4.00

4

Dec 03, 2009

I was not quite sure just what I would think of this book when I first saw. I think I was leery of the title - only because I tend to dislike titles like ' fast, fun easy' or fun & quick'. Don't get me wrong we all need a quick fix at times and more or less instant result can be a very good thing sometimes too...I am just one of those people who stills likes real letters and finds more comfort in slow cloth than quick and easy.

The first thing I noticed about this book is it's quality. It's a I was not quite sure just what I would think of this book when I first saw. I think I was leery of the title - only because I tend to dislike titles like ' fast, fun easy' or fun & quick'. Don't get me wrong we all need a quick fix at times and more or less instant result can be a very good thing sometimes too...I am just one of those people who stills likes real letters and finds more comfort in slow cloth than quick and easy.

The first thing I noticed about this book is it's quality. It's a nice size, the paper is high quality and the cover spiral binding is very well made - these are things that I so look for in books - and yes, I am a page 'sniffer'. I love the smell of ink on paper - and I can be critical of paper color and paper quality - the latter especially in hard-covered books or those books that are made to get a lot of use. Of course the next thing that I looked at were - what else?! - the patterns. The patterns are divided into sections with titles such as "On The Go" (bags, lunch bags, lap top covers etc), "Household Affairs" (tea cozies,aprons, hot& cold packs), "Outfit Your Small Wonder" (obviously geared to clothing for your own little one). There are patterns for dog couture items, toys for children, great shopping bags and a wealth of small projects that really can be made with just a yard of fabric. Also included are things like sewing fundamentals - good for beginners or as a refresher for those of us with older cloth fixations. A couple of the 'patterns' are more like instructions for doing things like covering a cork board or scale with fabric. No necessarily sewing projects but they can be done with a yard or less of fabric.

Some of these projects are for things that we could all probably figure out how to make. I don't know about you , but there are times when I am thrilled not to have to re-invent the wheel - and enjoy the fruits of what others have made pattern for so that I can save my brain cells for the more involved projects that I barely have to complete as it is. Simple and right in front of me with a "how-to" can be a real time save. have been on a kick to find good looking alternatives to to the now ubiquitous grocery store provided 'green' bag. This book includes two patterns that are good. All in all I really like this book a lot and will highly recommend it. It seems to have something that will please everyone and is one of those books that will be a good resource and reference book - and yes, it does hold a lot of things that could be termed "fast, fun and fabulous" ! Give it a try - I don't think that you will be disappointed.

...more

5

Nov 09, 2012

I love this book. I am so glad that I bought it, because it has served me very well.

One-Yard Wonders is a book of sewing projects that require only 1 yard of fabric (or less). This idea was terribly appealling to me, because I always find fabrics that I absolutely love, but have no idea what I might do with them. I now buy a yard of it, come home, and open this book to find out what my fabirc will become. To be sure, I usually have to run back to the fabric store to pick up some interfacing or I love this book. I am so glad that I bought it, because it has served me very well.

One-Yard Wonders is a book of sewing projects that require only 1 yard of fabric (or less). This idea was terribly appealling to me, because I always find fabrics that I absolutely love, but have no idea what I might do with them. I now buy a yard of it, come home, and open this book to find out what my fabirc will become. To be sure, I usually have to run back to the fabric store to pick up some interfacing or something, and the cycle starts again, but 1) I don't mind, and 2)I'm starting to get to the point where I have most of the notions needed.

Some of the patterns in the book strike me as a bit odd (most notably a pattern for "spats" that I always stare at wondering under what circumstances I might want to make them), but for every one of those, there is one that I find absolutely fantastic, such as a particularly darling pinafore. Most are constructed with rectangular pieces that you measure and cut on your own, so it is easier to work these patterns with a cutting mat; only a few have actual pattern pieces.

I would recommend this book to new sewers especially-- I had barely started sewing when I bought this book, and I picked out 4 patterns that I ended up making for my sister. I started with the simplest pattern, and worked through them with less and less help from an experienced seamstress. What I made were a hanging bed organizer (extremly simple-- strainght lines and bias tape), a desktop charging station (a bit more complicated, as I had to cut my own bias strips and do some fancy folding), a map bag (by this point I was pretty confident, so webbing and double-sided interfacing were easy-peasy), and finally a jewelry roll (I had worked up to this because I've had horrible experiences with zippers, but again, by the time I had worked through the others, easy-peasy!).

