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Sewn by Hand: Two Dozen Projects Stitched with Needle & Thread
Part nostalgia, part modern “slow movement,” Sewn By Hand celebrates the gentle comforts of creating beautiful pieces the old-fashioned way. This contemporary collection allows stitchers to be eco-friendly and mobile, as they carry their projects along with them just as knitters do. And with more than 20 items ranging from fashionable pillows and aprons to practical totes and pincushions, sewers will produce gorgeous results while they experience the simple joys of traditional sewing.
- GenresSewingCraftsNonfiction
128 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 29, 2012
I initially borrowed this as a library book and I ended up renewing the maximum number of times (nine weeks!) and still couldn't get enough of. I've been working through the projects in it and absolutely love her quiet confidence and simple, endearing style. While I'm not entirely sold on the "sewn by hand" emphasis on hand sewing being superior to machine sewing, she makes her case well - portability is certainly a plus.
I've hand-sewed her sewing kit and was very pleased with the instructions and results but I'll probably make her gorgeous pillows on my sewing machine and do all the decorative work by hand. In life, you need balance and for us, pillows need the toughness of machine stitching - plus I don't have unlimited crafting time. Oh, that I did!
I took my project to Starbucks one night and sandwiched myself in amongst the sea of laptops and textures; I felt a little self-conscious, then I realized how frantic and intense everyone seemed. I sat there, sipping and stitching and knew Susan Wasinger had won me over to the hand stitching side.
I've hand-sewed her sewing kit and was very pleased with the instructions and results but I'll probably make her gorgeous pillows on my sewing machine and do all the decorative work by hand. In life, you need balance and for us, pillows need the toughness of machine stitching - plus I don't have unlimited crafting time. Oh, that I did!
I took my project to Starbucks one night and sandwiched myself in amongst the sea of laptops and textures; I felt a little self-conscious, then I realized how frantic and intense everyone seemed. I sat there, sipping and stitching and knew Susan Wasinger had won me over to the hand stitching side.
August 28, 2011
I started sewing by hand 2 years ago. I stopped doing that when I bought my sewing machine - it was a lot easier putting together a bag handle for sure! But this book (which I won in a giveaway) has brought me back to my love of hand sewing. I love the contemplative time spent doing something I enjoy and the unique quality it gives to whatever I am sewing; it feels so much more personal and made with love.
I like how the book is packaged and put together. The photos are lovely, the author's color and material choices make the book and her creations look so inviting, cosy and comfortable. The introduction to materials, threads, stitches and different ways of knotting is useful though perhaps basic for a more experienced sewer. The project instructions are very clear and illustrated with photographs. I like the tips the author gives on colors, techniques, fabrics and the hunt for materials. The "portability factor" indicated for projects is pretty useful if you like to bring your sewing along with you on trips or if you want to use your hands during errands or activities outside your home. I usually read on the bus, now I can sew too.
There are about 20 projects in the book, most of which are simple enough even for a new sewer. They include common and practical ones like an apron, owie puffs, a tote, potholders and more interesting ones like a hassock, slippers and even a bikini. The first one I took on was the felt thread caddy. What an easy project it was! And super useful - which many of the projects in the book are. I will probably tackle close to 10 of them and use some of the ideas and techniques from the other projects in my own crafting. For instance, I don't need curtains but I like the idea of the ribbon sewn as decoration in the Sheer Curtains project, and plan to adapt it for use on a skirt.
I like how the book is packaged and put together. The photos are lovely, the author's color and material choices make the book and her creations look so inviting, cosy and comfortable. The introduction to materials, threads, stitches and different ways of knotting is useful though perhaps basic for a more experienced sewer. The project instructions are very clear and illustrated with photographs. I like the tips the author gives on colors, techniques, fabrics and the hunt for materials. The "portability factor" indicated for projects is pretty useful if you like to bring your sewing along with you on trips or if you want to use your hands during errands or activities outside your home. I usually read on the bus, now I can sew too.
