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Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures
For many of us, our home is the center of our life. It is the place where our families meet and mingle, where we share our meals and share our dreams. So much more than just a space to live, our homes offer us a place of comfort, nourishment, and love for us and for our children.
In Handmade Home, Amanda Blake Soule, author of The Creative Family and the blog SouleMama.com, offers simple sewing and craft projects for the home that reflect the needs, activities, and personalities of today’s families. As Amanda writes in the introduction, “As a crafter, I’m always looking for the next thing I want to make. As a mama, I’m always looking for the next thing we need—to do, to have, to use—as a family. The coming together of these parts is where the heart of Handmade Home lies.”
Filled with thirty-three projects made by reusing and repurposing materials, all of the items here offer a practical use in the home. From picnic blankets made out of repurposed bed sheets to curtains made out of vintage handkerchiefs, these projects express the sense of making something new out of something old as a way to live a more financially pared-down and simple life; lessen our impact on the earth; connect to the past and preserve a more traditional way of life; and place value on the work of the hands. Also included are projects that children can help with, allowing them to make their own special contribution to the family home.
More than just a collection of projects for handmade items, this book offers the tools to create a life—and home—full of beauty, integrity, and joy.
Projects
• Papa’s Healing This hot water bottle cover becomes a simple way to offer comfort to a sick child
• Baby A simple pattern for an object that offers so much to a small child—refuge from the world and a place to lay their head next to a parent’s heart
• Beach Blanket Repurpose old sheets to create the perfect picnic blanket for special outdoor meals
• Cozy Wall A creative solution for storing a child’s small treasures
In Handmade Home, Amanda Blake Soule, author of The Creative Family and the blog SouleMama.com, offers simple sewing and craft projects for the home that reflect the needs, activities, and personalities of today’s families. As Amanda writes in the introduction, “As a crafter, I’m always looking for the next thing I want to make. As a mama, I’m always looking for the next thing we need—to do, to have, to use—as a family. The coming together of these parts is where the heart of Handmade Home lies.”
Filled with thirty-three projects made by reusing and repurposing materials, all of the items here offer a practical use in the home. From picnic blankets made out of repurposed bed sheets to curtains made out of vintage handkerchiefs, these projects express the sense of making something new out of something old as a way to live a more financially pared-down and simple life; lessen our impact on the earth; connect to the past and preserve a more traditional way of life; and place value on the work of the hands. Also included are projects that children can help with, allowing them to make their own special contribution to the family home.
More than just a collection of projects for handmade items, this book offers the tools to create a life—and home—full of beauty, integrity, and joy.
Projects
• Papa’s Healing This hot water bottle cover becomes a simple way to offer comfort to a sick child
• Baby A simple pattern for an object that offers so much to a small child—refuge from the world and a place to lay their head next to a parent’s heart
• Beach Blanket Repurpose old sheets to create the perfect picnic blanket for special outdoor meals
• Cozy Wall A creative solution for storing a child’s small treasures
208 pages, Paperback
First published August 11, 2009
About the author
Amanda Blake Soule
10 books97 followersI'm Amanda, and I live in beautiful Portland, Maine with my husband, Steve, and our three young adventure-seekers — Calvin, Ezra, and Adelaide. Our days are spent making things, exploring our coastal Maine surroundings, and growing together as a family.
I've always had a love of textiles and crafting, but it wasn't until the birth of my first child that creating became an essential part of my daily life. Making things became a way for me to nurture myself in the busy and giving role of Mama, as well as a way to save money and conserve resources by repurposing readily available materials. Making things also allows me to connect with countless women before me and share my love — through the gift of handmade — with those dearest to me.
Creating with my children — inherently the most creative beings of all — is a source of tremendous inspiration, growth and connection for our entire family. Whether through sewing, paper craft, music, cooking, nature exploration, or imaginative play, I believe there are many ways for each of us — regardless of our skills — to express creativity in our daily lives. The benefits go far beyond a finished project when they both nurture and connect the soul of the family. It is my hope to inspire other families to incorporate creativity into their own lives.
I've always had a love of textiles and crafting, but it wasn't until the birth of my first child that creating became an essential part of my daily life. Making things became a way for me to nurture myself in the busy and giving role of Mama, as well as a way to save money and conserve resources by repurposing readily available materials. Making things also allows me to connect with countless women before me and share my love — through the gift of handmade — with those dearest to me.