So, to sum up agin: I love this book, because it is extremely useful for remnants and fabric you can't say no to, and because it is a great skill-builder. I recommend it to anyone who dabbles in sewing. ...more

4

Sep 03, 2010

Ah, One Yard Wonders where have you been all my life. I am not the most widely creative person. I need help, inspiration, a burly muse that will nudge me (shove me) in the creative direction. I have a ton of one yard or less pieces of fabric. What seamstress or crafter doesn't? This book has a many ideas for those one yard or less scraps that are taking up precious space. I really enjoyed this book, it offered many ideas for those leftover scraps. The book is sprial bound which I like, lays nice Ah, One Yard Wonders where have you been all my life. I am not the most widely creative person. I need help, inspiration, a burly muse that will nudge me (shove me) in the creative direction. I have a ton of one yard or less pieces of fabric. What seamstress or crafter doesn't? This book has a many ideas for those one yard or less scraps that are taking up precious space. I really enjoyed this book, it offered many ideas for those leftover scraps. The book is sprial bound which I like, lays nice and flat on your work space. Great photographs and easy stuff for beginners and inspiration for everyone.
...more

3

Jun 02, 2011

This book is exactly what the title implies. Most of the projects didn't appeal to me personally. However, I may get it from the library at some point for the following projects:

Petite Diaper Tote
Toddler Pinafore Smock Top
Child's Messenger Bag
Go Fly a Kite (I find the idea of sewing a kite particularly intriguing.)

4

Mar 21, 2011

A great book full of fun sewing projects using only one yard of fabric. The only thing I would change would be to add a difficulty rating for each pattern. I'm a very beginner sewer (?) and sone of the projects were a bit above my level- and it was frustrating.

3

Apr 26, 2010

This book contains various projects that use one yard of fabric or less. A great stash buster book. However, many of the projects are simple. Many can be found for free on the internet. Some of the directions would be very difficult for a new sewer to follow along with.

3

Nov 15, 2012

I'm pretty familiar with this series from the massively popular one-skein wonder knitting books. They tend to be more about quantity of patterns rather than quality, and this book is no exception -- there is a fanny pack pattern, I kid you not. But because there are a ton of patterns, there's something for everyone (due to the one-yard limitation, especially if you sew for kids), and I have to give kudos to the spiral-bound format which I will forever blather about LOVING for craft and cookbooks I'm pretty familiar with this series from the massively popular one-skein wonder knitting books. They tend to be more about quantity of patterns rather than quality, and this book is no exception -- there is a fanny pack pattern, I kid you not. But because there are a ton of patterns, there's something for everyone (due to the one-yard limitation, especially if you sew for kids), and I have to give kudos to the spiral-bound format which I will forever blather about LOVING for craft and cookbooks because it's the best. ...more

5

Feb 05, 2010

I enjoyed the nice balance of instruction, inspiration and idea spurring. And the book design is fun, functional and approachable. There are many pictures and even patterns. The addition of the patterns makes the cost of the book a steal! I am an intermediate level sewer, give or take, and I found it easy to follow the directions for the 3 things that I have made from this book. I even picked up some new tips and was able to work from the ideas in the book to make my own modified design.

4

Nov 13, 2012

What a fun book! 101 cute projects to try and the patterns are included. Unlike many years ago, it is unfortunate that nowadays it is probably cheaper to buy your clothes, home decor items, or accessories. This book has a variety of projects you can do with just one yard of fabric so it won't break the bank! I am new to sewing and these projects are great for beginners. The book has nice pictures, great layout, and is easy to follow.

5

Jun 16, 2010

Sewing is kind of my new obsession. I checked this book out from the library (on the new arrivals shelf, my fave), took it home, looked through it twice and decided that borrowing this book was not going to be enough. I had to own it. And now I do. There are so many fun projects and ideas; I can't wait to start planning my next projects. The instructions seem fairly easy to follow and nothing all that over complicated and some direction on techniques that I haven't learned yet. Yea!

4

Jan 15, 2011

There are a lot of fun projects in this book. I think most of these things could be sought out for free online, but frankly, I find pattern surfing to be such a time suck. I've decided to invest in several good knitting and sewing books that I can reference when I want to do a project instead of logging on. I find that i get a lot more done this way with fewer distractions.

I've made several things from this book already. My favorite so far was the little house. I also like the good day hat.

3

Sep 02, 2012

This is a pretty cute book. It's filled with instructions and patterns for making a variety of small projects, each requiring only a yard of fabric to finish (notions notwithstanding).

