Book Review: Stitch and Sew Home

Today's book is very very different to the one I reviewed yesterday... for starters, check out the pretty pink cover!

This is a seriously girly, pretty book - with lots of roses, birds, butterflies and oodles of pink.

It reminds me a lot of Cath Kidston's prints and I think if you're a fan of all things CK you're gonna love this book.

The book contains "over 45 cross stitch, embroidery and sewing projects" but there are also several paper crafting projects, some small crochet patterns, a couple of projects involving self-hardening clay, and several mixed media projects that have a stitched or other textile element to them.

This is a book that's heavy on pretty, inspirational pictures and light on instructional content. Many of the projects just have a list of materials and brief instructions - sometimes as little as three lines of text - but some have more detailed instructions (there are no diagrams though, and no techniques section). Mostly this doesn't matter though, as the projects are either quite simple ideas, like adding covered buttons to a charm bracelet...

... or the instructions are intended as more of a starting point than a step-by-step "how to" for creating the exact design pictured - as in the bunting project where you're just told to decorate the bunting "how you like".

Several of the projects are variations - for example, different ideas for using covered buttons; and in one section you're given instructions for making a fabric bird and then there's a series of projects where you can use the bird(s) to make a bird in a box, a bird on a string, a bird mobile, etc.

When I first got sent this book to review (along with some other titles I'd requested) I have to admit to looking at it and thinking it was a bit too girly for me, but actually looking through it again I found a lot of things that I'd quite like to make - if not for myself, then things that would make nice little gifts or pretty decor ideas for parties or a wedding.

My favourite projects are probably the cross stitch roses - this cushion just makes me swoon!

The majority of projects in the book are actually made with (or include some) materials that were specifically designed by Eline to accompany the book - fabric, paper, ribbons and stamps in a range called "Eline's House". So lots of the materials lists will say to use a certain product from the collection, and you'd need to track these down if you wanted to recreate the designs exactly.

You could easily use different pretty paper and fabric to make a lot of the projects (just as you wouldn't be using exactly the same fabric, etc, to recreate the designs in other craft books), but some are very specifically built around the supplies in the range - especially the stamps. Some of these could, again, be substituted (for example for the butterfly projects you could easily find some other butterfly stamps to use instead) but others seem to be very specific designs I think you'd have trouble finding in other ranges, so you'd just have to skip those projects.

What do you guys think about this sort of "craft supplies & book" tie-in? Have you seen any other craft books that are like this? I guess it pretty directly solves the problem of having lovely supplies and not knowing what to make with them, but I do find the projects that depend upon owning a certain specific supply a little frustrating... and I expect that the product range to accompany the book will only become harder and harder to find as time goes on, so if there's something I like the look of in this book, does that mean I have to rush out and buy the matching supply now in case it's no longer available when/if I want to make the project in the future?

I am actually very tempted to buy the butterfly stamp set as they are quite lovely and I can see myself using them in a lot of my own projects as well as possibly recreating some of the ideas in the book. I couldn't find anywhere in the UK to buy them, but this store in the Netherlands carries them along with some of the other projects designed to accompany Eline's books.

UPDATE: Eline has let me know that this shop in the UK also carries some of her products, including new digital versions of the (now sold out) paper packs that were designed to accompany Stitch and Sew Home. 

Overall, this is a very pretty book with a lot of lovely project ideas but it's definitely one to buy if you prefer your craft books to be more inspirational than purely instructional.


Stitch and Sew Home is published by David & Charles. RRP £14.99. It's available from Stitch Craft Create, Amazon UK, Amazon USA, The Book Depository and many other bookshops.

[Disclaimer: David & Charles sent me a free review copy of this book. The Amazon & Book Depository links in this post are affiliate links]

Book Review: Merchant and Mills Sewing Book

Today I'm reviewing the Merchant and Mills Sewing Book, by Carolyn Denham.

Like Sew Over It (which I reviewed a few weeks ago) this is another vintage-inspired sewing book but I think it would be quite difficult to find another book more different to Sew Over It's retro prettiness - which is firmly in florals + bunting + gingham + cupcakes + Keep Calm & Carry On -style vintage territory. The styling of the Merchant & Mills book (like the packaging for their haberdashery range) is stripped back, utilitarian, with muted colours and a consciously old-fashioned writing style. Check out that grey board cover!

