book review // sweetly stitched handmades

Are you familiar with this phrase? "Always be yourself. Unless you can be a unicorn. Then, be a unicorn." That's how I feel about Amy Sinibaldi of nanaCompany.

Always find your own stitching style. Unless you can emulate Amy. Then, be Amy.

I've loved reading nanaCompany for years, and I've always been smitten by her style. She makes you want to climb into her photos...into her world. And that's not even counting the lovely things that she makes!

Amy excels at making even the supplies look beautiful, and of course choosing delightful fabrics. Her photo styling truly adds to the charm (my photo up there is my best try at being Amy!), but I've found that she is sweetness itself.



I'm not gonna lie. The first time Amy and I interacted on Instagram I got a little giddy. So when she offered to send me a copy of her book, and it came to me with a little message inside, I nearly died.

To say that this "review" is going to be a little biased is a bit of an understatement. I've been hoping that Amy would write a book for a while, and I was expecting to love Sweetly Stitched Handmades. And I did.

Often nanaCompany posts show finished items without a how-to. That alone is inspiring, but I always get a little excited when a tutorial pops up. With a book full of this inspiration AND instructions to try it yourself, how could I not love this book?




This bear billow is our favorite. And by our, I mean everyone in my family. Oh my, this is sweet! The fabrics! The trims! The hand quilting! Even that slouchiness.

Not all of the projects have how-to illustrations like this one, but where there are steps that benefit from some visual assistance, they are there. And they're cute too!



Charming pockets? Check! You have no idea how much I wish I had a wall to hang this. (I'm crazy short on wall space these days...)



This trivet is so very nanaCompany. Actually, everything in here is, but some projects feel especially like what I would expect to see on her blog. And it's things like her fabrics, crochet trim, and that little embroidered tag in the corner.

Even the book design has those kinds of details.



In fact, Amy has a two-page spread talking about those little embroidered tags and how to make them. I'm telling you...this is the "how to be Amy" guide that I've been looking for!



This interactive doll quilt is adorable, especially because there are little stitched mice under the doors! There's also a baby quilt in the book that I think I need to make.

Who am I kidding? I want to make everything in here!



Maybe starting with this jam jar pincushion? A goal for this year is that I want Sunday afternoons to be about stitching things just for me and my family, and Sweetly Stitched Handmades is going to be my go-to resource for those projects.

Amy, thank you for being as sweet as the things you make!

Find Sweetly Stitched Handmades on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or through your local bookseller.

(By the way, I joke about wanting to become Amy (maybe only half joking?), but even if you make these a little different from how she does, these are simply wonderful projects. Check it out...you won't regret it!)