October 2015

If you are familiar with the Twenty to Make series then you will know how good it is and what great value. Alex McQuade loves creating fabric brooches and corsages. Here she uses a variety of odds and ends to make some beautiful and truly wearable items to add to your wardrobe giving new life to your favourite outfits. This includes a cute little scottie dog- which is a real favourite of ours. This book gives you some great ideas for brooches to make as gifts for family and friends too. * Love to Make * Mar 14



If you are familiar with the 20 to make series then you will know how good a series they are for a fantastic price. Stitched Fabric Brooches is another fantastic addition to the set. You get varying designs using different fabrics and techniques to bring you some unusual and beautiful additions to your wardrobe. The different designs, colours, fabrics & looks are a good mix. But give you a fantastic handmade look. I love how cute they look and the designs don't clash with your outfit. They either make you smile or give you an add on to set your outfit off. The techniques you will need to use are explained at the start of the book and all the different designs have written instructions. I would of preferred a few how-to pictures for a few of the designs but they are all simple enough to be able to get the look yourself. The little dog brooch is my favorite! He is just so cute. I love the use of different odds and ends to make something beautiful. I think up-cycling is fantastic when you make something beautiful for the different bits. For such a fantastic price you can't complain at all the different ideas you get. I am sure with the patterns and instructions you can use them to make hundreds of different looks. Just using a slightly different fabric, colour or bits and bobs



you can get any of the brooches to match or contrast with your outfit. They are also fantastic to make for family and friends. Overall a good book with lots of different designs and ideas. * Crochet Addict UK * Mar 14



Make brooches and pins out of scraps of fabric for the ultimate upcycling experience! You don't need much to make a whole lot of pretty shabby chic style adornments - just basic sewing materials, scraps of fabric and pin backs. As with all the titles in this series inside these covers are twenty projects, although there are an extra twenty as each project has a suggestion of how to change it slightly. Many of these pins are round in shape, inspired by flowers, tractor wheels and rosettes, others are in fun shapes such as a Scottie dog, snail, butterfly, house, heart and holly leaves. A lot of the fabric has been obtained from old garments or household items, and close inspection of the photos show blankets, lace, tweed, felt and more, Buttons, washers, wire, sequins, yarn and other materials are pressed into service, showing that recycling can be a lot more fun than just going to the local tip. Each project has a page-sized photo while opposite are instructions, a list of tools and materials plus an idea of how to alter the basic idea. Although a badge maker is hinted at as an option, it is possible to make everything in the book just using what most stitchers already own. You don't even need a sewing machine to make most of the items, and the templates are all given at the back - a fun and innovative addition to the series. * Myshelf.com * June 14



Twenty to Make: Stitched Fabric Brooches contains twenty beautifully effective badges, brooches and corsages from textile designer Alex McQuade. These designs are brilliant additions to your wardrobe and would make lovely gifts for friends and family. Each project lists the materials and tools required and most use either machine or hand embroidery. Step by step instructions are given as well as full size templates for the shaped designs like the Scottie dog brooch and the sweet cupcake design. As these projects are all reasonably small, they are perfect for using up those leftover fabric scraps and spare buttons and they could easily be personalised by using your favourite fabrics and colours. * SEWING WORLD * June 14



If you haven't discovered the Twenty to Make series this is a delightful place to start! Whatever level of expertise you have you will find something here for you, with techniques and step-by-step instructions this little book is packed with inspiration. A creative and beautiful little gem. Highly Recommended! * Hot Brands, Cool Places *