A great book for any quilting/sewing fans. Plenty of clearly explained instructions, photos and stencils/patterns.

If you enjoy quilting this book is for you. The designs in the book are absolutely awesome. They are perfect for gifts for both young girls and women. The tutorials are very adaptable if you desire changes the design or fabric colors. Each tutorial has a materials list with precise fabric amounts. Many of these do require both good sewing and quilting skills so by no means is this a beginner book. But if anything can get you to step up your quilting game this is it. The handbags and clutches in the book are beautiful and I would be proud to use any of them.

If you have the skills this book has the patterns for gifting joy. I also believe the bags and other items would be pretty enough to sell if you desire to do so. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. I highly recommend it.

I love quilts, which is why I requested this book. I learned quilting from Grandma and mom. I am not very good at it so was hoping this book woul help. Awesome, colorful pictures. Thirty projects, bags, quilts, and other projects. Use embroidery and beading.
Make it a family affair, grandparents, parents, and kids. Quilting is for everyone male and female.

Sew Cute Quilts & Gifts by Atsuko Matsuyama presents some wonderful projects that can be used either for yourself or as a gift. I shared this book with a friend who does these types of projects to get feedback so this will be a two part review, my opinion about the book from a non-quilter's perspective and then the notes my friend gave me from a quilter's perspective.

I tend to enjoy arts & crafts books even if I don't actually do that particular craft, and this book falls into that category for me. I look for ideas I might use elsewhere as well as simply enjoy admiring both the work of a skilled craftsperson and the photography. This book succeeded for me on both counts. The pictures included both detailed (while enjoyable for me they are probably far more valuable to someone who might make the item) pictures as well as finished pictures with the item as it might be used (these are the ones where I usually get ideas).

The layout seemed to me like it would be easy to follow and use. The projects included both decorative and functional items, so there is probably something that would suit most people, especially as a gift.

I am just going to put my friend's comments without trying to paraphrase them, I would probably do a poor job. These are in the form of some notes she sent me in an email, so...

"Lots of cute projects. For those who like traditional quilts, Sunbonnet Sue makes an appearance and there are a number that feature hexagons, an old standby. There are also innovative decorations and bags that you don't see every day, so there will be at least one project for everyone.

Projects are well constructed, with linings and gussets and darts with embroidered details. No slap dash construction.

Full size templates are provided for every project. Caveat: for those enticed by the cute baby quilt, these are constructed from panels which are, of course, not provided. You provide the panel of your choice and then follow directions for assembly.

That being said, despite the small size of some projects, it would be best to have some background in quilting and/or hand sewing before beginning. If you are really interested in a project, spend some time on YouTube or Google, and familiarize yourself with different techniques. None of these are "Quilt in a Day" (TM) type projects. Inset seams are notorious for their difficulty in machine sewing, and are best done by hand, which is how she expects them to be done. The diagram illustrating the connections was not as clear as it could be, and she fleetingly mentions the possibility of paper piecing them - but provides no directions for this option. Its possible to sew together hexagons without paper templates, but there is a good reason these stiff papers are so popular.

Additionally, she provides templates without the seam allowances. (this is common practice, and not a criticism). Although she references the standard 1/4 inch allowances for piecing and 1/8 inch allowances for applique frequently, she doesn't call attention to the fact that you can make your life easier if you have some simple tools to speed this process along. In a pinch an index card with 1/4 inch lines can be useful, but if you plan to do a number of these projects an "add a quarter" or "add an 1/8" mini-ruler can make your life much easier. And if you want to add those embroidered details, including the herringbone stitch, you're probably going to need to consult some references if you'e a novice at handwork.

Sum it all up, maybe not a beginner book, but if you are a beginner and are intrigued by the designs, do a little research first and you'll have a beautifully finished product at the end."

We both recommend this book, whether you're like me and just enjoy the book itself or you're a quilter like my friend.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

This is a beautiful book. The pictures are so fresh and styled in a way that makes me really wish I could quilt better than I do! I enjoyed the ideas and the clear instructions, and found them easy to follow, even for a novice quilter.

This small pattern book is definitely sew cute- almost too cute! Some of the projects are far too twee for me, but all of them are well written with clear instructions. A few of the tamer projects are super appealing to me- the dancing flowers purse is more subtle, and I love the idea of a braided fabric handle. The pastel hexagon purse is a great way to practice working with hexies, and the crazy quilt pencil case would be a great gift for my son this holiday season. The home section also has an adorable idea I would like to make- the framed mini quilts are a great way to practice embroidery, and are simple enough in idea for my son to do with me by hand. The end notes are succinct and useful for all but the newest beginners. This would be a great book of patterns for a vintage lover or a young woman looking to try more complicated designs.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for this unbiased review.

I absolutely loved the first book, Happy Flower Quilts, and I wasn’t one but disappointed about this sequel!! Atsuko did it again, in her very special style where 1930 fabrics meet bright colors. But even if you’re not a fan of her amazing use of color, the projects are very original and so cute!! There are a lot of bags (who doesn’t love a bag?) and one was in the shape of a dress and I just kinda need to make that right now because it is SO FREAKING CUTE. There are lots of different techniques, applique, stitchery, quite a lot of yoyo’s, EPP and sewing, and with lots of versatility there is a project for everyone - or for every mood (for me it works with moods, like today I feel like applique lol). This book will make you happy, and the originality factor is very high, there are a lot of unique projects you can’t find elsewhere!

