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My craft book shelves fairly groan with sewing books- most acquired in the past year and a half or so. The most recent additions being

There is an excellent review of this one over here. She describes everything I like about it and everything I don't. Mostly the don't has to do with not, in fact, being in France. But I also wouldn't recommend it for a beginning sewer-- it is more inspiration than anything else. Plus you have to use some kind of incredible copy machine to make many of the patterns, as I don't think the average xerox will make a copy that is 667% larger than a normal sized page.

This one comes with three full-size Simplicity patterns and tons of extras, making its $25 price tag a bargain when you think about it. I'm not crazy about the illustrations, and while I definitely learned a few tricks from her instructions, I think she could have taken it a bit further (for example, she could have explained how to put in an invisible zipper). And I had hoped for more information on how to alter patterns/clothes for fit, and there really wasn't anything substantive. However, I would absolutely recommend it to beginners who want to start out sewing and actually MAKE something they can wear.

And the final book, Lotta Jansdotter's simple sewing guide, was a gift from Toast'n'Candy, and the inspiration for what I made today:

My new spring bag, made with fabulous map fabric from Superbuzzy! It features one funky vertical front pocket, two outer side pockets (for my Pylones coffee thermos, also from T'n'C, and the other for my water bottle), a back patch pocket, inner divided pockets and eyelets on the side to gather it when there isn't lots inside to bulk it out. I also need to sew on a button for the elastic loop closure at the top. Some more glamour shots

I didn't follow Lotta's pattern exactly (because I almost never follow any pattern exactly), but this is certainly an hommage to her cute, simple style, and the fun pockety tote in the book. The projects in her book are very simple to make and it is all about how you choose your fabrics, notions and embellishments. It gets a big thumbs up for inspiration and making sewing seem easy and fun. I think it probably is the very best of all three for that, and I'd absolutely get it for someone I knew who was just starting out with a sewing machine.

I'm actually going to London later this spring, but am debating whether I'll take this bag with me-- as it is rather gauche to wear an I(heart)NY t-shirt IN New York, I'm guessing a London Map bag in London might be a bit cheesy. However, mightn't that be balanced out by the map on the bag helping me find my way?

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