The cover gives this book a very distinctive look, but the cover of my review copy unfortunately got a bit bashed up in the post and I think it could very quickly start looking a mess as it would damage easier / get greasy marks on it / etc much more than an "ordinary" hardback book. (I think my concern about this may mean I am turning into my mother, but I do like my books to stay looking nice, especially the fancy hardbacks).

The blurb on the back of the book reads "Keep it simple and do it well. No shortcuts. No Cheating. Just good old-fashioned sewing" ... "Use for reference or as a jolly good read." The first part of the book - "the foundations" -  is very much for reference, with chapters going into lots of detail about tools, techniques, haberdashery, fabric and "the importance of meticulous pressing".

It's written in what seems like an imitation of the style of an old instructional guide or household manual, and it's illustrated with retro diagrams...

...and pictures with muted colours (often featuring vintage bits of sewing kit).

The second part of the book is the projects, with instructions for making things like bags, a tailor's ham, an ironing board cover and cushions.

Lots of the projects involve quite heavy weight fabrics like oilskin, canvas and denim which gives them a different feel to the ones found in sewing books that mostly use pretty printed cottons.

There are also two paper patterns included at the end of the book (in an envelope attached to the inside cover) - for a Fisherman's Top and a Tailored Shawl.

The paper patterns unfortunately both need enlarging by 175%, which is a bit of a shame as surely the point of including paper patterns in a book like this is so you can get some full size patterns that don't need enlarging? I think I would have preferred to see one full-size pattern included instead of two that need to be enlarged.

Each project is illustrated with black and white drawings to guide you through all the steps, which all look pretty clear and detailed.

Overall, I think the utilitarian vintage style beloved by Merchant & Mills is so strongly and consistently expressed throughout this book that I think it's a bit of a "Marmite" book - one you'll either "love" (and spend many happy hours pouring over the vintage-y details and enjoying how the book is written) or "hate".

Personally I have to admit that, as a lover of all things colourful and bright, I did find the lack of colour in the book a bit off-putting and I don't really have an itch to make any of the projects, possibly because in the chosen fabrics I just can't picture them in my house or in my wardrobe. The book actually addresses the colour issue directly in the chapter about fabric:

"A further caveat for all you colourful souls out there is that our middle name is 'drab', which the dictionary defines primarily as 'dull'. That is to say, we lean towards the darker, more muted end of the spectrum for much of our making and are particularly alarmed by bright primary colours. This is a personal choice and should not be seen as a directive." ... but actually, I think my personal choice would be to choose a reference book like Sewing Made Simple which, for me, was a great balance of prettiness and practical information.

But if the Merchant & Mills style really appeals to you  (if you've looked at the photos in this blog post and gone "oooh" or if you can't resist the siren song of their retro packaging when you see their products in shops) or you're just looking for a really practical, really detailed book on some sewing basics and don't care whether it's colourful or "pretty", I would still heartily recommend this book!


The Merchant and Mills Sewing Book is published by Collins & Brown. RRP £20. It's available from Amazon UK, The Book Depository, several sellers on Amazon USA and from many other bookshops.

[Disclaimer: Collins & Brown sent me a free review copy of this book, & the Amazon & Book Depository links in this post are affiliate links]

Book Review: Stitched Gifts

Stitched Gifts by Jessica Marquez (who sells her work on Etsy as Miniature Rhino) is a lovely embroidery book with a modern but retro-loving style - what I would describe as "very Anthropologie / Etsy-chic".

The book contains 25 embroidery projects divided into 5 chapters.

Home & Hearth, which includes a horseshoe (for good luck), a embroidered floor plan of a special home and a welcome banner:

Engagement, Wedding & Anniversary projects, including table numbers and a "bouquet" for a wedding, and embroideries involving a couples names and initials:

Projects for Babies & Little Ones, including a mobile, a embroidered frame for a transferred-on-to-fabric baby photo and a nursery alphabet:

Designs for Holidays, Birthdays and Special Occasions, including embroidered cards and tags, zodiac designs, and a monogram:

And Keepsakes & Forget-Me-Nots, including more projects based around family and loved ones, plus these sweet messages in bottles:

The introductory text for each piece is sweet and personal, each project helpfully includes an estimate of the time it takes to stitch and they are all beautifully and stylishly photographed.

