Book Review – The Geometry of Hand-Sewing

As someone who has been passionate about sewing for years, I was eager to delve into The Geometry of Hand-Sewing. This guide, written by Natalie Chanin and her teams at Alabama Chanin and The School of Making, is a unique take on traditional stitch learning methods. Instead of learning each stitch individually, the book approaches needlework from a geometric perspective, showing how all stitches can be based on grid systems.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this method of learning stitches was much more approachable and easier to understand. The book provides illustrated instructions for more than 100 stitches, ranging from basic straight and chain stitches to complex feather and herringbone. I appreciated the inclusion of photos of both the right and wrong sides of each stitch, as well as the guidelines for modifying stitches to increase my repertoire further.

One of the best parts of the book is the ability to download two stitching cards, which are essentially stencils with the grids used for each stitch in the book. I found this to be a valuable resource, as it made transferring grids to fabric much easier.

Overall, I found The Geometry of Hand-Sewing to be a delightful read, and a fresh take on traditional stitch learning. If you are looking to expand your stitch knowledge, or are just looking for a unique approach to needlework, I highly recommend this book.

Next Pattern:

I am just smitten with this felt gingerbread house bag. This would make such a sweet special Christmas accessory for a kid. It’s a free pattern at Benzie Design, designed by Gracie from Hello Gracie Makes. It’s packed with adorable gingerbread house details, like swirls and stripes and scallops adoring the doors and windows.

And while all those details might seem like this would be a complicated pattern, it’s actually not. The bag itself is made from felt, which makes finishes edges unnecessary. (All of those scalloped edges are just cut from felt, no edge finishing required.) The strap is super simple, made from rope with knotted ends. And all those details are made with some basic hand embroidery stitches. Sparkle felt makes it extra cute.

The striped scallop roof is actually the top flap of the bag. A magnetic snap makes it a secure closure. The rope straps are attached through felt loops at the side of the bag.

They rate this project as an intermediate level, and it should take about 6 hours to make start to finish. That’s doable for a Saturday project or a couple of evenings. Full color photos step you through the entire process.

The project includes a shopping list for all of your supplies. They’ve got a shop so you can order all of them from Benzie if you like and get exactly the supplies used in the project. I noticed it includes a pair of scallop shears, which makes cutting all the scalloped edges for the roof and around the door a breeze.

Finished dimensions of the little felt gingerbread bag are approximately 6 ½” wide x 7 ½” tall. That’s the perfect size to hold a small book, a small toy, or a notepad and some cute pens.

Go to Benzie Design to get the tutorial and free pattern for the felt gingerbread house bag.

Next Pattern:

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