Review: Sew Darn Cute

Sew Darn Cute lands at precisely the right moment – in these gray winter days, it’s a lovely dose of soft, Springlike color.

I have to say that this book comes closer than any other US craft book I’ve seen to resembling the aesthetic of a Japanese craft book. (I hope the trend continues.) The simplicity of Jenny Ryan’s designs, and the thoughtful placement of perfect embellishment details, is really refreshing.

I also like way these designs make the most of simple sewing skills. Someone who’s just starting out would gain a lot of wisdom from the well-written and diagrammed basic sewing instructions, and the projects themselves contain a lot of great tips.

What a great project this Necklace Tank is! Perfect showcase for those precious fabric scraps.

…And this yo-yo and covered button necklace is just about my favorite thing in the whole book. Great texture and dimension. Those green beads really make it pop.

There are four themes to the project mix: Pretties (small wearables), Totables (assorted bags and totes), Nest (home decor projects), Kid Stuff (onsies, bibs, toys), and Crafties (supply holders and tools).

I love this bag, and I love the way it uses pieces of vintage pillowcases as embellishments. A number of the projects here use thrifted material, which is always welcome in a craft book, in my opinion.

What a pretty mix of fabrics, trims, and embellishments! Love this idea.

Also very useful: Sew Darn Cute contains templates for all the cut-out embellishments used in the projects. Like this tree.

Not to over-emphasize the yo-yos or anything – but I love them on this simple laptop tote. And the diamond quilting – perfect.

Many of you are already familiar with Jenny and her work, but in case you aren’t, a little background. Aside from the website that shares its name with this book, she’s also the driving force behind LA’s legendary Felt Club show. These days, she’s busy launching Home Ec, a department of craft teaching at LA’s equally-legendary Reform School. All this, and now a published author. That girl’s on fire.