Table of Contents

Introduction What is Kawaii? Getting Started Supplies and tools needed Common sewing terms Chapter 1: Accessories Plush keychains Simple purse Cube purses Cases for electronics Jellyfish purses Chapter 2: Wearable Accessories Character hats Arm warmers & leg warmers Animal scarf Chapter 3: Plushes Blob plushes Platypus plush Octopus plush Llama plush Sitting plushes Chapter 4: Clothing Character ponchos Character hoodies Squid dresses Jellyfish dress Chapter 5: Around the House Log pillows Simple square pillows Towel caddy Sushi sampler quilt

About the Author

Choly Knight is a 25 year-old from Orlando, Florida. She's been crafting for as long as she can remember, and has drawn, painted, sculpted and taped everything in sight. She took up sewing at age 12 and knitting at 21. After going to college for English and Studio Art, she now enjoys trying to find numerous different ways to combine all of her passions of writing, fine art and craft art.

Reviews

This book comes with 22 simple sewing projects. The step by step pictures will guide you through sewing techniques to create the most adorable, lovable little creations. The projects are aimed at kids or those young at heart and anyone who can pull off Kawaii bags whilst still looking like an adult. Lots of fun and a must have if you are into quirky little creations. This book would be ideal for anyone who wants to create their own plush toys too or check out Pet Pillows another title by Choly too.

This book is full of adorable "kawaii" projects that I can't wait to make! Time and getting ready to move back into a dorm has prevented me from being able to make anything yet, but I hope to buy this book once it comes out and make something for Ohayocon, a convention I'm going to in January. What I liked the most about this how-to book, was the difficulty level. None of the projects looked as if they were too difficult and the brightly colored photos explained a lot. If you are like me, and love all things Japanese, or you just love things that are super kawaii, then this is the book for you!

I was privileged to receive a digital copy of Sew Kawaii from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Just looking at the cover makes me want to find some good material and get sewing, and that's just my first impression. Based on the cover alone, this is probably a book I would pick up if I saw it in the store. The book is a relatively thin one that starts off with a little bit of info as to just what kawaii means, not only the literal meaning but also from a cultural standpoint. A good little background for those who may not be so familiar with Japanese words and concepts. (It keeps this up by introducing Japanese words for various projects throughout the book, which is fun to see.) It also does what every craft book does and tells you a little about the types of materials you're going to need, along with an overview of the basic skills needed to make the projects. The projects range from easy to a little more advanced, but none of them are particularly hard to accomplish. The types of projects vary, from cute little keychain or cell phone charms to large items like character hats and scarves. Naturally, there are patterns here for cute stuffed animals, too. The book doesn't stop at giving directions for accessories, either. There are instructions for altering clothes to make them cuter or give them animal attributes, and to make larger items of clothing. Some of the accessories are cute but impractical. While I can imagine someone wearing a plush scarf with a cat face at an anime convention, I can't see some of these things being used in daily life. The charms and stuffed animals, though, are both easy and make great gifts, and can be enjoyed by many people at many times. Most of the larger clothing patterns are more practical, too, while still being stylish and cute. Not all, though. The squid dress, for example, may be cute but goes right back into the realm of something you can probably only wear at a costume party or a convention. And I dread to think about how many times those hanging tentacles could make a person trip. It's safe to say, though, that if you like cute things, you'll find something in this book that you'll really enjoy making. There are more than a couple of patterns that I have my eye on that I think are going to be very cute!

Sew Kawaii!: Author Choly Knight has captured the essence of kawaii and turned it into 22 fun and simple sewing projects. Projects include fun hoodies, modern beanie-style hats, handbags, and more.

I'm so excited about this book! As soon as I received it in the mail my 8-year-old was on the floor flipping through the pages, and decided she was going to make the smiley-face strawberry keychain - a "very easy" project that can be hand-stitched. My 14-year-old, on the other hand, who is about to start sewing lessons, wants to make the plush bunny for "experienced beginners," giving her all the more motivation to master our sewing machine. Sew Kawaii: 22 Simple Sewing Projects for Cool Kids of All Ages is one of the cutest sewing project books I've seen. Influenced by Japanese manga, cosplay, art and design, author Choly Knight gives us patterns and instructions for irresistible plushies, animal hoodies, character hats, adorable pillows, fun clothing, and more. Even my husband is itching to try his sewing skills with one of the plush cube purses (for our daughter, not him!). When they say it's a book for all ages, they mean all ages!

I have not been doing a lot of crafting lately, but I did get my very first sewing machine recently and I purchased a ton of fabric. This book has some really cute and fun projects that I would love to make for my sister, my baby nephew and my fiancees nieces. I'd love to try making these cute altered hoodies, hats and some scarfs - especially the zombie kitty hat, the vampire bunny scarf and the devil kitty hoodie. There are tons of great tips, techniques and explanations in this book and the projects are seemingly easy to create. All of the patterns needed are in the back of the book and there are detailed instructions with full colour pictures to help guide you. If you are looking for some fun, yet easy sewing crafts to do for gifts, this could be the book for you.

