Amy Butler's Style Stitches: 12 Easy Ways to 26 Wonderful Bags

Text copyright © 2010 by Amy Butler.

Photographs copyright © 2010 by David Butler.

Illustrations copyright © 2010 by Jacob Redinger.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Art Direction by Amy and David Butler
Designed by Design at NOON
Technical writing by Dianne Barcus and Kim Ventura
Styling by Nora Corbett

The publisher, author, and artists who produced
Amy Butler’s Style Stitches
disclaim all liability from any harm, loss, or injury that may result from the use, proper or improper, of the information contained in this book. We advise that common sense dictate any use of the suggested crafts and do not claim that the information contained herein is accurate or safe for your specific situation. It should by no means be considered a substitute for good judgment, skill, and the aforementioned common sense.

Coats Dual Duty XP is a registered trademark of Coats & Clark Inc. Pellon Fusible Thermolam Plus, Pellon Shape Flex, and Peltex are registered trademarks of Freudenberg Nonwovens. Prym-Dritz is a registered trademark of the Prym-Dritz Corp.

Manufacturer’s instructions for Pellon Thermolam Plus Fusible, Pellon Shape-Flex SF-101, Pellon Peltex 70 Sew-In Ultra-Firm Stabilizer, Pellon Peltex 71F Single-Sided Fusible Ultra-Firm Stabilizer, and Pellon Peltex 72F Double-Sided Fusible Ultra-Firm Stabilizer on
page 172
printed with permission of manufacturer.

ISBN 978-1-4521-3258-7

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

The Library of Congress has previously cataloged this title under ISBN 978-0-8118-6669-9

Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, California 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com

If you’ve picked up this book, chances are you love handbags as much as I do. I built my sewing-pattern business around creating designs for bags that are stylish, diverse, and personal—and personality has everything to do with personal style. Creating your own garments, home d
é
cor, and, yes, handbags is the ultimate way to set yourself apart, tell your story, and share your creative voice with the world.

I designed these projects with ease and simplicity in mind, giving you a few well-crafted foundations with lots of options. Starting with twelve “foundation” bag designs, I developed unique and stylish elements to help you create different looks. Most of the bags have several variations and an array of great detailing to help you inject your distinctive style because in the end, it is really about
your
personality shining through.

I organized the book so it starts with the easiest project and ends with the most complex (although it is still well-suited for the intermediate seamstress). If you are new to sewing, you can work your way through the book and watch your skills grow as you move from project to project. Just because a project is easy doesn’t mean the design needs to be basic. You’ll find in these designs that simplicity never sacrifices great style!

I encourage you, especially if you are new to sewing, to begin by reading Getting Started
(page 13)
. In this section, you’ll find great tips on materials, tools, and fabrics, as well as measurement guidelines that will prove invaluable. Refer to Glossary & Techniques
(page 171)
for handy sewing definitions and illustrated how-tos.

If you’ve purchased my patterns in the past, or my other sewing-project books,
Amy Butler’s In Stitches
or
Amy Butler’s Little Stitches for Little Ones
, you’ll appreciate the value of being able to create stunning and personal projects for yourself and loved ones from just one book! Sewing is a timeless art, and creating fashion for yourself is the best measure of true personal style. As trends come and go, you can make yourself up to be exactly who you are, one stylish stitch at a time!

Enjoy!

—Amy