Sew Perfect Pets

I really love the way the patterns are full size (you do have to transfer them to paper though). There are 18 full colour tutorials in this book - great photographs (I want to start sewing them all!) My favourites are the Hedgehog pincushion and the Owl door stop... so very cute! This book would make a great Christmas or Birthday present for those who are new to sewing or have been sewing for years and years! Well done to Helen Rhiannon for a great book!!

-- Moyra Blayney * Customer review *

A really great book. Lovely animal projects that make perfect gifts or are great for the home. I love that the templates are on separate sheets of paper and can be stored away in a pocket at the back of the book. Highly recommended.

-- Samtha Ripley O'Donnel * Customer review *

This book is well written, well presented and has lovely clear pictures and instructions. It is perfect for beginners. A sewing machine is not essential as the projects can be completed by hand stitching. The templates are full size and stored in a pocket at the back of the book. There is a good range of projects including a snake draught excluder and a hot water bottle cover. I look forward to sewing them.

-- Faye Mulhern * Customer review *

I'm just beginning to sew again and so pleased this book has projects from beginner to the more experienced. Great Quality and clear instructions. Full sized paper patterns provided in a handy pocket at reverse of book. Perfect pet makes from owl doorstops, dog toys and my favourite the dog oven glove. Would highly recommend.

-- Teresa Coulson * Customer review *

When this book arrived in the post I was wonderfully surprised by the quality of the book and the photography. As I was flicking through I noticed I had a big grin on my face. As the title says it is full of 'adorable' pets, and I know lots of people who would just love to have this book but I want to keep it. The projects will be keeping me busy for a while, hopefully some of my loved ones will have a new 'pet' for Christmas.

-- Latona Sewell * Customer review *

Please the animal lovers on your gift list with these fun, creature inspired projects for the home. All are useful and none require a lot of sewing experience; with the staged instructions they are ideal for anybody who knows the basics but requires some practice.

There are eighteen colourful, contemporary projects in this book plus plenty of advice for the improver level crafter. Starting with the reasons you need all the tools and materials plus help on topics such as attaching fusible webbing, bias binding, appliqué, clipping seams etc it is a great way to learn as you sew. All the patterns are stored in a handy wallet at the back, outlines drawn in different colours for ease of identification. Each project has a list of what you need in metric and imperial, a finished size plus sheet number where you can locate your pattern. Instructions are mostly written but there are several photographs which show all the trickier things, plus give a good idea as to what the item should look like at key stages. Choose from an owl doorstop, elephant tea cosy, cow handbag, penguin apron, butterfly place mat and coasters or bear laundry bag plus many others, all shown in handy thumbnails at the front for ease of selection. Fabrics used are mostly cotton and felt which are simple to work with, and the bright colours give a cheerful, modern look to the items. A good book for any animal lover, plus a great way to build sewing skills.

-- Rachel Hyde * myshelf.com *

Sew Perfect Pets contains 18 fun animal themed projects for items you would use around your home such as oven gloves, a draft excluder, cushions, an apron, a laundry bag, soft toys, a bottle bag and an egg cosy. The book starts by covering the basic techniques you’ll need to make the projects, with photos. Then it's onto the projects.

Each project comes with full size templates (provided in a packet at the back of the book) as well as step by step instructions and accompanying photos showing you what you need to do. Helen has used a colourful mix of fabrics to create eye catching animal designs. The animals featured include a penguin, owl, fox, pig, dog, cat, bunny, cow, frog, bear, hedgehog, snake, mouse, butterfly, fish, elephant and sheep – something for everyone. I’ve shared photos of my favourites in this review.

There are several pattern sheets, and the templates for each project are clearly labelled and each in a different colour to make it easy to pick out those you need. They also specify how many of each template you need to cut and in what materials (eg. fabric, felt, interfacing) making the templates simple to use.

After a decade of teaching beginners Helen knows how to break projects down into easy to follow instructions, and has made sure the projects feature easy to find supplies that most stitchers will already have in their stash. This book is great for beginners learning to sew, and for more advanced sewists looking for fun animal theme projects for their home.

-- Fiona Pullen * The Sewing Directory *

What a fun sewing book this is. Sew Perfect Pets is ideal for stitchers of all abilities. It includes 3 full sized pattern sheets that are double-sided, and a basic techniques guide. The 18 pet projects are absolutely delightful, and with an Owl Doorstop, a Dog toy, Cow Handbag and an adorable Fox Pillow, they are all beautifully showcased in a colourful array of sewing loveliness. The instructions are easy to follow with a written and visual format. The pattern sheet that you will need is given and all materials and sizes are listed. The information is really helpful and even a beginner will fully understand how to achieve a beautiful and usable item.

This is an ideal sewing guide and is one of those books that you will always be reaching for whenever you need the perfect gift for a little one.

-- Tracy Shephard * Postcard Reviews *

We are really keen to try some of the patterns. The instructions are really clear. The ideas are great. It is a really good quality book. I have watched demos by Helen Rhiannon she is excellent and very knowledgeable. Overall we are very impressed with the book.

-- Macie and Christine, Young Quilters * The Quilters' Gui