Creating with my children — inherently the most creative beings of all — is a source of tremendous inspiration, growth and connection for our entire family. Whether through sewing, paper craft, music, cooking, nature exploration, or imaginative play, I believe there are many ways for each of us — regardless of our skills — to express creativity in our daily lives. The benefits go far beyond a finished project when they both nurture and connect the soul of the family. It is my hope to inspire other families to incorporate creativity into their own lives.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
June 22, 2017
Warning: This book is written by a hippy for hippies. It's got projects for cloth diapers and sanitary pads. So... if you're into that kind of a thing, this is the book for you and please disregard my low rating. Now, onto the review.
I like how the author wants to use and reuse items. I applaud her. I really do. I feel, though, that if I held onto everything in order to make a project that my home would turn into a hoarder's den. (For example, she suggests that it will take up to three months to save up scrap fabric to make a rag rug.) Also, I feel like crafters are inherently clever and thrifty and creative. I felt a bit like she was "preaching to the choir." She should have recognized who her audience was and left it at that.
The author states that this book is not meant to be a guide on sewing, so this is definitely not a standalone book for beginners. This isn't a bad thing, but it is just something worth noting in case a novice is considering buying this book.
The instructions could have been improved with diagrams or pictures of intricate steps. I found the rag rug to be entirely confusing. The only other project that caught my eye, the baby sling, was also strangely written. She would go into detail about a seam and then tell you that you are doing a French seam. It would have been simpler if she just stated that you were doing the French seam in the first place, since she expects the readers to already know a bit about sewing.
The book also focused a lot on her life as a mother and how her crafting relates to her family. Again, I felt that this was written to a limited audience.
I like how the author wants to use and reuse items. I applaud her. I really do. I feel, though, that if I held onto everything in order to make a project that my home would turn into a hoarder's den. (For example, she suggests that it will take up to three months to save up scrap fabric to make a rag rug.) Also, I feel like crafters are inherently clever and thrifty and creative. I felt a bit like she was "preaching to the choir." She should have recognized who her audience was and left it at that.
The author states that this book is not meant to be a guide on sewing, so this is definitely not a standalone book for beginners. This isn't a bad thing, but it is just something worth noting in case a novice is considering buying this book.
The instructions could have been improved with diagrams or pictures of intricate steps. I found the rag rug to be entirely confusing. The only other project that caught my eye, the baby sling, was also strangely written. She would go into detail about a seam and then tell you that you are doing a French seam. It would have been simpler if she just stated that you were doing the French seam in the first place, since she expects the readers to already know a bit about sewing.
The book also focused a lot on her life as a mother and how her crafting relates to her family. Again, I felt that this was written to a limited audience.
January 22, 2011
I don't sew a lot, and this book wasn't terribly inspiring. Maybe it's because I don't have kids, but most of these projects seemed...superfluous. Like, I guess it would be nice to have another tote bag. I was most interested in the instructions on making your own rag rug, which turned out to be confusing, no matter how many times I read the words: "...weave the needle and cord from one strand of the braid on one side to another strand of the braid on the opposite side of the coil to which it is connected". I guess it's one of those instructions that makes sense when you're actually making the thing?
The thing is, I really like Amanda Soule. I really like her blog, and I really like her photographs, and I really like her outlook. But the books just do not translate well, and a whole pile of pages of Soulemama are just too many for me. Sad, but true. So many reviews of Soule's books say, "I wanted to like it, but..." and mine is one more. I wanted to like the books. I really did. I'm glad she's making a living off of them, but I haven't found anything in them that I'm glad I read.
The thing is, I really like Amanda Soule. I really like her blog, and I really like her photographs, and I really like her outlook. But the books just do not translate well, and a whole pile of pages of Soulemama are just too many for me. Sad, but true. So many reviews of Soule's books say, "I wanted to like it, but..." and mine is one more. I wanted to like the books. I really did. I'm glad she's making a living off of them, but I haven't found anything in them that I'm glad I read.
June 9, 2021
I was recently hardcore bitten by the craft bug, and also was enjoying some of the thrift lifestyle stuff that was falling into my lap (e.g. discovering neighborhood listservs and people putting perfectly good furniture on their sidewalk). So this (a book that a neighbor put on the sidewalk to be given away) was right up my alley.
So, I did enjoy about 1/3 of the project ideas and found them inspiring. I liked the incorporation of kids' art (what in the world do you do with it otherwise?!). I loved the general idea around upcycling and thrifting. I appreciated the time estimates. In our busy, fast-paced world, EVERYTHING SHOULD HAVE A TIME ESTIMATE. This review should take you about 5 minutes to read, maybe less.