Sadly, as I checked it out from the library, a few of the pattern pieces were missing. However, the instructions seemed clear and easy to follow. There are full-color images throughout. It would be a nice addition to the collection of (or make a good gift for) any sewing hobbyist.

3

Dec 31, 2014

I thought the pictures in this book were beautiful. I thought the instructions were clear and well written. I loved that it came with pattern pieces. The problem with this book is the projects. In the whole book I found 3 projects that I was interested in making. This book is definitely aimed towards sewers with small kids. I am not the target audience any more. I'm glad I didn't purchase this book.

4

May 13, 2014

This is a take off on the wildly popular 101 knitting books and it is just as good. There are a number of quick and easy gift ideas and a lot of small sewn items that help to organize the sewing room as well as the house. There are patterns in the back of the book that you can trace off for your projects making it much more likely that you'll actually do the craft. I read though the instructions on a number of projects and found them very clear and easy to understand. If you like to sew, it is This is a take off on the wildly popular 101 knitting books and it is just as good. There are a number of quick and easy gift ideas and a lot of small sewn items that help to organize the sewing room as well as the house. There are patterns in the back of the book that you can trace off for your projects making it much more likely that you'll actually do the craft. I read though the instructions on a number of projects and found them very clear and easy to understand. If you like to sew, it is worth the money. ...more

3

Nov 10, 2010

One Yard Wonders is a beautifully photographed book, with engaging and fun projects. I liked the fabrics used, the intro to fabric at the beginning, and the overall tone of the book. The look and feel of the cover implies the book is for beginners and yet the instructions are lacking the detail a beginner would need. For example, in some projects it's not clear whether a step should be sewed by hand or by machine. The wording in some of the instructions was unclear to me as a beginner. So I'd One Yard Wonders is a beautifully photographed book, with engaging and fun projects. I liked the fabrics used, the intro to fabric at the beginning, and the overall tone of the book. The look and feel of the cover implies the book is for beginners and yet the instructions are lacking the detail a beginner would need. For example, in some projects it's not clear whether a step should be sewed by hand or by machine. The wording in some of the instructions was unclear to me as a beginner. So I'd recommend this book for an experienced beginner (rather than a newbie) or an intermediate sewist. ...more

5

Sep 05, 2013

i have to admit i'm a little biased (HARHARHAR) because my sister has two patterns in this book, but the one i started with (bias skirt) was not one of hers. sewed up nice & easy for my first adult machine-made wearable.

ALTHOUGH- if you do make this particular pattern, it totally takes more than one yard of fabric, unless your yard is cut in such a way that fabric stores will rarely cut fabric. i bought two yards in case of mistakes and wound up using them both in one go.

still, love the i have to admit i'm a little biased (HARHARHAR) because my sister has two patterns in this book, but the one i started with (bias skirt) was not one of hers. sewed up nice & easy for my first adult machine-made wearable.

ALTHOUGH- if you do make this particular pattern, it totally takes more than one yard of fabric, unless your yard is cut in such a way that fabric stores will rarely cut fabric. i bought two yards in case of mistakes and wound up using them both in one go.

still, love the book, excited to tackle more projects. ...more

4

Aug 07, 2014

This book is definitely a feast for the eyes. I always appreciate books with cute fabrics and colors--I just find them so inspiring. That said, many of these projects are things you can find online or they are geared towards children so that is something you may want to consider. I didn't find any of the projects to be overwhelming but I consider myself a moderately skilled seamstress. As a previous reviewer stated, it would be helpful to give a difficulty level for the projects as well to help This book is definitely a feast for the eyes. I always appreciate books with cute fabrics and colors--I just find them so inspiring. That said, many of these projects are things you can find online or they are geared towards children so that is something you may want to consider. I didn't find any of the projects to be overwhelming but I consider myself a moderately skilled seamstress. As a previous reviewer stated, it would be helpful to give a difficulty level for the projects as well to help newbies. I would recommend this book as it is a good stash buster and can definitely be seen as inspiring and a good jumping off point for some great one of a kind projects. ...more

3

Nov 11, 2012

I have been looking through sewing books at the library since it may be out new household hobby. I like the theory of this book - making something without tons of fabric since I would prefer this not to be an expensive hobby.

While there are a lot of cute things in this book, for the most part these are not things I would make. I am not super interested in creating a lot of household things that just end up being fairly useless "stuff". We also don't need a whole slew of bags - we have so many I have been looking through sewing books at the library since it may be out new household hobby. I like the theory of this book - making something without tons of fabric since I would prefer this not to be an expensive hobby.

