Great Sewing Books

I forgot to post this earlier....so some of my wording is a bit outdated , but it is still a good list of books that may be of interest...

Here's some great books to get you started with ideas, patterns, and tips:
Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts
http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewarts-Encyclopedia-Sewing-Fabric/dp/0307450589
A great mix of projects, tips on fabric, threads, basic sewing ideas...also many more advanced techniques.

The Sewing Book
http://www.amazon.com/Sewing-Book-Alison-Smith/dp/0135097398/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289152459&sr=1-1
I don't have this book, but my neighbor got it and raved about it, so I looked through it at length at the bookstore the other night. It has been added to my Christmas wish list...it has great step by step instructions on how to do just about anything related to sewing. I haven't tried anything yet since I don't have it, but it looked like it would be super easy to follow along.

One Yard Wonders
http://www.amazon.com/One-Yard-Wonders-Sewing-Fabric-Projects/dp/1603424490/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289152551&sr=1-1
Many cute projects to make with just a yard of fabric...great for any fabrics you've picked up without a specific project in mind.

Simple Sewing
http://www.amazon.com/Lotta-Jansdotters-Simple-Sewing-How/dp/0811852571
This is the first sewing book I bought. There are tons of great patterns and each project lets you know what level it is considered. The dish towel I posted earlier is a level 1 from this book.

Sew Everything Workshop
http://www.amazon.com/Sew-Everything-Workshop-Step-Step/dp/0761139737/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289152669&sr=1-1-spell
Again, my neighbor got this book and raved about it. I am adding this to my list as well.

I plan to post some of the projects I make from these various books as time progresses so you can see if the books have projects you may be interested in.

My sewing teacher also recommended buying older sewing books from used bookstores, yard sales, etc. Not necessarily for the projects, but for the technique descriptions. I just got one yesterday from a used bookstore in Dormont. I can't wait to read through it and see how it compares to these newer books.

Holiday Bags

These little bags housed my gift card gifts this season. I just made little drawstring bags out of old red fabric and then stamped snowflakes on the bag to make them a little more festive.  I also stamped tags to indicate who was going to receive the little gift.

Hopefully in 2011 I will get back to making crafts and post more often to my blog. Have a Happy New Year!