Anyway: BUT. BUTTTT. Wow, is the tone of this book not for me. First of all, the assumption throughout the entire book is that you, the reader, are a "mama" who loves to infuse TLC in her crafty creations for your cozy home. "Papa" is mentioned sparingly, a side character, including once as going off on a "business trip". So, sorry, men who might also be interested in sewing machines and upcycled t-shirts, this book does not see you!
I also have a dim view/pet peeve of Anglo women calling themselves "mama" - see this interesting long read - especially when it coincides with loving paeans to baby-wearing, cloth diapering (citation needed on that 500 years fact, lady!), and other basic granola ideas. It's fine to be into that stuff, and I can certainly understand that it would correlate strongly with thriftiness and craftiness, but that stuff was just irrelevant filler for me. Given how much time was spent discussing these lifestyle choices, and how spare some of the project directions were, it did make me wonder: how many of these projects have actually been implemented? And how many are actually meant to be? As opposed to just a sort of lifestyle advertisement, a Pinterestable moment? I say this as a reader that hasn't made any of them yet!
Also, in fairness to my reading challenge, I skimmed this almost entirely.
So, I did enjoy about 1/3 of the project ideas and found them inspiring. I liked the incorporation of kids' art (what in the world do you do with it otherwise?!). I loved the general idea around upcycling and thrifting. I appreciated the time estimates. In our busy, fast-paced world, EVERYTHING SHOULD HAVE A TIME ESTIMATE. This review should take you about 5 minutes to read, maybe less.
Anyway: BUT. BUTTTT. Wow, is the tone of this book not for me. First of all, the assumption throughout the entire book is that you, the reader, are a "mama" who loves to infuse TLC in her crafty creations for your cozy home. "Papa" is mentioned sparingly, a side character, including once as going off on a "business trip". So, sorry, men who might also be interested in sewing machines and upcycled t-shirts, this book does not see you!
I also have a dim view/pet peeve of Anglo women calling themselves "mama" - see this interesting long read - especially when it coincides with loving paeans to baby-wearing, cloth diapering (citation needed on that 500 years fact, lady!), and other basic granola ideas. It's fine to be into that stuff, and I can certainly understand that it would correlate strongly with thriftiness and craftiness, but that stuff was just irrelevant filler for me. Given how much time was spent discussing these lifestyle choices, and how spare some of the project directions were, it did make me wonder: how many of these projects have actually been implemented? And how many are actually meant to be? As opposed to just a sort of lifestyle advertisement, a Pinterestable moment? I say this as a reader that hasn't made any of them yet!
Also, in fairness to my reading challenge, I skimmed this almost entirely.
September 3, 2009
Loved this. The author's voice was much more present in this, her second book, than in "The Creative Family". I read her blog because I enjoy her voice, her interests, and her photography. This book was a nice melding of all three.
Yes, there are a lot of sewing projects in here but there are also others. If you're reading this solely in search of projects,I don't think you'll like the book as much as you could.
"Handmade Home" is much more than a book of project tutorials; Amanda talks a great deal about repurposing what you have or find and the joy that can come by surrounding yourself with items that are beautiful, useful, and mean something to you. Exactly what the title implies.
I love that.
Excuse me. I need to go to the thrift store to stock up.
Yes, there are a lot of sewing projects in here but there are also others. If you're reading this solely in search of projects,I don't think you'll like the book as much as you could.
"Handmade Home" is much more than a book of project tutorials; Amanda talks a great deal about repurposing what you have or find and the joy that can come by surrounding yourself with items that are beautiful, useful, and mean something to you. Exactly what the title implies.
I love that.
Excuse me. I need to go to the thrift store to stock up.
January 30, 2012
In all honestly, I went into this book with the wrong idea. I thought I'd try it out since I've been on such a Pinterest kick lately for making, creating and re-purposing so many things. Unfortunately, this wasn't exactly what I was looking for. It certainly has some cute ideas. I like that she includes her children and gives tips for doing so, as well as including her children's artwork in the items that she makes. However, none of the things that she made in the book really interested me. I guess I was looking for a way to make things that didn't actually look handmade as I have done and seen on Pinterest. Anyway, I'm sure the book is very helpful if this is what you're looking for, but it just wasn't my style.
January 8, 2010
Seriously, when does this woman mop? Clean her bathrooms? Just wondering. If you wade through some of the granola tree-hugging stuff, and I really do say that with a certain amount of grudging respect, she has some fantastic ideas for reusing stuff in some practical way. I wrote down several ideas, and I might actually attempt the market bag pattern out of a holey tablecloth I have had for several years.