While there are a lot of cute things in this book, for the most part these are not things I would make. I am not super interested in creating a lot of household things that just end up being fairly useless "stuff". We also don't need a whole slew of bags - we have so many free bags for carrying groceries and whatnot. The adult clothing is mostly things I wouldn't wear. And the kid clothing is mostly too small for my older daughter.

I also think some of these projects may be a little beyond our beginner status, but it looks like they have nice directions.

So if sewing-as-hobby really takes off in the house, I would consider getting this book more for making gifts for others than making things for us. ...more

2

Dec 17, 2013

Seems like a clever concept.

The patterns largely look like they are for beginners. But the directions are rather short, and can be incredibly confusing--you need to know basic construction to figure some of this out, or to just make it work your own way.

Granny's Clothespin Apron: calls for cutting 4 ties, 2 is plenty; the binding is cut very wide and is strangely attached; an odd construction for the ties.

Smock of All Ages: the pattern pieces do not fit into the 1 washed yard of quilting weight Seems like a clever concept.

The patterns largely look like they are for beginners. But the directions are rather short, and can be incredibly confusing--you need to know basic construction to figure some of this out, or to just make it work your own way.

Granny's Clothespin Apron: calls for cutting 4 ties, 2 is plenty; the binding is cut very wide and is strangely attached; an odd construction for the ties.

Smock of All Ages: the pattern pieces do not fit into the 1 washed yard of quilting weight cotton the pattern calls for! And, actually, the neck ruffle does not fit at all. Given that the patter also calls for 1 package of 1/2" double fold bias tape, you MUST prewash your quilting cotton because packaged bias tape is cotton/poly. Which means it won't shrink--and the unwashed fabric will. My adjusted neck ruffle is super cute, however.

More to come as I complete additional projects.

See errata: http://www.storey.com/correct_book.ph... ...more

4

Dec 28, 2012

This book has an excellent introduction with a useful list of sewing essentials, fabric information, tips on cutting, fabric preparation, good sewing practices and a bit of terminology to get you started, not to mention the glossary at the back of the book. The instructions themselves are clear and easy to follow with excellent illustrations and diagrams for how to layout the patter for maximum and efficient fabric use and how to bring the pieces together. Each project also has tips on the best This book has an excellent introduction with a useful list of sewing essentials, fabric information, tips on cutting, fabric preparation, good sewing practices and a bit of terminology to get you started, not to mention the glossary at the back of the book. The instructions themselves are clear and easy to follow with excellent illustrations and diagrams for how to layout the patter for maximum and efficient fabric use and how to bring the pieces together. Each project also has tips on the best type of fabric to use, which reduces the chance of an ill-fitting or poor quality result. Yaker also gives a good resource list at the back to help the beginner on their way to sewing success and all the contributors have a bit of bio which adds a certain personal touch to the work. While I may not make everything in this book there is plenty of suggestions and ideas and tips on how to make larger versions if necessary (which is particularly handy for the dog coat since our pooch is an English Bull Terrier, not exactly a small dog), which gives a bit more flexibility to each of the designs. Overall an excellent book for most levels of sewing ability although a beginner may want to focus on some of the simplier projects to start with. ...more

5

May 15, 2010

Great book! This book has all sorts of projects, from a smocked pillow to pajamas to a baby jacket to a pet bed. There should be something here for everyone.

Patterns are included. The more complicated pieces are in there; for simple rectangle pieces, you need to measure and cut yourself.

There are several projects in this book I'd like to try; there's a lunch bag and a stuffed dinosaur and a children's jumper. But the first project I tried was a pinafore:



It turned out well. The instructions Great book! This book has all sorts of projects, from a smocked pillow to pajamas to a baby jacket to a pet bed. There should be something here for everyone.

Patterns are included. The more complicated pieces are in there; for simple rectangle pieces, you need to measure and cut yourself.

There are several projects in this book I'd like to try; there's a lunch bag and a stuffed dinosaur and a children's jumper. But the first project I tried was a pinafore:



It turned out well. The instructions were easy to follow for the most part (there was one step that didn't make sense to me, but I was able to figure it out).

For a beginner like me, this book is just right. There are a variety of techniques to practice. Since the projects take one yard of fabric or less, there's not too much waste if you completely mess up. But I'm happy that the project I tried first worked out!

Update: I tried another project, and this one turned out pretty well too! Meet the dino:



Update, 1/2013: I tried the clothespin apron. I actually never figured out one of the directions on this one, but it ended up in the right general shape by the end.

