Love at First Stitch gives you all the know-how you need to start making the dresses of your dreams. Written for novice stitchers by the author of the popular sewing blog Tilly and the Buttons, Tilly Walnes demystifies dressmaking for the generations that have never been taught to sew. This book presents the core sewing basics in an informal style, with Tilly's friendly and encouraging voice cheering the reader on throughout. Instead of overwhelming the novice dressmaker with theory, this book is about learning by doing. Each chapter presents practical tips and inspiration to guide you through creating a made-to-measure garment from one of the seven versatile and adaptable patterns included with the book, which can then be personalised to suit your individual style. Peppered throughout the book are Tilly's top sewing tips, including everything from what to look out for when buying - or borrowing - your first sewing machine, through how to behave in a fabric shop to appear like an expert, to techniques for pressing perfection.

Learn the timeless and nostalgic craft of spun cotton and make the perfect handmade decorations for the holiday season! Spun Cotton Christmas Ornaments features 5 adorable step-by-step projects using affordable materials, from glitter icicles and a bell garland to a snowman figurine and more! Also included is a brief history of spun cotton, helpful sections on materials and techniques, and a gallery of inspirational ornament designs. Accessible for anyone to accomplish no matter their skill level, this guide is a fun and festive introduction to making charming spun cotton ornaments! Author Valerie Lloyd is the owner of Smile Mercantile Craft Co. where she sells quality craft goods to passionate makers, from twine and paper mache to spun cotton craft shapes, holiday novelties, and more. Her popular YouTube channel by the same name is where she offers an array of imaginative and easy-to-follow craft tutorials.

So why do Waldorf dolls have few facial features? What is it about dolls that captures the imagination of children and adults around the world? This book answers these questions and highlights the power of dolls used for therapeutic purposes, recognising that soft dolls aren't just for children. From the simplest rag doll to curly-haired characters, this book gives straight-forward instructions, a guide to buying your materials and upcycling materials you already own. A lovingly hand-made doll makes the perfect present and these dolls are easy to make and will be much loved for generations. Large and small, knitted and sewn, beautiful dolls for making at home Full step-by-step instructions with clear drawings and templates Detailed directions to make 9 character dolls and their accessories Basic body part intructions enable you to create your own characters Create charming dolls' house doll family plus their clothes and accessories Create clothes, bags, baby carrier and even pets for your dolls Simple and easy to achieve sewing for beginners

From the author of the bestselling The Bag Making Bible comes an outstanding collection of 12 inspiring bags for you to make at home. Lisa Lam brings you a stunning collection of sewing patterns to make your own bags. The book features 12 bag designs with full photographic instructions for how to make a bag with truly professional results. The book features a link to print-at-home patterns so that you can get started right away - no photocopying or enlarging required. The book opens with Lisa's in-depth advice on all the aspects needed to get started, from the tools and equipment you need, to understanding and interpreting patterns, to choosing, preparing and cutting fabrics. A comprehensive Techniques section explains some core bag-making techniques such as how to insert a zip pocket, how to use magnetic snap closures, how to sew bag straps and handles including adjustable straps, and how to bind edges and use piping for a truly professional finish. There is also guidance on how to insert a lining to your bag. All the techniques are fully explained with easy to follow photographs, so you'll be creating professional, practical and great-looking bags before you know it! The 12 projects that follow range in complexity. If you're new to sewing and bag making there are beginner bag projects such as the Compact Groceries Tote, All-Sorted Laundry Bag and Access-All-Areas Pouch to get you started before progressing to the more fully featured bags such as the Too-Cool-for-School Satchel and the 3-in-1 Convertible Backpack. You can make your own iPad case, sew a child's backpack, create a pretty purse using a metal purse frame, make your own tri-fold wallet, make a baby changing bag with matching changing mat, sew your own bicycle panniers, and a vanity case for your beauty essentials. The bags all have style and substance and are designed with real-life practical uses in mind. Within each project Lisa gives her hints and tips for success, along with advice on how you can customize the patterns to create your own version of the design.

You'll find plenty of reasons to sit down and sew these boutique-quality yet achievable bags and accessories. Everyone from beginners to experts can create an assortment of modern, practical projects for gifts or personal use. Start with a simple, elegant handbag and progress to more challenging designs; skill-level ratings are included. Step-by-step illustrated patterns for 12 attractive projects in a variety of shapes and styles Stylish accessories include a pleated clutch, market bag, satchel, and wallet Includes resource info and comprehensive how-to techniques; learn about tools, fabric prep, interfacings, linings, and purse hardware

Craft your own stylish accessories worthy of a high-end boutique with this collection of 21 macram bags, belts, and straps. From durable market totes to cross-body boho bags, there's a purse for every occasion. After mastering basic macram techniques, discover how to add special details, such as wooden handles, metal buckles, and zippers, to elevate the style and function of your designs. With its assortment of small-scale projects, this book is great for beginners, but also provides fresh inspiration for veteran macram enthusiasts looking to create wearable art.