This book made me a little jealous of the east coast life -- I just don't think you find as much great stuff at yard sales here that you can find out there.
This book made me a little jealous of the east coast life -- I just don't think you find as much great stuff at yard sales here that you can find out there.
January 12, 2010
Ok, so I've come to find that there are MANY eco-friendly hoops I will not jump through right now, and making my own cloth menstrual pads can be added to that list. Maybe after the apocalypse.
Otherwise, there are some fun projects you can work on with kids (between ages 4 and 10, I'd say), incorporating doodles, paper mache, helping pick out patchwork patterns, fabric garland, etc.
Otherwise, there are some fun projects you can work on with kids (between ages 4 and 10, I'd say), incorporating doodles, paper mache, helping pick out patchwork patterns, fabric garland, etc.
December 14, 2009
Handmade Home is a handsomely written and peaceful. My number one favorite craft book of the year due to it's impressive readability and thoughtful, inspired crafts. I particularly enjoyed the small insights featured in each chapter. Yet another winner published by the buddhist "powerhouse" publisher Shambhala/Trumpeter.
February 13, 2015
I'm eager to start many of these projects and incorporate more re-use into our daily lives.
March 2, 2025
I don't think I'm part of the author's intended audience. I love handcrafted and would rather friends be surprised that I made something myself instead of assumed so. Many of the projects looked like they were moving closer to the rag bin anyway... And why weren't there illustrations or photos of how to do these things? I'm not a newbie but I'm sure many were stumped at how to stitch up that braided rug. I laughed at the thought of making my own sanitary pads. The focus was way too crunchy granola for me but it wasn't all terrible. How's that for a review...
April 26, 2018
Rag rugs, cloth diapers, pillow case dress, pot holders etc.
June 11, 2019
I liked the focus on reusing fabric and scraps, but was not a fan of a lot of the projects themselves.
October 1, 2020
Too boho-hippy for me
January 6, 2020
This was okay. There are some cute ideas for kid-related crafts. I liked the embroidered bookmarks.
February 27, 2017
This disappointed me -- I expected to be inundated with ideas about repurposing old materials (as the title states), but instead it focuses primarily on what to do with fabric scraps. If you're not into sewing or textiles, this book isn't for you.
April 23, 2010
Confession: the library is going to hate me.... i've used up all my renewals, I'm now actually consciously racking up a fine on this one... i keep thinking of excuses NOT to take it back (maybe I'll re-read that... maybe I'll scan that..."). Yes, I'm hogging, and I don't want to share (do I sound like my three year old?)
Beautiful, inspiring, blessed creative, family energy. I feel all snuggly happy and inspired to repurpose every underused fabric-based in the house every time I open her books - you think I'm joking? totally not!
I love that she acknowledges that peaceful, quiet, contemplative, creative ventures happen when kids are sleeping - but that there's ALSO a joyful energy in their creative collaboration by day - not that your 2 year old needs to be using the sewing machine necessarily... but that you can welcome their ideas, do sketches together, let them choose colors, buttons, etc. "Making family projects is about working together and truly repecting each other's ideas and creative work" (p 15) Amen, soulemama. Pass the love, I think we'll whip up a family picnic blanket right now - no, seriously, I'm excited about this!
...now, would someone please drop some hints to my handsome husband and sons that this momma would love a copy of her own for Mother's Day? Birthday? Do they have that capacity on amazon?...
Beautiful, inspiring, blessed creative, family energy. I feel all snuggly happy and inspired to repurpose every underused fabric-based in the house every time I open her books - you think I'm joking? totally not!
I love that she acknowledges that peaceful, quiet, contemplative, creative ventures happen when kids are sleeping - but that there's ALSO a joyful energy in their creative collaboration by day - not that your 2 year old needs to be using the sewing machine necessarily... but that you can welcome their ideas, do sketches together, let them choose colors, buttons, etc. "Making family projects is about working together and truly repecting each other's ideas and creative work" (p 15) Amen, soulemama. Pass the love, I think we'll whip up a family picnic blanket right now - no, seriously, I'm excited about this!
...now, would someone please drop some hints to my handsome husband and sons that this momma would love a copy of her own for Mother's Day? Birthday? Do they have that capacity on amazon?...