There are about 20 projects in the book, most of which are simple enough even for a new sewer. They include common and practical ones like an apron, owie puffs, a tote, potholders and more interesting ones like a hassock, slippers and even a bikini. The first one I took on was the felt thread caddy. What an easy project it was! And super useful - which many of the projects in the book are. I will probably tackle close to 10 of them and use some of the ideas and techniques from the other projects in my own crafting. For instance, I don't need curtains but I like the idea of the ribbon sewn as decoration in the Sheer Curtains project, and plan to adapt it for use on a skirt.
April 19, 2011
As a real believer in the 'slow cloth' philosophy I was really pleased to see this book. I get tired by all of the advertisements that everything, seemingly, must " fast, fun and fabulous" - or some similar iteration of that sentiment. Going slowly is more meditative and, especially with sewn articles, you can really sew a it of yourself into what you make when you do it by hand.
This little gem of book is venerates both the art of slow cloth - sewing by hand - as well as the eco-friendly philosophy of recycling with aplomb. The projects are very well illustrated, fairly simple and eminently useful. Hand sewing makes the look.
The table of contents says it all. A well illustrated dictionary of hand stitches is thorough and well done. I really like some of the included projects. A great apron (not some skimpy little thing) made from recycled button down shirts. Salvaged shirts make another appearance as very well thought out "cafe napkins" that make great use of the buttons on the shirt. Another favorite project I found is for a tote bag - that includes simple directions for making your great looking covered buttons.
I think that this book should hold wide appeal to sewers of all persuasions - hand and machine as well as to eco conscious recyclers. The projects are useful, fresh and delightful. I also think this book is a great value. Both in monetary cost but also for the seriously good feeling that slow, hand sewn, cloth combined with serious re-purposing can bring to you.
This little gem of book is venerates both the art of slow cloth - sewing by hand - as well as the eco-friendly philosophy of recycling with aplomb. The projects are very well illustrated, fairly simple and eminently useful. Hand sewing makes the look.
The table of contents says it all. A well illustrated dictionary of hand stitches is thorough and well done. I really like some of the included projects. A great apron (not some skimpy little thing) made from recycled button down shirts. Salvaged shirts make another appearance as very well thought out "cafe napkins" that make great use of the buttons on the shirt. Another favorite project I found is for a tote bag - that includes simple directions for making your great looking covered buttons.
I think that this book should hold wide appeal to sewers of all persuasions - hand and machine as well as to eco conscious recyclers. The projects are useful, fresh and delightful. I also think this book is a great value. Both in monetary cost but also for the seriously good feeling that slow, hand sewn, cloth combined with serious re-purposing can bring to you.
October 18, 2019
I'm looking for a book that gives detailed information on how to mark seams for handsewing, which stitches and techniques to use for which purposes, maybe even sharing techniques that are difficult to impossible on a machine, and so on.
I'm not looking for shabby chic, huge stitches, and intentionally poor workmanship to be sure others know the item is handmade.
So this book is really not for me. It only gives very brief, rather vague information you can easily find online, and is going for a stereotypical 'handmade look' rather than good work that happens to be done without a machine. I'll keep looking.
I'm not looking for shabby chic, huge stitches, and intentionally poor workmanship to be sure others know the item is handmade.
So this book is really not for me. It only gives very brief, rather vague information you can easily find online, and is going for a stereotypical 'handmade look' rather than good work that happens to be done without a machine. I'll keep looking.
July 15, 2020
I'm not sure why I picked up this book at the library. I much prefer sewing on a machine over hand stitching, but I do like Susan Wasinger's books. I am inspired to recycle some mens dress shirts and many other projects are both useful and cute, but for durability, I'll go with the sewing machine every time. Plentiful photographs and good illustrations.
August 10, 2022
Missing a lot of info. No info on thread weights, pretty much no info on needles (basically just says "there's heavyweight needles and there's finer needles"). Got nowhere with this one. Only 23 pages of info before going into the projects. Most of her projects are infant/child-related, and some of them seem like jokes more than serious projects. Her stitchwork looks ugly to me.
October 20, 2017
Some really cute ideas for re-purposing items & focuses on hand sewing as a relaxation and "slow sew" movement. I didn't know there was such a movement. I plan on trying to make an apron out of thrift store men's shirts & napkins using the scraps from that project.
