Sew and Stow: 31 Fun Sewing Projects to Carry, Hold and Organize Your Life [Paperback]

I haven't sewn anything for about 18 yrs, and then my skills were not great to say the least, just what we learned at school!

My 8 yr old son and I got interested after being unable to find much Doctor Who stuff for his room . . . Out came the sewing machine from the garage (bought 7 yrs ago and used twice!) And I panicked!

Read the reviews of this book and thought it was worth a go. Both my children now have personalised linen bags which people can't believe I made with my 8 yr old! I also have storage in lovely fabric which we've made for keys etc etc! Whenver I find something doesn't have a home out comes this book!

The illustrations are great and the instructions talk you through step by step in a clear and easy to follow way. The book has a section teaching you everthing about sewing terms and fabric, how to do certain seams, folds and pockets and much more!

My first attempt at the linen bag came out perfectly and I couldn't believe how easy it was, I just took my time following the instructions! Now I can make them without opening the book :-)

There are lots of great projects which will be great for the home and as gifts, and I adapted the seed packet holder to a key holder.

A fantastic book which had given me skills and the confidence to sew anything I want! I just know I need to look in here if I am unsure about anything! Just finished a tote bag which I planned myself using skills this book has taught me.

My little boy has made bags etc etc and feels chuffed to bits he knows various stiches, how to cut fabric etc.

All in all a FANTASTIC book! BUY BUY BUY! You won't regret it.

Sew and Stow by Betty Oppenheimer is described as '31 fun sewing projects to carry, hold and organise your life'. I was attracted to this book on the worst possible grounds, it has a very pretty cover! I'm obsessive about organisation, and so this book seemed a good way to expand my sewing repertoire.

I'm quite new to sewing and was after a book to help me develop my skills, while creating useful, up to date items at the same time. A lot of the sewing books I've tried feature trinkets and keep sakes with no discernable purpose that I would make then feel obliged to keep, despite having no use for them. This book certainly seems to offer more practical projects to expand your sewing skills.

The first 33 pages of the book feature glossy colour pictures of all the projects to come. Each project is shown large and covering a full page, with a small insert telling the reader where the instructions for that project can be found in the book.

Impressively the next 46 pages cover basic sewing skills, as well as more specialist skills needed for completing all the projects in the book. This ranges from the simple taking care of your machine, and choosing fabrics, through sewing pleats, seams, corners and ending with many types of fastenings such as buckles, zips and D rings.

The book then moves onto the projects themselves. The first section is entitled 'sew simple'. These projects mainly require flat pieces of fabric and require only basic skills to complete. These include a hammock, shower curtain, apron, and towelling wrap. For simple projects some look a little daunting, the towelling wrap is an unusual material to work with, and most of the projects require basic knowledge to change the needle on a sewing machine (and indeed ownership of a sewing machine) in order to cope with the thicker fabrics.

The next chapter deals with layering of fabric to create pockets and storage items. These include seed packet holders, a knitting needle tote, tool roll, visor organiser, and travel pouch. I actually think a lot of these projects are simpler than those in the first chapter (ignoring the curved seams!) although I do think they would take quite a while for a beginner. Nonetheless instructions are very clear and step by step to make sure you are never left guessing what to do next.

The next chapter deals with bags, including keep fresh vegetable bags, yoga mat storage bag, bottle slings, laundry bags and dry cleaning reusable bags. These are actually fantastic starter projects as many of them are made simply from one rectangle of fabric and a fastening of some sort.

The next chapter contains the most complicated items such as a shoe storage hanger, cleaning caddy, and jewellery tote. These are quite complicated patterns, requiring a lot of measuring, and definitely not a starter project.

We then move onto 'Pad and Carry'. Padding has always somewhat flummoxed me in sewing projects, however this chapter demystifies that somewhat with projects such as cushion covers, carry along seats, and a padded cool bad for your lunch. Again these are for more competent sewers, although are fairly basic patterns compared to the ones you can purchase, so will create quite basic versions of each item.

Finally we come to 'Stow it your way'. This chapter covers a customised hobby tote, sleeping bag, dog bed, and fabric filing boxes. No form of template is given for these, and it is up to you to make the project exactly what you want it to be. This is pretty daunting to be honest, and requires fairly precise measurements to come up with a workable item.

While patterns are not provided as you would get with a sewing pattern, a drawing is provided for each pattern in all but the last chapter with measurements written on, so it is down to the reader to measure this out or create their own templates. They are all very simple and easy to follow. However in an effort to create simplicity they are also often very, very wasteful of material. Several metres is needed for a simple bottle bag, as the pattern is made from one continuous piece rather than creating the strap in two or more sections.

My biggest criticism of this book is that only the photos at the front are in colour. I think this makes it harder to understand the instructions as only sketches are given of the project at various stages. Also I would rather have the picture of each project with it, rather than squashed all together at the front.

I bought this to help me control the ever exapanding number of objects in the house, not least the dressmaking and craft stuff.

The projects are worth making and practical although I am not sure if the fabric file holder will work. There is nothing too fiddly or complicated too put off the beginner and plenty to stimulate the imagination.

What makes this book stand out is the first two chapters on techniques and materials, which are detailed. They include the strengths and weaknesses of commonly available fabrics you might use, and this section is fairly comprehensive for the size of the book. It is worth buying for these two chapters alone.

Illustrations and instructions are clear throughout, and she makes suggestions on each project to help you adapt the basic design for your own needs, asking the questions you need to consider to arrive at a satisfactory design. As she says,'form follows function'. All too often when you buy a commercial pattern, you find it does not quite fit what you wanted it for: too many pockets or not enough etcetera. Some interesting tips too. Did you know (clean!) kitty litter holds nice smells for quite a long time?

A well balanced book and worth every penny.