Sewing Perfect Little Bags and Totes: Fine-Tuning Essential Techniques from Cutting Out to Hardware

In this appealing if somewhat daunting guide, quilter Moore (Ultimate Paper Piecing Reference Guide) details how to sew bags, totes, pouches, and clutches. Reviewing necessary tools and materials, she recommends using extra-thin threads and 80/12 or 75/11 gauge needles. She runs down the benefits of different interfacings, or material used between fabrics to give bags shape, explaining that fusible fleece is ideal because it holds in place after it’s ironed onto fabric, and that foam is “flexible while still being stiff.” Each project introduces a new technique, starting with a basic clutch and showing in subsequent projects how to make variations that include zipper tabs, a boxed bottom, a wrist strap, and curved corners. Elsewhere, Moore shows how to create tote bags with an exterior pocket and inset or externally secured handles. Most of the designs use quilting cotton, but there are also instructions for creating a clutch using cork or vinyl. The designs are straightforward, but because Moore expects readers to have “a basic knowledge of sewing,” the scant instructions and sometimes ambiguous photo illustrations might confuse neophytes. Still, experienced sewists will be rewarded for sticking it out. (Dec.)