Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Amy Butler's Style Stitches is full of lovely pictures of bags in her gorgeous fabrics and contains full-size patterns with instructions to make the bags. Be aware that when the subtitle says "12 Easy Ways to 26 Wonderful Bags," it means that there are 12 different styles of bags with variations to make 26 bags. However, these variations are, more often than not, simply an extension of the straps to go from handbag to shoulder bag. The variations are NOT going to give you 26 different-looking bags. As with any sewing book, it depends on your expectations and how much you like the look of the projects as to whether you feel you've gotten your money from it. I feel that any sewer would like at least 3 of these bags well enough to want to make them, so that puts them at approximately $6 per pattern - cheaper than what you'll pay for single Amy Butler patterns. None of these patterns are exact ones you've seen before from Amy, though a handful are styles you've seen somewhere. The Take Flight Handbag, for instance, looks like a smaller Weekender Bag. A definite asset, in my opinion. The book features a shopper's bag (tote), "Origami Bag Set" - various sized smaller zippered bags (i.e. cosmetic-type bags), a checkbook cover, clutch, coin purse, wristlet, the aforementioned travel/flight bag, and five shoulder/handbags. This is a gorgeous book and one that I'm happy to own. I admit, that I was a little disappointed when I looked through it the first time - largely because I had misunderstood the subtitle and thought I'd be getting more patterns - but now that I've spent a little more time examining it and the patterns therein, I've got three solid patterns on my radar and am eager to get started.