I received a free e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion. I will however be ordering a physical copy asap since it’s amazing.

Sew Cute Quilts & Gifts is a new tutorial project guide by Atsuko Matsuyama. Originally published in Japanese in 2018, this English language translation from Search Press is 144 pages and available in paperback format.

This is a beautifully photographed collection of pouches, bags, small soft furnishings, and home decor items. Most of them can easily be adapted for different sizes or applications. It follows a logical format with bags and pouches in one section followed by home decor items. The projects themselves are well selected, colorful, and appealing. Many have a 1950s retro vibe with lots of floral prints, nostalgia panels, and primary color schemes.

The tutorials themselves include fabric and supplies (measurements given in both US standard and metric), tutorial construction and piecing diagrams, and full color photos of each project. The instructions are easy to follow and clearly written.

The book includes all the templates in full size. There are instructions included at the back of the book for basic techniques such as piecing, applique, simple surface embroidery, and quilting.

Appealing projects. There are a lot of nice quick projects here which would be perfect for gift giving ideas or charity sales.

Four stars.

This book is literally adorable! It's full of cute items that will make you want to start sewing! While most are aimed at Spring and Summer designs, they are easily converted to fall and Christmas colors, and perfect for using up your scraps to make some great Christmas presents! We've found quite a few that we will be making before our local Spring strawberry festival!

The instructions are very well laid out in with simple diagrams, that are color coded, to help you better visually see how to do the different construction techniques. The book can be used by all levels of sewers, from beginners to advanced, and along the way, beginners will pick up quite a few new sewing techniques and hints! It would also be a great book to give to a beginner sewer for Christmas with a card for fabric purchase! Highly recommended!

Ok. Not quite what I was looking for in a quilt book. Very nice book, just not what I was looking for.

Sew Cute Quilts and Gifts is an sweet sewing book to make around 30 different projects using various fabric scraps and fat quarters.

The first section of the book provides details on how to make fourteen bags, clutches and pouches, some of which have zips, magnetic snaps or metal clasps. The second section of the book, covers quilts, wreaths and corsages.

Each project comes with the materials required, cutting instructions and construction steps with diagrams. Each project also comes with a full colour photograph of the finished item.

There are also instructions at the back of the book on how to do the basic quilting techniques, how to apply bindings, different stitches and full size patterns.

It's certainly a book if I saw it in the local library I would borrow to make a gift for a female member of the family or a quilt or playmat for a new baby.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

Sew Cute Quilts and Gifts is a fountain of inspiration. At first glance the book feels 'happy'. Whether it is the artist's choice of color, patterns or a combination of both you just want to smile and make something. There is just about something for every quilter in and amongst these pages. The author is a renowned quilter in Japan and has been quilting for over thirty years. The entire book was originally published in Japanese. The photos and drawings are wonderful. The directions seem to be clear and concise. There are over thirty projects with multiple combinations for quilters of every level. I would definitely give this book a good look as it is full of traditional and fresh ideas. Well done.

I would like to thank the publisher, author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lots of great gift ideas, the patterns are easy to follow and they don't take lots of fabric either. Can't wait to sew my first item from this book! Would also make a great present for any crafty person.
Thank you netgalley.

Overall, a darling book of patterns. Especially if you are looking for ways to make quick gifts. A lot of bags and small items, such as flowers and berries. There are a few small quilts too, but to honest these seemed more geared towards young girls, both the pattern and fabrics selected. Cute book overall, and I like some of the tips and ideas, but not really my style of quilts. Would recommend if you want to make bags and items for young girls.

This book has adorable ideas and excellent instructions for making some very cute gifts. One thing I would have liked to see is less "cutesy" gifts and some that have a bit more of adult vibe. That said, for the correct recipient these could be perfect gifts and very fun to make

This is a fabulous collection of quilted designs. The instructions are step by step and easy to follow. I am very excited to start on some Christmas gifts. I especially love the Flat Zippered Pouches.
Many thanks to Zakka Workshop, the author, and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The pictures are beautiful and I selected this book because I wanted the pattern for the cover. However, there are no measurements to make the bag. There are a few measurements for some pieces but not the whole bag. Very disappointed. I glanced at other patterns and the same is true for them. Some measurements for some pieces but not enough to actually make a bag without a physical pattern.

Complimentary copy provided for honest review.

This book has a great collection of sewing patterns for bags and quilts. The photos are colorful and bright which draws you in. I would highly recommend this for anyone looking to sew.

This book contains patterns and instructions for purses, pouches, home decorations and a few quilts. The designs & fabrics chosen are what I'd call vintage and girly. Lots of flowers, dresses, frills. This wasn't to my taste and made it more difficult for me to envision the patterns with different fabrics than the ones shown. It might have appealed to a broader audience had there been some variety in the fabrics chosen. The instructions appear detailed and easy to follow, though at times I'd like to see the diagrams fill the page instead of leaving so much white space.

Atsuko Matsuyama's new book, Sew Cute Quilts and Gifts is absolutely delightful. Many of her projects seem best suited for young people or at least the young at heart. Small bags, coin purses, phone totes and more are embellished with bows, scallops, yoyos made from scraps and other sweet adornments, and she often uses fabrics in shades of pink, green and white.

This book will appeal to crafters and sewists who enjoy working on detailed projects with small pieces. I think you'd need some level of skill to get the beautiful results her pictures show. Recommended for enthusiastic quilters.