Bags or Zakka Sewing Patterns Book Reviews Japanese Sewing Books

Book Review – Making small goods with excess fabric

August 17, 2012


What do you do with the excess fabric leftover from your sewing projects? I keep my small pieces usually for doing test runs before actual sewing or serging, and at other times I make dresses for my kids’ dolls. But I always seem to be accumulating bags and bags of scrap fabrics. Faster than I can think of what to do with them.

I’ve had this book for a couple of years now, recently re-discovered it while looking for a pattern for a mobile phone case. The title of today’s book review is 余り布で作れるこもの which means Small things you can make with excess fabric. There are 110 projects packed in this book!

There are a couple of bag projects. You can make large bags out of co-ordinating scraps.

Or small lunch bags like these.

Eco bags

Cute bow sling purses!

Round bottom bags

Large roomy totes with leather handles. The little lamb is so retro!

Triangular patchwork pouch.

Mobile phone case

Coin purse

Card case

Corsages for decorating a dress or a bag or maybe a hair accessory?

Fabric covered buttons and sewn on some ribbon for hair-clips

Hair ties

Fabric bead necklace.

Fabric belt

Co-ordinated sewing accessories set

Pen case

Apron

Book cover with attached bookmark

Nested fabric boxes

Card holder!

The instructions are entirely in hand drawn diagrams. There are no photos but I think the instructions are pretty clear.

Some of the project’s “how-to-make” include patterns within the page.

The larger ones are at the back of the book, so there is no pattern sheet attached to the book.

On the last page, there is a basic guide to crochet, hand stitching, and embroidery stitches that were used in the book. The sewing techniques in the books are pretty simple, and can be made quickly, and 110 ideas for what to make with scrap fabric can really be useful when you have collected bags of them (like me) and can’t bear to throw them away!

Title : 余り布で作れるこもの
ISBN : 978-4-8347-2546-9
No. of pages : 80
No. of projects : 110
Publisher : Boutique-Sha

Hope you like today’s review. I’m sorry if it was a bit brief because I am taking some time off from baking and decorating a rainbow cake for a party tomorrow! 6 whole layers. Wish me luck! ;P

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1 Comment

  • Reply Marianna August 18, 2012 at 3:04 am

    Some excellent ideas there: my favourites are the folded style corsages (haven’t seen that style before), the cute bunnies and the round-bottomed bags. These would make great presents. Much better than the last minute plastic toys I usually buy for the kids to take to birthday parties.

    P.S. Good luck with your party!

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