...more

4

Mar 28, 2010

I heard about Rebecca Yaker and her book, One Yard Wonders, from Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood of CraftSanity. Jennifer did a podcast interview with Rebecca and I ended up with the book from the Library!

First, I love the look of this book. It is lay flat spiralbound with a hard cover. It is well designed in terms of color. Each page has a bit of fabric on the edge to add interest. I wasn't that excited about the fabric chosen for the projects. It simply is not my style, however I found that the I heard about Rebecca Yaker and her book, One Yard Wonders, from Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood of CraftSanity. Jennifer did a podcast interview with Rebecca and I ended up with the book from the Library!

First, I love the look of this book. It is lay flat spiralbound with a hard cover. It is well designed in terms of color. Each page has a bit of fabric on the edge to add interest. I wasn't that excited about the fabric chosen for the projects. It simply is not my style, however I found that the fabric chosen went well with the design and layout of the book.

The table of contents is pretty detailed. Each chapter is defined by the list of projects or elements included. I like that as I was able to flip to projects I wanted to look at immediately because of the detailed table of contents.

Second, the writing style has a sense of humor. The chapters are named things like 'Dwell Redux', 'Household Affairs', 'From Head to Toe', 'Accessorize Your Little One', etc. Yes, I like to be entertained!

The book has the obligatory chapter on equipment, notions, and sewing. I do like the stitch terminology section, which talks about what exactly the stitch means. That is useful. I never knew what a staystitch was, and this book defines it. "A staystitch is most often used when a fabric piece is cut on the bias or on a curve. it is a single stitch line on a single layer of fabric. Typically, a line of longer stitches is made at or just within the seam allowance, and helps to stabilize the fabric to prevent it from becoming stretched or distorted later when attached to another piece." This section is 14 pages long and because of the length, I don't mind it as much. I would have like to have seen some mention of where the reader can go to get more information.

I would have liked to have seen the chapter pages/section introduction include a list of the projects as well the text. It isn't difficult to flip back to the table of contents.

The reason I have to put this book on my list to buy is that there are a number of projects that I want to make or use to modify something I already have. Some of the projects on my list are:
Framed Tack Board - I would use this project to modify some bulletin boards I already have
Lined Bookcase - (brilliant!)
Folding Chair Pinafore Cover - I would take the idea and modify it to fit my older dining room chairs
Organized Bed Pocket - great gift!
Smocked Pillow in the Round - would like to learn some of the techniques used to make this pillow.
Granny's Clothespin Apron
Kitschy Kitchen Apron
Hey Hot Dish
Obi-Inspired Hot & cold Pack - I cannot make one of these soon enough and I also think it would make a great gift.
Hanging Wall Pocket
Origami Organizer - I would add a lid to this project

I already used the specifications from the Kitschy Kitchen Apron to make the Petal Apron I donated to the CraftSanity Apron Challenge

I wasn't much interested in the clothes. I think that the clothes one can make with one yard of fabric are not the clothes that fit my style. Some of the pieces would be great gifts for my nieces or for friends who have babies and small children.

Another bonus is that this book has a pack of patterns rather than telling you to blow pieces up at the copy center to 5000%. I like the packs of pattern sheets better. I didn't take them out of the envelope since this is a library book, but will once I buy (or receive as a gift!) the book. You do have to enlarge a few of the applique patterns, but they could be free hand drawn to a larger size as well. Yes, even those of you who do not consider yourself proficient drawers can do it with a little graph paper!

There is a glossary with more terms defined. The resource section includes fabric, inspiration, trims and forums, etc. I was glad to see the contributor bios section. The book was put together with the help of people around the blogosphere contributing projects and it is nice to see their names, a brief bio and a link to their website or blog. I was confused about why that section is organized by first name. Perhaps that is how the authors know the contributors?

There is also (YAY!) an index! Thank you, Storey Publishing for spending the money to include an index! This is the same publishing company that published the Sew What Bags by Lexis Barnes.

If you like to sew for your home or for gifts, I would recommend this book to you. ...more

5

Nov 03, 2017

There are some very cute but classic patterns in this book. I hope to make a few in the next day or so.

4

Mar 29, 2019

Great ideas on how to use one yard of material. Most were not useful to me, but might be to others. There’s a packet of patterns inside the front cover! How clever is that!

5

Nov 23, 2019

This book has a lot of fun ideas, and I love that it comes with patterns.