Bend the Rules Sewing. The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew

Customer Reviews

The rules are bent for sure!!!

2008-06-05
I have to agree with a lot of the reviews of this book. I was busting to buy this book after continually reading about it in most of the craft blogs I visit. But what a disappointment. If you are a beginner, stay clear of this book. My biggest gripe is the hand-drawn diagrams. Authors/Artists take note.....creating a computer drawn image or even a hand drawn image using a ruler is much better on the eye than the sloppy diagrams in this book!!! I've made the bib, scallop blanket and bag and they all disappointed me. The scallops on the blanket were a real mess and I'm an accomplished quilter who always measures twice and cuts once!! The scallops did not match up on the corners and I ended up running around the edges with perl thread to tidy them up a bit. The bag was a nightmare as a few important steps were missing and I ended up winging it just to get it finished. The start of the book however contains some great information for the beginner with tips on fabric and tools. A much better book to buy is Amy Butler's - "In stitches". That one was well worth the extra money.

Cute pictures, fun projects, but lacking some info

2008-06-03
I am a novice when it comes to sewing. This book made me feel empowered. Each project has drawings of step by step instructions. And the projects are so cute! But vital information is sometimes left out (for example, there are no measurements for the handles of the handbag). And for a beginner, sometimes the directions aren't explicit enough (for example, how exactly are you supposed to sew notches together so that they turn out the same each time?). But overall, I loved the book and would recommend it. It's fun and inspiring.

Fun!

2008-05-03
I really enjoyed this book! Perfect for beginners. I really like the author's aesthetic. She's got a great style and it seems very approachable. I highly recommmend it!

Different kind of sewing

2008-04-29
I enjoyed this book but it wasn't what I expected. The sewing is a bit "off the wall" but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I did get a great idea for a baby blanket and enjoyed looking at the pictures of different projects.

Missing the details

2008-04-07
I think the projects in the book are really cute and have made several of the "easier" ones. I agree with previous reviews that their are critical details like measurements, right/wrong side of fabric, yardage to buy etc. As a relatively new sewer with perfectionist standards I really think that photos instead of line drawings would really help the directions and the layout is crazy with directions on one page and drawings on the next. I think as my skills improve I will be able to interpret the directions a bit better. For all super new sewers, this book and most of the other beginner project books are best with a really comprehensive sewing manual so you can reference a real image of the handstiches etc when you need them.

Bend-The-Rules Sewing

2008-07-07
This is the best beginning sewing book I've seen so far. The projects are creative, fun and wonderfully illustrated with great photos.

Great pictures, cute ideas, but for beginners

2008-07-07
This book is great for a beginner sewer but for people who are more advanced should pass this book up. The projects range from simple to complex, but in reference to a beginner. There are also many projects for children and babies which was no use to me because I have none. Although I am an advanced seamstress I can play off of these ideas to make a more complex project.

Really enjoy Amy's blog. Book leaves a lot to be desired.

2008-07-06
To the people who have said this is generally not a book for beginners, I have to agree. Problems lie in Amy's line drawings, which are often difficult to understand, the lack of info on yardage to purchase, the use of flannel instead of conventional interfacing (unless you want everything soft and floppy), the need to enlarge and tape the patterns, and the paucity of directions on how to do things like miter corners and properly match notches. Another issue is that the photography is quite nice, but often ineffective. Look at the project picture for the place mats, and you'll see what I mean. Not only are we told to miter corners w/o being given clear instructions, but we can't even see how Amy's done it in the picture, because the sides are cut off (it's also "artistically" blurry). It can't always be style over substance.

Now that I've worked my first project from this book, it might just be my last.

I use and enjoy Diana Rupp's Sew Everything Workshop much more.

experienced sewer learns new tricks

2008-06-19
I learned to sew years ago--I made coats, suits, children's clothes--from patterns including designer Vogue. For the last 15 years I have sewn mostly curtains and household stuff. I know how to sew, but this book shows a different way of looking at sewing and made me think more creatively about what I was doing. An enjoyable book to read for inspiration and/or use for projects.

Nothing special

2008-06-13
The instrutions on how to make projects in the book are not clear at all.
And nothing new in this book, I will not recommand this book to anyone.