Sewing Happiness

Create Pinterest-worthy clothing, accessories, and more with this how-to guide and memoir featuring 20 meditative sewing projects, plus inspiring stories that promote creativity, happiness, and fulfillment. When Sanae Ishida was diagnosed with a chronic illness and lost her corporate job, she felt like her whole life was falling apart. Inspired to succeed at just one thing, Ishida vowed to sew all of her daughter’s clothes—and most of her own—for one full year. In Sewing Happiness, Ishida recounts her incredible journey, reflecting on how sewing helped her survive such a difficult time in her life. Sewing Happiness features twenty simple sewing projects (with variations) organized by season and tied together with a thread of memoir that tells the story Ishida’s unexpected transformation and how sewing brought her profound happiness. Each seasonal project—from Japanese-inspired home goods to children’s and women’s clothing—is specially designed to promote health, creativity, and relationships and to provide gentle inspiration to live your best life. Complete with photos and easy-to-follow steps, Sewing Happiness is at once a guide to the craft of sewing and a guide to enjoying life in all its beautiful imperfections.

What happens when a man, dazzled like most of us by hi-tech, happy to have his suits made by robots in New York, sets out to find the meaning of life? John-Paul Flintoff's improbable and very funny book charts a journey through call centres and allotments, rat-catching and Savile Row tailors, to some kind of enlightenment. It is also a book about a man who learns how to crochet - and how you might too. John-Paul Flintoff is a bit of a one-off: a man who embarks on a spiritual pilgrimage by outsourcing his life to Bangalore, then hooks up with Mormons and Buddhists (well, Richard Gere), on a quest for truth and fulfilment. His journey is like a twenty-first century Candide, learning that life's satisfactions, and some kind of response to the concerns of economic meltdown and climate change, lie in learning how to make things for oneself, and mending things that fall apart. Along the way, Flintoff paints pictures with Brit-art oddball Billy Childish, gets apprenticed in Savile Row, grows his own food and spins fibre from nettles. Daringly, he also turns his book over to his wife Harriet, who likes nothing better than a fancy spa and a shop at Liberty's. The results are comic, heartwarming and inspiring.

Over 100,000 copies sold 'A tapestry of strong characters and accomplished writing' Herald Scotland It is 1911, and Jean is about to join the mass strike at the Singer factory. For her, nothing will be the same again. Decades later, in Edinburgh, Connie sews coded moments of her life into a notebook, as her mother did before her. More than a hundred years after his grandmother’s sewing machine was made, Fred discovers a treasure trove of documents. His family history is laid out before him in a patchwork of unfamiliar handwriting and colourful seams. He starts to unpick the secrets of four generations, one stitch at a time.

"…a slew of child-friendly projects as adorable as they are functional. [...] These sweet DIY projects will appeal to parents who are also avid or aspiring sewers, not to mention to their kids." —Publishers Weekly From the author of the bestselling Sewing Happiness comes this beginner's sewing book to making beautiful handmade animals—includes 15 easy projects plus 35 variations. The projects in this book are divided into three main categories of cute creatures to sew: decor, toys, and wearables. Inspired by the beautiful simplicity of Japanese and Scandinavian design, these projects will delight the maker as much as the recipient. Make adorable handmade animal toys: a darling whale teether, adorable fox baby slippers, stackable animal blocks, a sweet lion throw pillow, or a fuzzy sheep backpack! Perfect for gifting, these one-of-a-kind handmade treasures are sure to be cherished. Includes: • Lookbook • Sewing and embroidery primer • Project instructions with photos and step-by-step iilustrations • Sewing templates DECOR Pillows: Polar Bear, Lion, Koala, Bunny, Sloth Placemats: Cat, Bear Wall Pockets: Zebra, Reindeer Rope Baskets: Cat, Dog TOYS Stackable Blocks: Mouse, Raccoon, Bear, Elephant Teether Rattles: Whale, Dove Bunny Ears Terry Cloth Bath Puppets: Panda, Cat, Penguin, Seal Quiet Adventures Felt Book Beanbags: Turtle, Hedgehog, Armadillo Fishing Game WEARABLES Beanies with Ears Baby Slippers: Fox, Penguin, Raccoon Hooded Capes: Animal with Ears, Animal with Horn, Animal with Bony Plates Bibs: Monkey, Koala Backpacks: Sheep, Fox