Take fabulous fleece beyond simple tied blankets. Imagine the possibilities for great gifts made from fun prints and super solids. You'll find many beginner-friendly patterns to choose from! Create hats and wraps to wear for warmth, just-for-fun pillows for the home, and cozy stuffed toys for pets Learn the ins and outs of sewing with fleece--from choosing the right machine needles and cutting tools to easy, no-finish-needed seaming techniques Add texture with twin-needle ribbing, embellishments, and even no-sew options such as square knots and lacing

Choose from a stunning variety of sewing and papercraft designs, including bags, decorations, gifts, cards and soft toys. The colour palette used includes beautiful shades of red, pink, taupe, cream, turquoise and blue. Projects are accompanied by clear instructions, gorgeous photographs and colour illustrations.

The art of needle felting can produce endless possibilities of hyper-realistic, almost taxidermic results. With a little know-how, some needles, wool and a few inexpensive accessories, you can learn to needle felt like a professional. Take your needle felting to a whole new level to create a range of lifelike British wildlife. World class felting master Cindy-Lou Thompson of Chicktin Creations will take you through the steps. Covering four different British wild animals, with illustrated step-by-step instructions, Cindy guides you through the process of creating different body shapes, proportions, armatures, coats, and blending, as well as realistic finishing touches such as eyes, nails, ears and detailing. Learn how to achieve a professional finish you will be proud of with different textured coats, blending, clipping, and adding shape and giving a realistic finishing touch with a variety of mediums and methods, some of which Cindy has designed and developed herself. From the author of the best-selling book A Masterclass in Needle Felting Dogs, this follow-up book will teach you new techniques, and inspire you to try new and exciting creations of your own!

This book shows how to make 40 bags and miscellaneous goods with very simple, clear-cut instructions that even total beginners can follow. What makes this book special is that it has patterns with stitch marks at the end of the book. Leather is usually sewn after piercing holes for stitching, which means that punching the holes is the most important part. If the number of holes and their stitching positions match, all that is left to do is sew the item together along the holes. Tanned leather gradually softens. In this book, since thick leather is used and linings are not, the shape of your bag may change depending on age and use. This is actually one of the wonders of aged, tanned leather, that you will enjoy.

For debonair gentlemen who eschew denim in favour of tweed, and feel that grooming and gallantry should not be consigned to history, this book will prove extremely diverting. Featuring a cornucopia of elegant garments and accessories to sew, this beautifully illustrated tome is full of inspiration and charm. Including beautiful garments such as pyjamas, waistcoat, trousers and jacket, plus indispensable accessories such as cravat, flat cap and wallet there's something for every fellow who's looking to be more urbane than urban. Whether you make these smart projects for yourself or a loved one, this selection of spiffing sartorial gems will put a spring in anyone's step.

Pintucks, pleats and ruching adds texture and visual interest to home decor and accessories. All the projects in this book feature one of these easy to master techniques. Laura Estes will guide you through the steps and show you the tools of the trade that make these seemingly difficult textures, easy and quick to complete. Ruching, Pleating and Pintucks, all forms of fabric manipulation, add texture and visual interest to home decor and accessories. All the projects in this book feature one of these easy to master techniques. You will find adding these embellishments to projects rewarding, as well as combining them in future projects. Ruching projects use a Coin Ruching Guide. This style is quicker and easier than traditional ruching, and withstands any washing or cleaning your decorative items might need. Pleating projects use the Perfect Pleater, a tool that makes pleating quick and easy. Pintucks, very tiny pleats sewn in the fabric are easy, following lines you mark before sewing. Most of these projects are quick to make. Ruching projects require some hand sewing, but nothing that has to be perfect or exact. The Coin Ruching portions of these projects may be tucked in a zip closure bag and carried with you for stitching while waiting at appointments. Whether you are making these projects for yourself or as gifts for family and friends, you will find complete instructions, tips and tool recommendations for completing your projects. I hope you enjoy learning these techniques and will add pintucks, pleats and ruching to many of your future projects.

This is a gorgeous collection of fresh, Spring-themed sewing projects using the latest Tilda fabrics and embellishments. You can choose from a stunning variety of sewing and papercraft designs, including bags, soft toys, fabric boxes and unique decorations. The color palette used includes shades of red, pink, white, pale green, azure blue and cyan. Inside Tilda's Spring Ideas you will find two chapters filled with beautiful projects inspired by springtime. In the first chapter, Garden Party, you will find new angels sporting trouser suits, denim jackets and crochet summer hats, perfect for adorning any picnic table, plus gorgeous decor ideas; cute cupcake garlands, and beautiful dog table roses, and festive bags. So with Spring in the air, why not head to your sewing workroom and create these gorgeous Spring-inspired projects for your home, garden party or as gifts for friends.

A seasonal collection of projects using the latest Tilda fabrics and embellishments, including gifts, decorations and cards. The designs include santas, pixies, angels and snowmen, all made in a festive color scheme. All projects are accompanied by clear instructions, gorgeous photographs and color illustrations, making them ideal for beginners, as well as more experienced sewers. Popular techniques, such as appliqu? and embroidery, are used and full-size templates are also included.

