Pretty little purses & pouches

There are several books in the Pretty little-series from Lark Books and I’ve been browsing through them lately. They are perfect gifts for yourself or a creative friend that wants to sew but are not that advanced (yet). My favorite is the one on bags, so I’ll write a review on that book today. Enjoy!

Well, I love bags! I’m a bag addict. And in the book Pretty Little Purses & Pouches, there are several that I totally want. Want to make, want to own and best of all, want to use.

The photos in all of these books are great and the sewn up models are in colors and fabrics that has me drooling. Everything is styled in a way that makes me really want to get sewing!

Each book starts out in a similar way, going through the basics; tools, materials and techniques. I think this is nice for the beginners, but also a bit irritating for the more experienced. I guess it’s a necessary evil in this kind of book, and it’s a good thing it’s so easy to flip a couple of pages into the book and get to the juice stuff; the yummy designs!

Each project was submitted to Lark online so most of them are made by well-known bloggers we already know and admire. In the end of the book you can read more about each designer and go visit them online. It reminds me of one of my favorite craft books that came out a few years ago, The Crafter’s Companion (tips, tales, and patterns from a community of creative minds), which has presentations of one project from each person but also studio pictures and interviews with the crafter about what inspires them etc. Cute projects and lots of inspiration, just as the Pretty little-series has!

The Pretty little purses & pouches-book is divided into a couple of chapters, starting with smaller pouches gong to the bigger “carry on” and totes.

This is my mother’s version of the “beach baby” bag on page 93! It’s the third bag she has made from this book – I think that is great evidence of how good this book is, don’t you?

Some of my favorites include the “bling sling” pouch for jewelry that has a special sling to hold your rings. I need one of those! And the “bowled over” bowling bag, because it is big, sturdy and cool. I gave this book to mom and as she is a bag producer of big measurements, she was thrilled with some of the designs! She has already made the blue bags in the book; the “patch madame” bag that is round (!) and the “ruffled delight” handbag, a layer upon layer of girly ruffles. Yummy! I want both of these – in pink!

There are a few errors in the book, though this one made me laugh;

To an experienced seamstress I think some of the mistakes are rather obvious, but to someone who has not made a bag before this will be difficult with patterns like this. In the fight between fun layout and good quality how-to images the layout often wins, and I think that’s where the not so advanced crafty girl looses. Written descriptions are hard to follow for a first-timer sometimes.

Want a peak of the inside of the Pretty little bag book? Here you go;

Just in case glasses bag spread in Pretty Little Bags book

This is the ruffled delight bag… If you want to see how my mother’s bag turned out?! It’s soooo cute!

Mom’s bag. Can you imagine it pink? That would be a delight indeed!

All the books in this series are yummy inspiration to me;

I have a hard time motivating you to get some of the books in this series (the one on potholders and pincushions) mainly because I think it’s easy to make both potholders and pincushions… I think the books are pretty, full of inspiration and lots of unusual designs though, and if you love to make either of these things I highly recommend you to check out the books for yourself and then get sewing.

I like the “purses & pouches”-book best because I think bags need a pattern more than potholders. To me this one is a must-have for all sewing girls who wants yet another bag. And don’t we all? Maybe it’s because we are all on the lookout for “the perfect bag” for any occasion…

More information on each book:

• Pretty Little Purses & Pouches (Pretty Little Series)
• Pretty Little Potholders (Pretty Little Series)
• Pretty Little Pincushions (Pretty Little Series)
• Pretty Little Patchwork (Pretty Little Series)

Potholders, patchwork stuff, bags and pincushions in themselves makes great and pretty little gifts! This year two new books in this series is coming out a little bird (a lark I think it was) told me. The first one is on cozies and the second one is called Pretty little Presents… And I can hardly wait for that one, ti-hi.

* * More craft and art books that I recommend.

Which is your favorite craft book that got you sewing like crazy?