One Yard Wonders

Remember when I blogged about the Lined Bookcase idea I submitted for the book "One Yard Wonders"?

Well the book is finally here and my project is really in it...right on page 24!

Its so fun to see something I made in print...in a real book...that is sold at real bookstores.

Except I also feel just a tiny bit silly. Because when I see the other wonderful projects in the book, I know that I could have tried to do something with...a tad more flair.

When I was going into 3rd grade I was worried because I knew they did multiplication in 3rd grade and I didn't know how to do multiplication. My parents reassured me that none of the other kids knew how to do it yet, and that they'd teach me. I still had my reservations.

You could say I don't like going into a new situation unprepared.

I guess I had a similar feeling when I heard about this contest. I had lots of ideas for patterns that I'd like to design, and even the actual design, but I wasn't sure exactly how the illustrations and pattern pieces would come together. (This was over a year ago...before I'd taken my pattern class.) So instead I submitted an idea that is really simple (and cute), but doesn't involve either of those things. Just measurements. And while I like my project, I am kicking myself a bit for not taking more of a risk. Now that I see how wonderfully the book turned out, I realize that if I'd had a few more guts, all that stuff would have been worked out along the way. And I'd have really enjoyed learning more about it.

So I am vowing to be more fearless. There may be hope for me yet.

At any rate. The Book. The book is really great. Here is why---most books of this type and cost have around 20 projects in them. This book has 101! And it has a whole section in the front that gives a lot of basic sewing info, so you can pick it up and get to work...even if you are a beginner. And a lot of the projects are super simple and they are really cute, and it includes full-sized pattern pieces too. And for around $15...its a steal!

But my favorite thing about the book is the concept behind it. All of the projects are designed to use one yard of fabric. Because how many times have you spied a darling fabric and bought a yard figuring you'd find something to do with it later? Well I have done that a lot of times, and I can't wait to dig in and start sewing!