Be the cat that got the cream with this feline collection of easy sewing patterns for the cutest cat designs, all made using simple hand-sewing techniques. Featuring the most popular and distinctive breeds - including long-haired, short-haired, hairless and even big cats -each pussycat pattern comes with step-by-step instructions and full-size templates, making them purrrfect for all abilities. The finished little kitties would make cute brooches, bag charms and home accessories, or can even be scaled up to make bigger plushes, all of which will make your cat-loving friends have kittens! Cats? But they're all the same, aren't they? Well, no not really! When you start to explore the many different breeds of cats, you realise just what a variety of breeds there is, and how different they are from each other. Author Alison J Reid has spent months beavering away in her studio, researching all different kinds of cats, both domestic and wild. She has checked out their colourings and markings, and spent so much time trying to perfect their colourful, beautiful eyes. It became an obsession! It was only by researching the various details that make each breed so distinctive, that Alison has been able to capture each of their unique qualities and differences. Pattern, colour and shape are key, so capturing these details in felt was important. Luckily, there are so many different colours of felt available, including fur-like mottled effects. Felt's non-fraying, double sided, robust qualities make it easy to create all the little details that make each cat breed so unique and instantly recognisable. She has also used small amounts of wool curls and roving to add texture for truly strokable results. Each cat pattern can be traced straight from the page (or enlarged if you want to sew a larger plush), and simple instructions mean that even beginners can get started. And because all the cats are sewn by hand, you don't need a sewing machine and can sit on the sofa with your cat while you sew. Whether you choose to sew just your own favourites, or make cats for the other crazy cat people in your life, this book will provide hours of fun and inspiration.

For everyone who dreams of sewing but suffers from the common fear of how to use the sewing machine, your worries are over! Thanks to this step-by-step method, illustrated with nearly 200 photos and drawings, you'll painlessly discover all the basic techniques, and even how to sew on a button. You'll then very quickly be able to put your new sewing machine skills into practice with the 15 special projects designed for beginners. This handy guide has a fold-out stand and is set up as a spiral flip book, ready to sit on your sewing table. Cheerful and encouraging, the guide walks you through the functions and accessories of the machine, along with the equipment you'll use with it, the choosing and cutting of fabric, the different kinds of stitches, how to sew pieces together, and more. Train yourself to sew straight, to make a hem, to add bias binding, piping, and zippers. Then create a reversible hat, a sewing-machine cover, a table runner, a shopping bag...from there, the possibilities are endless.

Create beautiful handmade animal friends for the whole family- a darling whale teether, adorable fox baby slippers, stackable animal blocks, a sweet lion throw pillow, or a fuzzy sheep backpack! Perfect for gifting, these one-of-a-kind handmade treasures are sure to be cherished. Inspired by the beautiful simplicity of Japanese and Scandinavian design, these projects will delight the creator as much as the recipient. 15 beginner-friendly projects with 35+ variations. Includes lookbook at the front followed by a sewing and embroidery primer, project instructions with photos and step-by-step illustrations, and templates at the back.

Nancy Zieman's pattern fitting approach is easy - no cutting, slashing, tucking or pinching--just logical and easy pivot-and-slide techniques, providing a painless method to follow that results in a garment that is comfortable and attractive. Once you learn Nancy's techniques for fitting, you will find it easy to make every garment you sew fit your size and shape. Multiple fitting charts are included in the book, as well as an index for locating technical information at a glance.

Nothing epitomizes the look of the 1950s more for women than the hour-glass silhouette of the tightly fitted bodice and full skirt. This ubiquitous style - first introduced in 1947 with Dior's New Look - was so widely adopted by the mid-50s that it came to define the decade. This practical book introduces and explores the styles and construction techniques used in the 1950s. Step-by-step instructions and photographs demonstrate how to achieve a well-finished and authentic look using equipment easily obtainable at home. Chapters explain the processes from fabric selection, cutting out and preparation through to garment assembly using traditional techniques for creating the silhouette of the day.

Discover a collection of fun-to-stitch, role-playing projects that any child is sure to adore. "Let's pretend" play sets let children mimic the things they see grown-ups doing: gardening, cooking, camping, and more. Savor the joys of sewing for children as you create unforgettable gifts. 20 cute and clever projects with lots of kid appeal--for boys and girls alike Encourage imaginative play with items such as a pet bed and carrier, gardening bucket, picnic blanket, duffel bag, and aprons for the kitchen, garden, and shop Skill-building techniques include adding applique, applying bias binding, inserting piping, and installing zippers

More Pattern Magic is the cult pattern-cutting text from Japan, partner to the original Pattern Magic book. Inspiring and exciting, this volume takes a creative approach to pattern cutting, with more step-by-step projects for fashion designers and dressmakers to enjoy. This book looks at creating interesting surfaces, optical illusions and curved shapes through pattern cutting. All the basic information you need to start pattern cutting is included, from the basic block to measurements and scaling. Each project is beautifully illustrated with clear diagrams and photographs showing the stages of construction, the muslins (toiles) and the finished garments. These easy-to-follow illustrations and detailed instructions make it easy to create stunning, sculptural clothes.