The patterns at the back of the book are printed on very thin paper with perforations down one side, so you can tear out the pages... and with lots of pages squeezed into a small bit of space, it means that most of the patterns have been included at full size, which is great. You're also given a choice of seven different alphabets to use in personalising your projects. Sadly, the lovely twining leafy design from the front cover isn't included.

And as well as the instructions for the individual projects, there's a detailed chapter at the start of the book which explains how to transfer patterns and personalise the designs and how to construct all the stitches used in the book (with detailed step by step photos for each stitch)... and a chapter at the back with instructions for framing your finished pieces (in embroidery hoops, in frames or stretched over canvas). I know I will be using these chapters as a reference when working on embroidery projects in the future!

Overall, I think this is a charming book and one that would be especially useful to have on your bookshelves if you enjoy making sweet, personal gifts for your friends and family, or special pieces celebrating your family's milestones and history.


Stitched Gifts is published by Chronicle Books. RRP £12.99. It's available from Amazon UK, Amazon USA, The Book Depository  and many other bookshops.

[Disclaimer: Chronicle Books sent me a free review copy of this book. I've had a couple of projects included in a book published by Chronicle Books, but you guys know I am always honest in my reviews! The Amazon & Book Depository links in this post are affiliate links]

Book Review: Quilt Love

Today I'm reviewing Quilt Love by Cassandra Ellis. Isn't the dust jacket lovely? (the book itself is a bright pink hardback).

The 20 projects in the book (lots of quilts and a few smaller projects like a cushion and some quilted artworks) are divided into four chapters: Big Events, Love, Friendship and Memories.

Cassandra begins each project by talking about the kind of event, memory or relationship that inspired it, writing thoughfully about each topic, how she's used it as a jumping-off point to create the design and about the meaning the finished piece will have.

For example, the New Beginnings quilt is inspired by an early commission from a woman whose husband was divorcing her and the finished quilt is described as being "not a reward per se, but a marker and a reminder of your fresh start once you are living your new life."

She writes about her fabric choices, how and why she chose them (for their personal meanings, their textures and patterns, the moods conveyed by their colours) and explains how the details of each design connect to her inspiration.

For example, the new beginnings quilt design is slightly wonky and off-centre to match how you feel when things change, and involves panels of luxurious fabrics so you can treat yourself to something really special. And the quilt for a student off to university includes large stripes of fabric representing their new adventure and narrower stripes to remind them of home (maybe taken from old clothing or linens).

She then goes into detail about how to put each project together, with all the important info you'll need to make the designs but also lots of tips about how to choose your fabric and things to think about when constructing your design ... like the best way to arrange the pieces when working on the quilt, which sections will dominate the design, how your fabric and colour choices can be changed to alter the feel of the finished piece, how to build a design around a cherished piece of fabric, and so on.

Then at the end of the book there's a chapter called "Practicalities" which includes stuff like how to prep fabric, what threads and tools to use, how to cut and piece, how to construct a quilt, etc...

... but there's also an emphasis on doing things your way, finding materials that suit you, etc, and there's a whole section on how to create your own designs, things to bear in mind when using fabrics with special meaning (e.g. using old clothes or vintage textiles) and lots of useful notes on tone, pattern and scale.

I would love to spend a relaxing evening reading this book, whether I was planning on making a quilt or not, but especially if I was planning on making a something for a special occasion or person in my life and wanted some ideas and inspiration for making something really personal and meaningful. Plus the quilt designs in the book are pretty nice, too!

Quilt Love is published by Jacqui Small. RRP £20.00. It's available from Amazon UK and The Book Depository and a paperback edition is available from Amazon USA.

[Disclaimer: Jacqui Small sent me a free review copy of this book, & the Amazon & Book Depository links in this post are affiliate links]