The Crafty Chica Makes Sewing Easy
Kathy Cano-Murillo's New Book Features Fun Low-Sew Projects
Apr 2, 2009
Cano-Murillo is already a celebrity in the craft world. She runs the popular Crafty Chica website, hosts her own online TV program, and, according to her online bio, has already published six books. Obsessed with DIY style and deeply influenced by her Mexican heritage, Cano-Murillo is a one-woman craft empire.
That empire has just expanded with Cano-Murillo’s seventh book, Crafty Chica’s Guide To Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Projects For The Everyday Crafter, which was published by Potter Crafts on February 17, 2009. Like Cano-Murillo’s previous works (which include craft manuals for both adults and teens), she focuses on fun and easy craft projects that allow for a lot of creativity, but don’t necessarily require much previous experience or skill. While Cano-Murillo has explored a variety of crafting mediums in some of her other books, as the title would suggest, this one is strictly about sewing.
The Chica Hits The Sewing Machine
In the introduction to Crafty Chica’s Guide To Artful Sewing, Cano-Murillo explains that she considers herself a thread artist, not a seamstress — meaning that she loves crafting with her sewing machine, but doesn’t exactly possess the precision or patience needed to say, tailor a suit or design a fitted dress. Hence, the projects within are all very easy, and as the subtitle of the book promises, often require very little actual sewing (a.k.a. low-sew).
So, what can a low-sew crafter make under the Crafty Chica’s expert guidance? Actually, quite a lot. After a surprisingly comprehensive beginner sewing lesson, Cano-Murillo breaks the project section of her guide into three sections: Power Purses, Wondrous Wearables, and Embrace Your Space (home decor). Most of the projects require little more than straight seams or a decorative zig-zag stitch. Even the clothing is incredibly simple, as Cano-Murillo for the most part opts to simply embellish pre-purchased articles of clothing.
Some of the more interesting projects include:
- Towel Tote (a bag made by folding a towel in half and seaming the sides)
- Pocket Bag (a plastic purse jazzed up with pockets filled with photographs)
- A Day of the Dead inspired clutch
- Revamped Mexicana Flower Blouse
- Kamikaze Fabric Scrap Belt
- Rough and Ruffled Place Mats
- Bohemian Bed cover
Plain Janes Need Not Apply
Cano-Murillo’s style is purposely rough-around-the-edges and most of these projects retain her Mexican-inspired aesthetic, so the projects in Crafty Chica’s Guide To Artful Sewing won’t appeal to everyone. While this is not specifically a book aimed at teens, most of the purses and clothing will probably best be appreciated by the younger set (or, at the very least, those who are young at heart) and the home decor section is most ideal for college dorm rooms or first apartments.
Still, even for those who don’t want to go with the Frida Kahlo/Day of the Dead themes, Cano-Murillo does offer a lot of inspiration. Alternate themes could easily be applied to any of these projects, or they could be styled in different fabrics for more sophisticated results. Either way, Cano-Murillo makes it easy enough that even amateur sewers can find a way to get their craft on.