July 3, 2016
I have loved Amanda Blake Soule's personable and friendly style since I first discovered her blog Soule Mama. It was through her that I rekindled my interest in the everyday act of creation. In my younger days I was a writer and muscian more than anything, while now it is the act of knitting to which I most often turn.
So when I saw this book at my friend's home and she offered to lend it to me, I was quite excited. Unfortunately, while still written in the style I love, most of them handmade items for which she provides directions are either things I no longer need such as baby slings or I cannot envision them in my home. The rag rug is the single exception, as I would love to have one to keep in my kitchen at the sink. I have come to realize it is not so much what she creates that I love as much as how she talks about what she is making, and also about her home that draws me to her. In the future I think I will stick to the blog. Though the book didn't appeal to me I would not hesitate to recommend it to the right person, and I know many of just the sort of person to whom this book would have great appeal.
So when I saw this book at my friend's home and she offered to lend it to me, I was quite excited. Unfortunately, while still written in the style I love, most of them handmade items for which she provides directions are either things I no longer need such as baby slings or I cannot envision them in my home. The rag rug is the single exception, as I would love to have one to keep in my kitchen at the sink. I have come to realize it is not so much what she creates that I love as much as how she talks about what she is making, and also about her home that draws me to her. In the future I think I will stick to the blog. Though the book didn't appeal to me I would not hesitate to recommend it to the right person, and I know many of just the sort of person to whom this book would have great appeal.
March 18, 2010
I mostly skimmed the book, reading the section intros and looking at the projects. I found a handful of projects I might do, but the majority were not really new ideas for me. I read the rag rug instructions in detail, but couldn't figure out how the lacing was to be done - do you stitch the two closest edges together, the same (outer to outer), or opposites? A picture or diagram would have helped immensely - as it is, i'lI have to search for directions online, which seems silly if you've bought a how-to book. That is one of my dissatisfactions with the book - it shows the completed project, maybe in that off-kilter or extreme close-up style that seems so popular these days, but very few in-process or tricky detail shots. i do appreciate her emphasis on reuse and "upcycling," but that wasn't really novel to me either (and maybe not to most people who read this?) Nice enough book, but not one I feel the need to buy.
May 20, 2010
Decent patterns and projects, but really only two things that screamed make me!!! A Beach Blanket that i really didn't need instructions to make, but could have used more pictures to get inspired. The other was the main reason i rented this book...the Rag Rugs. I remember when i was super little my grandmother had one in a couple of different rooms in the house. All of them were special and unique and each of them looked perfectly natural in it's room. I've wanted to make one forever, but wanted some basic instructions which this book did cover well.
Apart from the blanket and rug this book is quite skipable as a purchase but worth the 15 minutes of leafing through it in the library sometime
Apart from the blanket and rug this book is quite skipable as a purchase but worth the 15 minutes of leafing through it in the library sometime
January 23, 2010
When I checked this out from the library I was under the assumption that is was more of a craft book and less of a sewing book. My bad. I am not a seamstress. Even if I had those skills however, I do not think I would like this book very much. Here are my reasons:
1- Only 3 out of the 30 ideas caught my eye. That's not good
odds.
2- Instead of really focusing on repurposing things around the
house, much emphasis was put upon buying "vintage" fabrics.
Not exactly the image that the title provokes.
3- I'm all for recycling and wisely using our Earth's resources.
But the author lost my support entirely when I read the
section on sewing your own fabric santitary napkins. Ewww.
1- Only 3 out of the 30 ideas caught my eye. That's not good
odds.
2- Instead of really focusing on repurposing things around the
house, much emphasis was put upon buying "vintage" fabrics.
Not exactly the image that the title provokes.
3- I'm all for recycling and wisely using our Earth's resources.
But the author lost my support entirely when I read the
section on sewing your own fabric santitary napkins. Ewww.
Want to Read
July 2, 2010I grew up on principles such as these partly because my parents both grew up in the Depression era and my dad has created an environment that could be entirely self-sustaining if necessary--in fact he rarely leaves home except to attend church and almost never goes to town himself. Poor deprived kids with no tv and computers, we were raised to find it satisfying to make something new and wonderful out of something old but still good. And on our large, don't-throw-much away ranch I never had to go far to find good stuff! :)It seems our society has moved further and further from using what we already have and being happy with it. I know I have and so I look forward to this book that has lots of great photographs of the author's family.