The authors of The Tunic Bible craft a “clever guide to the DIY creation of tried and true staples of a woman’s wardrobe . . . truly inspiring” (Publishers Weekly). Discover the secrets to sewing a stylish wardrobe with staying power! This spirited guide walks you through thirty timeless garments to make for yourself, including a must-have button-up shirt, tailored trousers, a flattering A-line dress, and the indispensable modern classic pencil skirt. With a conversational narrative, the authors have created an engaging, informative guide to sewing by tracing the origins of each garment, along with styling and sewing tips, charming fashion illustrations, and a modeled photo gallery. Pencil skirt pattern and instructions included! “This delightfully illustrated book featuring a conversational narrative chronicles 30 beloved classic silhouettes that lie at the core of women’s wardrobes . . . Each garment chapter laced with fascinating facts and trivia tidbits gives new meaning to why we wear what we wear . . . [a] keen guide to creating a fresh collection of timeless garments.” —Elysian “It should be inspirational to those just beginning to sew for themselves as well as those who just aspire to it! . . . With this book in hand, you will both sew and dress with confidence and style.” —Fifty Dresses “This book is so well-written and the illustrations are amazing.” —Girls in the Garden

If you want to sew your own clothes but are put off by the idea of cutting out pattern pieces covered with dotted lines and symbols, this is the book for you. Using Rosie Martin's innovative method, you begin with nothing but a rectangle, circle, or triangle of fabric and some basic body measurements. Next, follow the detailed step-by-step photographs and diagrams to complete your garment. You'll need a sewing machine, but no special equipment or expensive fabrics. With plenty of variations suggested for each garment, there's lots of room for your own creative touches, too.

“Gretchen ‘Gertie’ Hirsch is a passionate home seamstress, a sought-after sewing teacher, and the creator of one of the web’s most popular sewing blogs.” —Creativebug Gertie Sews Jiffy Dresses is Gretchen Hirsch’s modern reinvention of this simple idea, focusing on easily mastered sewing skills, minimal pattern pieces, and fabulous designs. And the best part? Readers will end up with a sparkling wardrobe of easy-to-wear, fun-to-style dresses that will fill busy modern lives with retro charm. Chapters include: Supplies and Tools Fabrics Getting Ready to Sew Dress Construction: The Basics Dress Construction: Essential Skills Trims and Flourishes Fitting In the ’50s and ’60s, Simplicity released their popular line of Jiffy sewing patterns, which had minimal pattern pieces and simple constructions, yet were chic enough for fashion-conscious customers. This approach appeals now more than ever as stylish women are continuously looking for ways to fit their love of sewing into busy lives filled with family, work, school, and countless other obligations. With the lessons offered here, you can make a Popover Dress, Chemise Dress, Swirl Dress, Boatneck Dress, and Patio Dress. Everything you need is included: pattern maps, finished garment measurements, and more. Hirsch writes in her introduction, “So why did I write this book? Because I want to show that it’s possible to cultivate real sewing skills without spending days or even weeks on a project. Sewing more projects means more practice!” The vintage aesthetic of these projects will appeal to beginner and expert crafters alike. They stand on their own as great examples of retro fashion. They aren’t just simple sewing projects. So, don’t wait. Start sewing!

Jennifer Paganelli designs one of the most popular fabric lines in the marketplace. In this gorgeous collection, she shows readers how to whip up twenty-one beautiful accessories to transform their space into a sunny, happy home. Each project showcases Jennifer's fresh, whimsical style—from luxe drapery to cheery tablecloths and napkins. Featuring simple step-by-step instructions, a comprehensive glossary of techniques, pattern sheets tucked into a handy front pocket, and lush color photos, this book makes it exceptionally easy to pretty up every room in the house.

Learn to sew beautiful, simple handmade clothes and begin a journey to loving the body you have. Draft patterns and sew clothes that fit your unique body! In this garment-making primer, sewing is an act of radical kindness and self-care. Learning to sew for yourself enables you to make exactly the kinds of clothes you want, and empowers you to solve the fit issues that come with buying commercial clothing designed to fit one "ideal" body type. Sanae Ishida, author of the award-winning Sewing Happiness, guides you through the process with her inspiring personal story and gentle instruction in the simple art of pattern-making and garment sewing. Create a complete capsule wardrobe of tops, bottoms, dresses, tunics, and outerwear. Each of the 15 projects (including variations) is designed to look good on a wide variety of body types—they're fashionable yet timeless, and let you move with ease. Every pattern is self-drafted (no printed pattern sheets here—you will learn to draft and customize basic shapes to your own body measurements for a comfortable fit). Patternmaking has never been easier than in this intuitive, fully illustrated book. Includes: Lookbook with photographs of the projects on diverse models Primer on basic sewing, pattern drafting (slopers and muslins), and fitting Step-by-step illustrated instructions for all 15 projects and variations Heartwarming personal essay on the author's journey to body positivity