If you're a go-getter sewing type who hasn't quite go-gotten around to making all of your Christmas presents yet, you need to check out two adorable sewing books by Choly Knight. Sew Kawaii! and Sew Your Own Pet Pillows will have you practically delirious from all the cuteness. Seriously. I can hardly type this post because I'm overwhelmed by the all-out adorableness of the jellyfish purse in Sew Kawaii! I haven't tried any of the projects, but most look doable by a novice like me - only a few are marked as intermediate level. So I love the approachability of both books. Not only would the projects make great gifts, but if you know a tween or teen who might be interested in learning to sew, the books themselves --especially Sew Kawaii!-- would be so great under the tree. And if you're really lucky, maybe she'll even make you a jellyfish purse. -Stephanie

I requested to read Sew Kawaii because of its fun description and cute cover! This book is super cute and has 22 projects with the patterns in the back to sew! I'm a crochet-er not a sewer but I couldn't pass up on the cuteness of this book and I like how the first chapters has a list of materials needed and tutorials with pictures and clear text talking out how to do certain techniques like attaching appliques and such. Each project has a description, a materials list, and the difficulty level along with pictures and a description of how to make it. I found a ton of projects I'm looking forward to trying to make! There are the cutest pillows and bags that I'm in love with! There is a pattern/description of how to make 3 different animal purses and I'd love to make them all! The patterns are for a bird, seal, and platypus purse. A PLATYPUS! There are patterns for purses, keychains, plushies, and even pages showing how to add the cutest extras ever on a hoodie! I really liked reading this book. I know you don't read books like this cover to cover most of the time but the writing was clear and there were some gorgeous pictures! I can't vouch for the quality of the patterns but I will definitely be trying some of them as soon as I have the time! This isn't the kind of book that you pick through and find 1 or 2 patterns and ideas that you'd like to try. There were actually only 1 or 2 projects I didn't particularly care for! I liked the pictures that went with the descriptions of making the projects or a particular skill. The pictures of the projects were to die for and I can't wait to try my hand at a fox hat, platypus purse, seal purse, jellyfish purse, bird purse (the purses were just so cute!), and make my own super cute animal type hoodie (I'm thinking a fox or maybe a raccoon.) I keep trying to show you a picture of the cute projects you can find in this great book but I am foiled at every turn! So the best I can do is show y'all a project I like but that I don't feel shows off the books ultimate cuteness! Below is the zombie kitty hat that there is a pattern for in the book. I took the image from the author's etsy page where you can buy it from her if you don't want to try the totally approachable projects in the book! If you want to see more of the projects then I would suggest going to the product's Amazon page and looking inside it- just wait until you get to the purses! and while you're over there, go ahead and pick yourself up a copy! I can almost guarantee you'll love it and find some great projects to squee! about and want to make! (see how I slipped in that "almost guarantee" bit? ha! clever me. no legal standing now mwahah!) But seriously, this was a super cute book and I'm so happy I was able to look through it and see so many great projects I can't wait to try! I would say this book is pretty amazing based on the projects extreme cuteness and clear writing that make a sewing noob like me feel like I could tackle the projects in this book! I was able to read and review this great sewing book for free but all the thoughts here are my own and I didn't receive anything to give them a positive review. These are my own thoughts! Hopefully I'll be able to put up posts of my versions of the projects to show y'all how I did! :)

That's right! Today I am stepping away from the paper for just a bit to tell you about this great book I received from Fox Chapel Publishing titled Sew Kawaii! I've had this book for a month or so and have been meaning to share but time just got away from me. I finally put it on my calendar so I wouldn't forget because it is one I was super excited about. First off if you have a tween or teen this book will be a for sure hit! Think Hello Kitty cuteness with a trendy twist. Many of the projects remind me of things you would find on Etsy in a do it yourself format. Not only is it fun to use, this book would also be a great gift for someone who is beginning to sew as it not only covers the basics but also has outstanding clear and helpful step out photos. The175 page full-color book begins with an introduction that explains what "Kawaii" is. That is followed by a breakdown of the book that categorizes projects by skill level- very easy, easy, experienced beginner, and intermediate. Next is the section entitled "Getting Started". This section contains a wealth of information including types of fabrics, basic sewing tools, closures and notions, batting and fillings, basic hand and machine stitches and a list of important techniques and terms. Once you have all of that figured out you are ready to get started! There are 22 projects divided among 6 chapters- Key Chains, Storage Accessories, Wearable Accessories, Plushies, Clothing and Home Decor. I love pretty much all of the projects in this book but my favorites would have to be the character hats and arm warmers from the wearable accessories section followed by the fun ponchos and hoodies in the clothing section. Super cute and all tagged with a difficulty level of "easy". In the back of the book you will find 10 pages of patterns that can be copied to make the various projects. I found this book to be of outstanding quality with a wealth of clear and helpful information. For those who already know how to sew it contains some adorable projects that can be created quickly and easily as last minute gifts. For those who don't yet know how to sew it is a great place to start. I also highly recommend this book as a great gift for a teen wanting to learn to sew or a nice project for some together time with your favorite teen or tween. If you click on the book image above that will take you to the page on Amazon. Once there you can click on the image to look inside the book. This will show you the high quality of the publication and give you a taste of what is inside.

