A new book arrived in my mailbox today and it couldn't be more suited to me. Impatient patchworker describes me to a tee. The Impatient Patchworker by Jayne Emerson is really aimed at the beginner but has great ideas that will keep the more experienced person interested too. It starts with a basic skills section covering fabrics, equipment and basic sewing and quilting techniques.The second section is a series of well explained and illustrated projects, starting with a padded coat hanger cover and ending with a zippered makeup bag. Some of the other projects include an apron, cushions. potholders, a clothespin bag, an apron and a notebook cover.
The final section consists of useful information like fabric information, templates for some of the projects and useful terms for sewing.
You can't tell what a book is like until you actually use it though so I headed to the sewing studio to make one of the projects. I seem to be addicted to bags lately so I tried out the padded shoulder bag. It was near the end of the book but still quite simple to make. In case you are nervous about choosing fabric the author gives you the name and number of the Rowan fabric that she used in the illustrated bag. For me, choosing the fabric is half the fun so I spent a little while doing that. The bag only took a couple of hours to make although it would probably take longer for an inexperienced person. The directions were clear and complete. Everything fit together as it should. I will probably add some kind of fastener but other than that I wouldn't change anything.
This book is beautifully done and would be a good addition to any sewing library but it would be especially appropriate for someone who is just starting.
