Annabel Wrigley - We Love to Sew Bedrooms: Cool Stuff for Your Space

Publisher: Amy Marson Creative Director: Gailen Runge Art Director / Book Designer: Kristy Zacharias Editors: Liz Aneloski and Lee Jonsson Technical Editors: Nanette S. Zeller, Carolyn Aune, and Teresa Stroin Production Coordinator: Jenny Davis Production Editor: Alice Mace Nakanishi Illustrator: Jessica Jenkins Photography by Kristen Gardner, unless otherwise noted Published by Fun Stitch Studio, an imprint of C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549 Dedication For my students
Acknowledgments Writing this book has been such a fun experience for me, made even more enjoyable by the amazing support and help of my wonderful family. To my friends, who helped me with constant encouragement, support, and creative vision. I love that you all stuck by me during my months of work. Thanks to Alessandra, who was not only an amazing help but also the best studio partner a girl could ask for.

To Roxane Cerda, my super awesome editor who told me that I absolutely could manage another book and whose guidance and patience were invaluable. I am so thrilled to call you my friend. To my amazing book team, Liz, Kristy, Nanette, and everyone at C&T. Thank you all for helping me make another beautiful book. To Kristen Gardner, my fabulous photographer. Once again you have helped make my book look more beautiful than I could have ever imagined! Of course, I would not be here without my wonderful group of enthusiastic young students.

You make me excited to get out of bed each day and create with you! A Message from Denyse Schmidt I was very fortunate to grow up in a family where making useful and beautiful things was second nature. There wasnt anything my parents wouldntor couldnttry. With a trusty old heavy-duty sewing machine, my parents taught themselves to reupholster by practicing on a sleeper sofa that was way older than I was. And that old, broken-down sofa just got better and better looking with every incarnation. My mom sewed clothes and crafted hats for herself and four kids, and our holiday family portraits hold wonderful memories of her love and creativity. (The fact that my mom accomplished all that while raising a family makes me a little dizzy, very grateful, and in awe of the multitasking abilities of moms everywhere!) What I learned early on was the importance of self-reliance and creativity. (The fact that my mom accomplished all that while raising a family makes me a little dizzy, very grateful, and in awe of the multitasking abilities of moms everywhere!) What I learned early on was the importance of self-reliance and creativity.

That is a powerful, double-barreled lesson to learn as a child, one that has served me well and carried me through this roller coaster of life. Especially when unsure and faced with new challenges, I discovered that when I trusted my instincts and focused on the task at hand, I could usually figure it out. Dont get me wrongI made mistakesbut I kept going. Most of us spend so much time trying to avoid mistakes that we never learn that making them is part of the process and essential to discovery. Youre about to make some discoveries yourself, with the help of Annabel! Your room (or your side of the room, if you share) is yours. Its where you go when you want to be alone, or when you need a breather or just some time to think things through.

This book will help you think about how you want this space to look. Its a book of ideasbut these are just a starting point for your own individual style. Try them out, change them, and maybe come up with your own! Youre going to have so much fun discovering who you are, what you like, and what makes you happy. You will be creating your own unique world: one that calms you down, fires you up, makes you laugh, makes you feel freeyou decide; its your room! The great thing about life is that the joy of creating and self-expression belongs to everyone. I think you are very fortunate, too! Denyse Welcome! Hello there, I am so glad you picked up this book! I promise it is jam-packed with awesome ideas to take your room from ho-hum to jump-up-and-down-throwing-glitter awesome. The best part is that all the awesomeness will be made by you! (Happy dance!) You have probably been thinking that your room needs a bit of an update, an injection of your own personal style.

Hey, you are growing up! Who wants a room that cannot keep up with you and your awesome crafty style? Hopefully you have been practicing your sewing skills. Maybe you have already tried the patterns from my first book and are feeling confident with what you can achieve with your machine. Well, guess whatyou are ready to start tackling some bigger projects. Drapes will no longer be daunting, and patchwork not so petrifying! I promise you can do it! Sending crafty vibes your way, Annabel xo How to Use This Book In this book, some of the projects are pretty easy, and some are a bit more challenging. Youll notice that each project has a symbol at the top. Heres what each symbol means.

EASY PEASY Start with these projects, especially if you are not super comfy yet with using your sewing machine. These are fun projects that need a little or no hand sewing. Youll have no trouble finishing these. A TEENY BIT MORE CHALLENGING Youll need a little confidence for these projects. You should be comfortable using the sewing machine and with hand sewing. You are going to have so much fun with these! TAKE YOUR TIME AND ASK FOR HELP These projects need some patience and a great attitude.

If you really know your way around your sewing machine, go for it! I know you can do it. You may want to ask for help from an adult or other experienced sewist. We all need a little help sometimes! tipPracticing your skills on the easier projects in the book will help you gain confidence to tackle the more challenging ones! A Note to Parents I used to think that my little girl would remain my little girl well into her teens and that her floral, pink, frilly bedroom would remain her girly haven for years to come. My daughter has certainly proved me wrong. Slowly and steadily, soft toys have made their way into clear storage bins in the basement; in their place are throw pillows that she has painted or quilted. The childlike artwork has been replaced with artfully arranged creations made with masking tape and spray paint.

The pretty pink rug is gone; now bold black-and-white stripes are the look. A little part of my heart aches as my little girl grows into a gorgeously creative young woman. So, for these reasons, I really feel it is my job to encourage her to be the most creative person she can be. I strongly believe that tweens (between child and teen) are emerging as a design-conscious group. The fact that my 12-year-old has a dream room board on Pinterest is kind of crazy, but also pretty cool. Between the ages of 8 and 13, girls really start to develop their own sense of personal style.

They want their havens to be more grown up childish artwork to be replaced with artwork and decor that is a little more mature and that suits their emerging personalities and personal style. They are not adults yet, so they still love cute, but they certainly are not embracing the ruffles as they were in second grade. I want girls to be able to pick up this book and feel excited to tackle simple and easy projects that will help them in their quest to find their own individuality. The great thing about this book is that not only are all the projects fun, but they are also really doable for even the most inexperienced sewist. There is no prouder moment for a parent than seeing the joy in their child who has just accomplished something on her own.