Everything about this book just oozes kawaii-ness! Kawaii, meaning cute in Japanese, is obviously the main theme of this book. So, expect an explosion of color in the next 175 pages of this book. Sew Kawaii categorizes the 22 projects by skill level (very easy, easy, experienced beginner, and intermediate) and by type (key chain, storage accessories, wearable accessories, plushies, clothing and home décor). I can only do the projects that are very easy because I have zero sewing skills, but I can tell you that the instructions are easy to follow - fool proof! Not only does the author have projects that fun to make, they are actually very useful and cute to boot! (That rhyme was unintentional. Seriously.) Of course practice makes perfect, but a lot of the projects are really easy! You can pick which project to start with as they are all rated according to difficulty level. Not only does she have simple and concise instructions on how to create the project, she has a lot of background information about sewing that can be very helpful if you want to start sewing as a hobby. Choly Knight was also very kind enough to put a treasure trove of information in her book - from different types of fabrics and basic sewing tools to basic hand and machine stitches. It's is a crash course aka Sewing 101. As a bonus, you will find 10 pages of patterns that can be copied to make the various projects in the back of her book. All of the projects in the book seem interesting to make, I do want to make the Sushi Quilt though, but that requires a lot of patience and practice first. So, let's begin with the dumpling key chain, shall we? Helpful hint: You also get a bonus Japanese vocabulary lesson with each project that you make. How's that for added value?

In this book, Author Choly Knight, a seamstress from Orlando has created 22 adorable yet simple sewing projects for all. The designs various from lovable Key Chains, plush toys to clothing and home decorations. The book is fully illustrated with vibrant and colourful pictures. Each project has its difficulty level stated, with step by step instructions, which are concise yet easy to understand for all ages. This strawberry key chain plush has been my 5 years old flavourite(pic of page included in post). With assistance from the adults, preschoolers could also have fun creating some simple plush decoration. The book also included pattern pieces for all the projects that helps reader to trace and create the designs. Comment: I really love this step by steps project book! The projects and designs are easy to create, even for a sewing novice like me, and would definitely recommend this book to friends that indulge in sewing and cute crafts. I rated this book 4 stars out of 5 stars.

What a fun book! With 22 different patterns to choose from, there is definitely something for everyone. :) I love to make things and especially to make things for kids. This book has six different chapters with multiple projects in each. They are: Key Chains Storage Accessories Wearable Accessories Plushies Clothing Home Decorations I have to admit that I didn't like ALL of the projects, but the ones that I did like, I LOVED. Among my favorites are the towel caddy and the electronic cases. I also think that the strawberry key chains and the octopus plushies are adorable. Each craft has complete instructions and all of the patterns are full size in the back of the book. Each of the instructions have a level of experience needed to make the items. Most of them are beginner. With bright colored photos and step by step instructions, Choly Knight makes her patterns easy to read and to follow. Great for kid crafts and summer fun!

Cute is 'in', and kawaii is the Japanese word for "cute". Choly Knight's Sew Kawaii! is a collection of 22 projects for cube purses, electronic cases (think DS and iPhones, and more), and funky pillows and quilts for the home - all with the kawaii theme in mind. Knight (her psuedonym is Shori Ameshiko) has an etsy store, and her products all have a fun anime feel to them, and reflect a Hello Kitty and Japanese art influence. The projects are separated into these chapters: Key Chains; Storage Accessories; Plushes; Clothing; and Home Decorations. The generous Patterns chapter has all the reproduceable patterns needed to finish all the projects. If you enjoy kawaii-style art and figurines, then the sewing projects made by Knight will be right up your alley.

The Kawaii craze is one crafters know well, though maybe not by name. In Japanese, Kawaii means cute, adorable, or loveable. Look up "kawaii crafts" on Google and you're sure to find sweet stuffed animals, little cupcakes with faces, and fun wearable accessories that mirror popular cartoon characters well known in Japan. For those who want to get started learning kawaii crafting, there's Sew Kawaii!, a great book filled with 22 simple sewing projects for kids of all ages! This colorful and easy to read book is for the young kid in all of us. These 22 cute and adorable crafts can be worn, cuddled, or even displayed as home décor. My personal favorite has to be the Jellyfish Purse. This fun accessory is so unique and fun to show off! I can't wait to make one! Even if you have little to no sewing experience, there are still lots of crafts in Sew Kawaii that you can make with ease. Each project has several step-by-step photos that make following the instructions so easy. With a cute code of smiley faces, hearts, clovers, and stars, author Choly Knight depicts the very easy patterns from the intermediate ones, making creating Kawaii easy and fun. From simple keychains to the cutest darn sushi quilt you?ve ever seen, Sew Kawaii is a great book for the Peter Pan in all of us, for that one part of you that still enjoys cute cuddly stuffed animals or that takes pleasure out of wearing a dress that slightly resembles a squid!