Last-Minute Fabric Gifts: 30 Hand-Sew, Machine-Sew, and No-Sew Projects (Sewing)

I am so glad I got this book! I consider myself to be a self-learned beginner sewer, and I have produced great results from this book so far! The directions are very easy to understand and the gifts are very modern and hip. The book is full of all of the products I wished were at the local craft fairs instead of the boring/dorky stuff I usually see.

I first learned about this book while watching an episode of "Cultivating Life with Sean Conway" last month on my local PBS station. The author, Cynthia Treen, was on the show demonstrating how to felt rocks to use as paperweights and such. Intrigued, I wanted to see the rest of the book. I have not been disappointed. The book itself is lovely - well designed with heavy, quality paper. It is divided by how long each of the 30 projects will take to make. There are 11 alone that take less than one hour, including a great zippered corduroy change purse and an adorable felted rabbit. The other projects are divided into those that take between an hour and two hours (seven); two to three hours (seven more); and more than three hours (five projects). There are gifts appropriate for children and adults; friends and acquaintances alike. There are also sections in the back that display some beautiful ways to wrap fabric gifts and a guide to tools and techniques. Beyond the projects, the book is a wealth of information about fabric, including a section in the front on fabric basics, including how to choose and care for fabric as well as a discussion of fiber types, and a glossary of fabric terms. The back contains a section with other recommended reading and sources for supplies. There are projects to appeal to all levels. As the title says, some involve no sewing (such as fabric-covered notebooks, fabric envelopes, felted rocks); others are hand-sewing (those felted rabbits, a patterned belt, etc.); several more are machine-sewn. Some find interesting ways to reuse other textiles (a bag made out of a coat sleeve, hats made out of old sweaters, a pouch made from an old necktie), which appeals to my tree-hugging, reduce-reuse-recycle mentality. I have made a hand-sewn bias blossom and can't wait to carve out more time to try some of the other projects. I wish you could peer inside this book to see how clean and beautiful it is. The directions are clear and easy to follow. The photography in this book really shines; it's creative and spectacular, making every project the one I want to start next.

Well, the name of this book is Last Minute Fabric Gifts, not Inventive New Sewing Ideas. Much like Last Minute Knitted Gifts, the concept seems to be a collection of fabric projects that you can complete in 1 day or less. So, yeah they may seem simplistic if you are looking for new adventures in sewing. And yeah, some of them are not sewing projects. They are fabric projects. I found it refreshing to think about the textile medium beyond the needle and thread. But, Ms Treen has done a brilliant job of boiling down sewing to an approachable level. The projects are clearly explained. Many are unintimidating for beginners, a few are a bit more advanced. All produce a gift item that is good-looking, and most important, finished. If I had a dime for every craft-gift project that wasn't completed on time, and I ended up having to buy something instead at the last minute... Well, I'd probably have enough dimes to cover the cost of this book.