I wanna make this ** with an edit

I subscribe to Sew Hip from the UK. I love it for some reason? There aren't a ton of projects that I want to make, but it's good eye candy and makes me feel creative.

In issue 2 from a long while ago they had this adorable cross-stitched wool handbag. I love it.


I don't do hand-stitching things. Not because I can't, I used to. Because I've grown into a raging case of impatience and ADD and I really can't handle it. Buuuuut I think this project might break me out of that mold.


I'm not going to set my sights too high on this one. I hope to have it done for next fall, when it would be appropriate to carry a wool plaid handbag with an adorable terrier on it. I wonder if I could change the colors up to look more like Binnie (our terrierist)?





** I had some great questions and I realize I should have explained more, so here goes... UK readers probably know all about it, but it's fairly hard to find here in the States. Sew Hip is more of a magazine full of random sewing projects and pretty happy pictures than a serious garment construction magazine.

I would say it is a fun, whimsical British version of France's Marie Claire Idees that I also subscribe to. Each month will have a clothing pattern and instructions, along with a quilting project or a softie or some knitting or embroidery projects. Most of them are pretty easy so it's a great magazine for beginners.

I love it for the bright colors and fabric suppliers they list as well as the projects. It's more of a launching pad for me than Burda WOF or Ottobre, which are truly excellent clothing construction mags.

It's also relatively new, so they're now adding pattern reviews from bloggers. I've found more great blogs and books on sewing from this one magazine than anywhere else.

I couldn't find a really thorough official website (the one they have is kinda sparse) but I found a few other links that might help -
An interview in Sew Hip with Heather Ross
Print and Pattern
Blooming Felt feature

Happy hand stitching, all you creative types ~