Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby: 24 Easy Projects for Newborns to Toddlers [Hardcover-spiral]

Lotta Jansdotter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 13, 2009

Beloved designer Lotta Jansdotter shows how easy it is to make cheerful gifts for little cherubs. A new mother herself, she's created 24 projects that match her simple style with practicality, resulting in sweet, yet durable, essentials for any rumble-tumble baby. She includes baby hats, bibs, a diaper bag built for the back of a stroller, a ribbon-tag blankie perfect for teething, and many more pint-sized projects. Beautiful photographs inspire while clear step-by-step instructions and how-to illustrations ensure foolproof crafting. With ready-to-use pattern sheets included in the handy front pocket and stencil templates at back, Simple Sewing for Baby makes it a cinch to stitch up modern accessories for both baby and mom.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lotta Jansdotter is a self-taught designer. She works from her studio in Brooklyn, New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover-spiral: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811865487
• ISBN-13: 978-0811865487
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Scandinavian-born Lotta Jansdotter is a self-taught designer who markets her products and designs online and to hundreds of stores worldwide. Lotta's contemporary organic designs reflect her deep appreciation for nature's limitless beauty juxtaposed with a love for modern urban style. She is the author of five books, and her innovative designs adorn stationery, cards, and journals published by Chronicle Books. Lotta's creations have appeared in such magazines as Better Homes and Gardens, Bon Appétit, 7x7, Elle, Real Simple, Lucky, and Domino, and have been shown at Museums of Modern Art in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. She has created custom designs for Herman Miller, San Francisco's de Young Museum, and Barney's of Tokyo among others. Her designs have featured in lifestyle books, how-to-books, and tour guides published in Japan.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars SIMPLE, inspired sewing projects for baby., May 15, 2009

By 

peanut (Pittsburgh, Pa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby: 24 Easy Projects for Newborns to Toddlers (Hardcover-spiral)

This book has some very cute ideas for baby items. I have been using it to make presents for others and little things for my kids as well. In general, the projects are very simple and can be made by the most novice sewer/crafter. BUT, most aren't so simple that they aren't appealing to the more experienced.

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The good:
Patterns and fairly detailed written instructions are included. Many of the projects are so simple, that you might not even need to use the pattern or follow the instructions.

The photography and styling of the book are very accessible and comfortable, like talking to a friend. It has a nice approach.


I really liked the soft toys, the cozy winter hat, the "boppy" pillow, and the burp cloth/ washcloth/ diaper pad (all different projects but similar).

Lotta inspired the reader to be creative and to riff off of her basic ideas and designs. It was a great start.

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The "eeeehhh:"
The ideas really are very simple. I don't know if most people would feel that they are getting their money's worth out of this book.

Some of the projects are a little too wonky/ unfinished looking to be made as gifts. But, then again, this is "SIMPLE sewing for baby," not "detailed, painstaking, make-you-want-to-gauge-your-eyes-out sewing for baby."

The clothing in this book isn't a strong point, so if you're looking for cute dress or outfit ideas, look elsewhere.

I would have liked to see a few more projects.
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Overall, I would recommend this book as a gift for a newly pregnant crafty chick. I would highly recommend that if you're buying it for yourself, you get it from the library first to see if you would actually make use of the patterns and instructions. I definitely recommend taking a look, though, because the ideas are great and the fabrics she uses are inspiring.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Simple, yet not so simple at times..., June 11, 2009

By 

morr0226 "morr0226" (Twin Cities, MN) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby: 24 Easy Projects for Newborns to Toddlers (Hardcover-spiral)

This is a great book with a few flaws that some people will be able to handle and others won't. There are about 24 basic projects that are cute, fun, and simple.

My complaints:
- I have a lot of friends with babies or having babies, but have no kids myself. Like many other sewing for children books, this book does not give you an idea of general sizes for kids if you're making a gift. It is usually not possible for me to measure the child I'll be making the gift for. What fun /surprise is a gift if I have to go over to a friend's house and ask to measure her baby?

- Related to the above point, Some of the projects do not even have age ranges. For example, it does not help me to know that the finished size for the dress is 17 inches long. Will it fit a newborn? A toddler? something in between? I have no idea. Same with the hat - what age baby has a 17 inch head? The bloomers seem to be the only pattern that gives two options - one for a newborn-6 month, another for 6-12 months. It's not clear why the other projects do not have this helpful information.

- Like Lotta's other book, it is LIGHT on illustrations. For some, this is no problem. For someone like me who has a hard time sewing from written instructions that do not include some sort of illustration/diagram, this is an issue. And I have a fair amount of experience sewing. It is often not clear what the instructions are asking you to do, and it is time-consuming to figure it out. This is frustrating since there is ample white space on several of the instruction pages where it would have been so easy to toss in a diagram or two.

If you're able to work with the above issues, then this is a great book. As always, there are fun pictures and the book is very aesthetically pleasing.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Would've like to have sizes for clothing, June 1, 2009

By 

DJ Minimart - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby: 24 Easy Projects for Newborns to Toddlers (Hardcover-spiral)

This is a great book for very simple projects and I actually believe I can make some of these while I am on maternity leave this summer. I am excited to try and make the snuggler, changing pad, hats and soft letters especially. I was disappointed, however, that the clothing patterns do not have size indicators at all or instructions for making them in different sizes. Luckily I have a newborn so if I make these early enough she can still wear them, but I think this could be frustrating.