loungeroom floor at 10 at night cutting patterns and matching stripes with a big silly smile on my face. I'm off to a fabric sale to buy cheap chinese brocades to make some of the very "in" wristlets - its such a fabulous excuse to paw over pretty fabrics and trims - and cheap - 'cos you only need a meter and a half to make even the biggest bags. I would very strongly recommend this book, even for someone who feels unsure of their sewing skills. Several of the pattern can be hand-sewn if you don't have a machine, and there is also an excellent section on how to add trims and embellishment to bought bags. The gallery at the back is fabulous with some really exotic and radical handbags that make my mouth water, and make me determined to get better at this craft - I suspect it will bring me a great deal of joy for a long time to come, and I hope that you'll buy this book (or borrow it from a Library :) and get the same inspiration and enjoyment that I have.
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