Recently it was the birthday of a very special little guy I know. He happens to be mad about frogs, so I decided to make him the little frog pouch from Cute Stuff by Aranzi Aronzo.
Although I haven't made many projects from the two Aranzi Aronzo books I own (the other one is Baby Stuff), I do adore these quirky Japanese books. They seem to be aimed at children or beginners, and the frog would certainly make a great beginner's project. It can even be stitched by hand.
I say they seem to be aimed at children or beginners, because I'm not always quite sure. On the one hand there are adorable bears and bunnies encouraging you with cute speech bubbles all the way through, and introductions to stitches and equipment.
On the other hand, there are some gaps in their instructions at times. I never achieved a French knot following their instructions! It's much easier to make their projects now that I have more experience and know more about different materials and techniques. I think they do work for beginners but ideally with some extra help and advice on the side.
They certainly do cute to perfection! I made these finger puppets (from Baby Stuff) years ago, before I'd ever used a sewing machine. I also hand-sewed a little bear for my nephew, of which sadly I don't have a photo (for now). Overall I recommend these books for cuteness, inspiration and some easy projects that are satisfying to make. The quirky, "translated"-feeling text is perhaps the best bit of all!
