Kay Whitt loves designing bags, and you're going to love sewing them! Take Your Pick of Styles With full instructions for twelve bags—and with a few clever variations thrown in—there are plenty of designs to choose from! Pick a handbag that is sweet, sleek or funky. Or check out some of the other great designs: a flirty little backpack, the perfect lunch bag, convenient shopping bags and handy task-oriented bags (whether that task involves a laptop, gym clothes or diapers). Each design is easy to adapt to your style. Hone Your Skills Check out the technique section, which includes step-by-step photos, to freshen up your skills and learn about a few new notions, too. Next, move on to the projects to put your know-how in motion. Flip to the Simple Bags for something quick and fun to sew. And even though these bags are easy to make, the end results are clever and cute. Step it up in the Intermediate Bags section, with bags that play up your style. Learn a few new skills, try out a few new tools and make yourself a bag you can really show off. The Challenging Bags section takes you to the level of bag maven. The bags' construction may be complex, but the instructions are not. Sew it together step by step, and find yourself with a truly professional, beautifully constructed bag. The bags in this book are truly extraordinary—and with Kay's instruction, they are oh-so-easy to make.

Lay it out, cut it out, sew it up, put it on! Kay Whitt of Serendipity Studios proves that all you need to re-make your wardrobe are a few key things: Great fabric, easy-to-make patterns, a handful of simple skills, and your own personal sense of style! Use Sew Serendipity to create a fresh, new look. Included in the book are tissue pattern inserts for the skirt, tunic/dress and jacket--each with 6 variations detailed in the book. 3 basic patterns x 6 variations = 18 ways to show off your skills and style! Kay provides the master instructions for each basic garment, and individual instruction for each unique look. Once you master the basics, changing it up is a snap! Each clothing pattern is graded in seven sizes (bust: 32-44; waist: 24-36; hips: 34-46) from XXS to XXL. Use the "Custom Fitting" section of this book to learn how to measure yourself and adjust the patterns to get the best possible fit! Embellish your designs to match your style, whether you're feeling the need for classic, tailored elegance, or you're in the mood for a little ruffled whimsy. Kay's simple embellishments make it a breeze to adapt your design to the look you want. With Sew Serendipity, you'll find out how to lay out the pattern pieces, cut them out and sew them up. All you have to do is put them on and strut your stuff!

Dramatic curves and angles for today's adventurous quilter Become a skilled foundation piecer with New York Beauty blocks and arcs of Flying Geese that amaze! Carl Hentsch simplifies a technique loved by many with his straightforward approach to curved piecing, foundation piecing, and simple machine appliqué. Stitch your way through 31 architectural block patterns, ideal for advanced beginners and intermediate quilters. Then it's time to practice on 10 full-size quilts and 27 bonus pillow projects with lively color combinations to provide movement and drama. In a personal foreword, fabric designer Tula Pink discusses how she met Carl and came to collaborate with him on the color choices for his quilts. • Complex piecing made simple! Expand your skill set and learn new tips and techniques for curved and foundation piecing • Traditional blocks shine with the use of modern fabrics in rich color stories, with fabric selections by Tula Pink • Practice your newfound skills on a small project with stunning round pillows designed to accompany each quilt

Learn how to do quick and easy applique the Sew Quirky way for fun, sewn projects. This collection of 12 designs for bright and bold machine applique patterns can be used to create bags, pillows, and quilts as well as to embellish clothes. Author, Mandy Murray, has a very unique style and that is reflected in her irreverent, humorous approach to designing, so whether it’s a dachshund in a doughnut or a flamingo who likes to mingle, her designs can’t fail to make you smile. This collection includes 12 projects for homewares and wearables. Choose from a fun floor cushion to an apron, table mats, wall hanging and even a dinosaur inspired applique design for a denim jacket. Mandy uses fusible applique to bring her designs to life and she explains this technique with step-by-step instructions and illustrations at the beginning of the book along with specific advice about getting the most from your sewing machine and using unusual fabrics – she loves to incorporate cork, vinyl and other eye catching fabrics into her designs. Other applique and piecing techniques covered include fussy cutting, layered applique, fabric selection and fabric 'auditioning' so you choose the best fabric for your project; how to get the right tension on your sewing machine and which feet to use, as well how to choose the right threads and needles for the best results. Other subjects covered include how to add hand embroidery and decorative stitches, quilting and finishing techniques and adding embellishments. Mandy also shares her techniques for different stitch styles, and shows you how to get exciting effects with even the most basic sewing machine. And she explains how to create her distinctive applique style using decorative stitches in the stitch library. The full-size applique patterns are included on a pull-out pattern sheet so you don’t need to print them out and stick pages together, and all the applique templates are included at full-size so you can get going straight away once you’ve decided which design to tackle first! As well as the main techniques section there are 12 exciting projects to choose from. Mandy is known for her fun and quirky designs: a dachshund in a donut, an otter on an inflatable and a flamingo who likes to mingle all feature in this fun pattern collection which includes wall art, embellishments on clothing, cushions, quilts and an apron. The projects come together quickly and easily and make the perfect funky present for families and friends.

In Sew Beautiful Quilted Bags, Japanese quilt artist Akemi Shibata combines elegant yarn-dyed fabrics with colour prints to demonstrate her signature patchwork style. With an astounding 28 hand-quilted designs, you'll discover a trove of unique bags to make in all shapes and sizes including purses, pouches, shoulder bags, backpacks, sewing cases, cross-body bags, totes and more! Learn how to incorporate multiple techniques into the same project to create sophisticated, multifaceted designs featuring patchwork, applique, embroidery, beadwork and hand quilting. Full of ingenious Japanese construction methods, you'll learn how to create beautifully finished bags that can be considered works of art.

Keep your sewing tips, lists and charts at your fingertips in your personal sewing journal! Sew Serendipity Sewing Workbook makes a handy companion for trips to the fabric store, and is a convenient source of easy-to-follow sewing advice. This workbook offers resources and ideas you'll love: 8 quick, seasonal projects that let you try out techniques and create fun accessories. Notions and fabric charts, project planning calendars, worksheets, checklists and more. Sewing tips and tricks from Kay Whitt, author of Sew Serendipity and Sew Serendipity Bags. Note-taking space to keep track of projects, techniques and inspiration.

Resurrecting the art of applique--a technique in which pieces of fabric are sewn onto clothing, bags, quilts, and other creations--this enlightening resource provides today's generation of "sewists" with a technique that can be combined with embroidery, beadwork, buttons, ribbons, and more to imbue works with a creative and personal style. Ideal for those with some sewing experience looking to break away from the restrictions of traditional patterns, this guide offers the details for both hand and machine applique techniques, as well as a history of applique and how it was rediscovered in the fiber arts. Featured are 20 modern, stylish sewing projects ranging from aprons, skirts, pillows, and totes to a duvet cover, wall clock, blouse, baby quilt, and scarf. With step-by-step instructions, color photographs, and comprehensive how-to embroidery instructions, this is an all-in-one resource and guide.