December 27, 2019
Absolutely beautiful! My hand-sewing skills are better than my machine-sewing skills (...ridiculous, I know) and I could actually see myself making many of these projects.
January 9, 2020
So many cute things to make!
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November 28, 20161. sesekali beralih angin. baca buku tentang jahitan.
2. keperluan utk jahitan tangan : gunting, pelbagai jenis & saiz jarum dan benang, pita pengukur, pin, pen penanda dan 'safety pin'.
3. jenis2 material tapi yg paling senang kain kapas atau trend terkini kain felt.
4. jenis jahitan alamak tak reti nak terjemah sbb tak biasa menjahit. ngaku jah la..
a. running stich ni jahit jelujur
b. the backstich
c. stem stich
d. blanket stich
e. slipstich
f. jahitan utk quilting
g.overcast stich utk applique
h. double whip stich
i. diagonal stich utk jahit reben.
5. ada beberapa projek jahitan tangan yang praktikal dan mudah untuk diikuti. setiap satu ditunjukkan dgn jelas bahan dan langkah-langkah membuatnya.
6. projeknya termasuklah apron dari kemeja kitar semula, sarung kusyen, pengalas dada utk bayi, 'sheer curtains'.
7. insyaallah, kalau diberi kelapangan boleh cuba buat projek-projek ni.
2. keperluan utk jahitan tangan : gunting, pelbagai jenis & saiz jarum dan benang, pita pengukur, pin, pen penanda dan 'safety pin'.
3. jenis2 material tapi yg paling senang kain kapas atau trend terkini kain felt.
4. jenis jahitan alamak tak reti nak terjemah sbb tak biasa menjahit. ngaku jah la..
a. running stich ni jahit jelujur
b. the backstich
c. stem stich
d. blanket stich
e. slipstich
f. jahitan utk quilting
g.overcast stich utk applique
h. double whip stich
i. diagonal stich utk jahit reben.
5. ada beberapa projek jahitan tangan yang praktikal dan mudah untuk diikuti. setiap satu ditunjukkan dgn jelas bahan dan langkah-langkah membuatnya.
6. projeknya termasuklah apron dari kemeja kitar semula, sarung kusyen, pengalas dada utk bayi, 'sheer curtains'.
7. insyaallah, kalau diberi kelapangan boleh cuba buat projek-projek ni.
January 4, 2017
Oh I am so glad I picked up this book to read as it inspired me to pull out the hand needles and just enjoy the leisurely art of hand sewing again. The author filled the pages with many different projects to take on, but it was the thoughts she wrote that lifted my spirit and made me want to go back to simple, silent, and satisfying stitching. What a way to begin a new year!
March 26, 2012
Quaint little projects not requiring a sewing machine. There's a pretty intimidating-looking smocking tutorial (for a potholder project) and a teeny-weeny bikini I'd never wear in a million years. Definitely pick this up if you're looking for a handmade, not machine-sewn, look.
May 21, 2011
cute projects.
December 3, 2011
Wonderful philosophy, attractive photos, excellent writing. I LOVE this book!
May 7, 2012
Beautiful projects and very doable...if I only had the time!
May 28, 2012
I ordered this book from Amazon and have read it from cover to cover, while we were out of town over the weekend. Now I need to pick a project and gather the suppies. Fun for Summer!!
June 13, 2015
Borrowed from the library, but will likely purchase. Sweet projects for an apartment dweller with no space for a sewing machine.
February 26, 2016
great book with some really cute projects. will definitely need to look at it again
February 10, 2016
I don't want to make any of the projects but I did pick up some sewing tips.
May 26, 2015
Very charming book. Scanned several of the projects.
January 18, 2013
Lots of fun projects that can easily be completed in a day or weekend!
April 30, 2013
Only found a couple items to make in this book. Simple and easy.
www.etsy.com/shop/IFeltItUp
www.etsy.com/shop/IFeltItUp
August 26, 2013
Some wonderful projects in this book. Great ideas
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews