Book Review: Sew Kawaii!

I felt so unmotivated yesterday that I didn't put anything up in my blog at all; today, I am making two posts. Since the nail one was 99% images, this one will be an actual review.

Sew Kawaii!, by Choly Knight.
Once again, I apologize: Blogger has been acting up and keeps flipping my pictures even when they're supposed to be at the proper rotation. >_<

I was very excited when this popped up in my recommended products on Amazon. Anyone who really knows me, knows I love the cute Japanese style. However, it seems many products made by Westerners to fit this style don't quite feel "right"---something is off about them and they don't feel like items you would actually see in Japan. I'm pleased to say that isn't the case with this book. The items within are indeed very adorable and could easily pass as sewed goodies from Japan!

The book is divided up by: Key Chains, Storage Accessories, Wearable Accessories, Plushies, Clothing, and Home Decorations. Each project has a full picture of the finished piece, a list of materials, and step-by-step photos. Each project is rated on a level of difficulty (very easy to experienced beginner), which means even the most difficult project in the book is still very obtainable to someone who is still new to the art of sewing, so long as they've had a little practice. As a fun bonus, each project features a different Japanese word, the kanji for it, as well as the phonetic translation, so you can learn some Japanese terms that relate to the projects within. For example, a pig is buta (boo-TAH).

Things start off in the typical way, with a list of needed tools and materials. Don't expect to be able to make these without a sewing machine; you might be able to pull it off with the smaller items like key chains, but once you get into making your own hoodies and hats, you'll want to have that machine handy. Also, the material you make these out of counts. If you want something simple, go with felt. For a really nice finished item, make your stuffed animals out of plush fabric---they'll look like you bought them in a store.

One of my favorite things about this book, is that the author shows you how to achieve the tightly-stitched thread around the characters' eyes, mouth, etc.---a feature of many plushes and character goods that really lends it an authentic and very professional look. You'll be amazed how much more polished your items will appear, just by including this one little step.

The projects are sooooo stinkin' cute. This is one of the easiest ones: a tiny dumpling key chain. You can easily accomplish this with some felt and a needle and thread. (Though to get the proper stitching around the mouth and eyes, you will need a machine...but you can easily forgo this and sew it by hand for a more "handmade" look)

Jellyfish purses!

Zombie kitty hat!

Angel bunny poncho. All clothing items featured have patterns for sizes S-M, M-L, and L-XL.

Octopus plushies! These are one of my favorite things in the book. Seeing one on the cover is partly what made me decide to buy this. I'm happy to say it was a rare case where judging a book by its cover proved to be correct.

Of course, my favorite project of all (and the most difficult) is this seriously awesome sushi quilt. This project is especially challenging and fun because you have the added need to shop around and figure out which fabrics to use with which sushi roll. You can really play around with the patterns and colors here---notice how a brown, swirled pattern was used to effectively mimic the appearance of a unagi (eel) roll in the bottom corner. I need this quilt in my house someday.

At the back of the book are the patterns for each and every project. Many of the projects have variations. For example, the author will give a pattern for a character hat, then offer several options to customize it, such as a kitty, bunny, or fox. Some craft books, and many Japanese ones are guilty of this, rely on only diagrams. The first part of the book will have only pictures of the finished items, then the back of the book contains boring black and white patterns with directions, leaving you to figure things out. If you cannot understand by looking at a plain diagram you'd be in trouble. The actual photos in this book that show important steps make things much easier than those traditional books.

I would recommend this book to those who are interested in beginning to sew, but want something a little cuter than normal beginner sewing books. Obviously this would be a perfect choice for anyone who loves the kawaii/Japanese culture. The projects in this book range from being useful (cell phone cases) to simply decorative (pillows) but each one is well-done, looks very professional, and would no doubt bring joy to whoever has or receives them.

Disclaimer: Sew Kawaii! and all of its content and pictures are copyrighted Choly Knight, the publisher, and any other creators. Pictures used in this review are for personal reasons only and no copyright infringement is intended.