Customer Reviews

Sew What! Bags: 18 Pattern-Free Projects You Can Customize to Fit Your Needs

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I love Lexie Barnes bags and have drooled over them for a couple of years now. They are however a bit out of my price point. So when I saw this book, I almost squealed. Then I opened it. I was so disappointed!! The patterns are super basic, all rectangles or squares. Not to mention it isn't 18 different patterns; it's about 6 basic patterns that have variations like new strap placement or a larger size. None of the designs are at the level of her ready made bags. It would a fabulous book for a very beginner bag maker/sewist, but if you are looking for the chance to make your own Lexie bag - this is not it!

Sew What! Bags by Lexie Barnes, the renowned designer for diaper bags, craft bags, laptop carriers and more. In her new book Lexie shares with the reader her ways of creating unique and functional bags, from the inside out. She explains details of how to sew for beginners and fabric selection tips for all. She explains how to create a bag for the particular function you need, by planning the inside first, measuring correctly, and constructing it easily in a few short hours of fun. She has instructions for 18 different kinds of bags, all made without patterns. You will have fun with this book's ideas and learn many how-to tricks of the trade. it would make an excellent summer projects plan for any young seamstress to feel successful and create gifts for everyone.

This book is beautiful!! It has a lot of ideas for bags - Basic bags- nothing fancy. But a lot of the ideas can be used for gifts. You may want to go to the library first before you buy as it only has basic bags but where I find it worth the money is that directions are clear and some ideas are creative but nothing too fancy. It kind give an appreciation for beautiful homemade stuff.

A good book, but I didn't absolutely love it, like I loved Sew What! Skirts. It's similar in concept: you learn the basics so that you can tweek them to meet your own needs. However, it's not as clear as Sew What! Skirts. The directions were a little less explicit and left me hanging in spots. It might be a tad tough for the absolute beginner. However, with some experience, you can probably figure out what to do. I do like that the bags come out looking really good--just like the pictures. You don't have to be an expert to make something really nice. And it does succeed in teaching how to go beyond the projects in the book to make your own creations. It's just a little unclear in getting there.

I absolutely love this book! I bought it sight unseen, and glad I did it. This book covers all the basics, from different fabrics, to sewing techniques, to inspirations, to everything important when it comes to sewing without using patterns. There are some similarities between the designs in each category, but in the end - this book opened my horizons, and that's what really matters. It's well written, and has priceless tips and tricks you probably wouldn't get from any other sewing book.

Also, this book is designed beautifully! It has a hard cover, and spiral binding, which makes turning pages and staying in the page you want easy. So great.

I highly recommend it for anyone who likes sewing, bags, good writing and creativity. And who doesn't like patterns.. :)

Sew What! Bags: 18 Pattern-Free Projects You Can Customize to Fit Your Needs

I found this book to be very inspiring and I have to say, for a visual person like me, the step by step illustrations were wonderful and made it so easy to understand the steps. There's a great range of projects with varying difficulty level too so its kind of cool that you can work your way up and learn different techniques that a self-learned seamtress like me had never thought of, very funky ideas and the cutest fabrics!

Love that there was so much inspiration for such a small price but wasn't overwhelmed by the projects. I like that there aren't any patterns and that you can make up the bags using simple cutting instructions, but the flip side of that is that none of the bags are particularly interesting. Nice book if you've never made a bag before, but if you have made some Amy Butler bags in the past, you will be disappointed with the level of difficulty.

I was looking for a book that had a lot of tote type bags. This is a great book for that. I have made several projects already. I am mainly a quilter and therefore, have some sewing experience. The project instructions were easy to follow and the pictures are very helpful. Good buy.

I am a newbie who does not have any prior sewing experience. So far, I have created the kleenex cover and it was super easy. The instructions were easy to understand and follow. I had a few problems early on, but those were all fixed by reading my sewing machine manual. They may be all square or rectangle designs, but this is a good book to start with.

I love the variety and ease you get with every instructional piece in this book! Also, the level of difficulty is not too high for beginners, so I think it's a good starting point for those with a newfound interest in sewing bags.