September 24, 2012
I'm one of those crunchy, granola types that is all about cloth diapers and pads and babywearing. As such, I really like the crafts featured in the book. I do intend to make some banners in her style (I have previously made others in another way and hers is more simplistic, which I like) and I like the towel bathmat idea. I loved the memory tree quilt but have never been a 'saver' of old clothes so I have nothing to use for it. I'm considering using scraps from my curtains to make a wall decoration, however. Just as there are great ideas, there are others I was completely unmoved by, like the doily scarf (yikes is that weird!)or the book (way, way, way too much work, plus a trip to Kinko's!)
October 12, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. The author leads a fairly simple life in rural Maine and I love how intentional she is about her family. This book gave me:
*Creative ideas on how to re-use items in my own home.
*Patterns for fun sewing projects (she does include some really "interesting" projects that I don't plan on trying :)).
*A glimpse into a simpler way of life which left me feeling very mellow and peaceful (and trying to figure out how to move to a place with seasons, mountains, farms and beaches).
*Things to think about when it comes to being environmentally friendly.
*A lot of ways to use the word "goodness."
*Creative ideas on how to re-use items in my own home.
*Patterns for fun sewing projects (she does include some really "interesting" projects that I don't plan on trying :)).
*A glimpse into a simpler way of life which left me feeling very mellow and peaceful (and trying to figure out how to move to a place with seasons, mountains, farms and beaches).
*Things to think about when it comes to being environmentally friendly.
*A lot of ways to use the word "goodness."
July 13, 2012
Two stars doesn't mean I hated it or anything. It wsa just ok. Apparently, you need to already know how to sew or you can't make your home this kind of homemade. Where I WANT to sew and it's definetly on my to-do list, it's not on my to-do-right-now list. That being said, it does make me desire to create the braided rug I wish to have under my dining room table. So in 25 years, (since I know myself well) when I stumble upon the half done strips of yarn in my attic and my kids are all grown and maybe I'm semi-retired and more than likely there still won't be a rug under my dining room table (Phew! Breath) I can go back and reference her great aunts how-to on braided rugs.
October 27, 2010
The first time I flipped through this book I must have been in a different mind-set. I put it down thinking it was sweet but that I had seen everything inside in all my other books. For some reason I picked it up again recently and realized that it was, in fact, quite different. The images hit the spot with the weather turning cold and my eyes longing to see cozy, soft things. And I absolutely LOVE that she has made all of the items with upcycled fabric from other things like blankets and old clothes.
December 31, 2009
Love her blog, and wanted to like this. I found it so-so. The projects are cute, but a *woman's cloth* is not the first thing that would pop to the top of my sewing list, had I free time -- nor are many of the other projects (fiber garland, handkerchief curtain, sweater hats). And some of her other projects (picnic blanket, bag, wall caddy) are just retakes of ideas I've seen before. I do like the tree that incorporates baby clothes, and love how she tries to integrate kids' artwork into so many of her projects.
Just not the sewing book for me, I suppose.
Just not the sewing book for me, I suppose.
February 16, 2010
I just finished Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule (check her out at www.soulemama.com). Holy cow! What an awesome book! It's not very often that I devour a book these days (at least not one that doesn't contain vampire love stories or adolescent wizards - don't judge), but I couldn't stop turning the page to see what super neat project waited for me on the next page. It made me completely rethink where I get material to work with, what I do with worn out clothes, and just how I view "old stuff" in general.
January 30, 2011
I plan to purchase this book. I've got at least 5 of the projects bookmarked and I know it's going to have to go back to the library before I get them all done.
The one thing I've made so far are the hot pads. The directions were clear, patterns worked as promised, and I'm very pleased with the final result. I especially enjoy her emphasis on using what you have at home already, or what can be purchased cheaply at a thrift store. For these hot pads, I used scraps of cloth I had already, old stained dishclothes for the batting, and only had to purchase matching bias tape.
The one thing I've made so far are the hot pads. The directions were clear, patterns worked as promised, and I'm very pleased with the final result. I especially enjoy her emphasis on using what you have at home already, or what can be purchased cheaply at a thrift store. For these hot pads, I used scraps of cloth I had already, old stained dishclothes for the batting, and only had to purchase matching bias tape.
September 19, 2011
Reminded me a lot of projects I did with my kids when they were younger (now in their twenties). While the tone is sweet and I think the world of the author and her intentions, it is a book for beginners to the thrifty crafty scene yet the directions are not all that clear. Step by step photos would have made this book a lot more user friendly. On the other hand, she seems like the sort of person that would respond to any email questions or on-her-blog questions you might have about a project - so maybe if you are inspired and get stuck, try that.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews