My First Book of Sewing {Book Review}

I have two daughters that have totally different attitudes about sewing, but they both refuse to let me teach them!

Chloe (who is 13) is wayyy to cool for sewing and tells me she has no interest in it at all. She won’t let me teach her. But when she needed a cat costume for a school project she sneaked up into my sewing room and sewed herself cat ears (that she glued onto a head band) and a long skinny cat’s tail that she sewed to an elastic loop for around her waist. All this she learned from books – and maybe from watching me sew. (I was so proud!!!)

My other daughter Cadie is 9 and while she claims to love sewing and making little little quilts, she also resists my efforts to teach her. She believes that she already knows the best way to sew everything and me showing her anything is just a waste of time, lol.

So when a friend of mine who works at Dover Publications reached out to me recently and offered me the chance to review a new book that was just released – My First Book of Sewing – I immediately jumped at the chance!

It looked like a book that would appeal to my girls (they both love to read) and hopefully they will ask me if they need any help with the projects.

It’s full of over 20 projects, which, by the way – are very cute and useful items!

Both my girls wanted to look at the book and both of them choose the same project that they wanted me to make them – the Fox Pillow on page 172. (this is a huge book with over 230 pages!)

But I’m not going to make them fox pillows all by myself. They are going to help me or else!

The front of the book has a quite comprehensive Introduction to sewing that includes information on choosing fabrics, sewing straight lines and curves (including backstitching), basting, removing stitches, hand sewing, and adding decoration.

There’s even a section on how to use your machine (see above) which would come in so handy if the reader is using a hand-me-down machine that didn’t come with a manual. But if their machine did come with a manual, this section is probably easier to read!

The colors and graphics in this book seem geared toward a young person, but the projects and skills that it teaches would be universally helpful to a beginning sewist of any age.

I would totally recommend My First Book of Sewing for someone looking to make cute projects and learn basic sewing skills (including how to use a sewing machine). It would also make a fabulous gift – along with a personal sewing lesson. 🙂

Dover is currently offering SewCanShe readers 25% off any order using coupon code WRBZ. You can also get free shipping with any order over $50. Don’t miss these special offers!

Many thanks to Dover Publications for my review copy of this book. We are going to get much use out of it.

Dover is also letting me giveaway 2 more copies over on my Giveaway Page this week. Don’t miss it!

xoxo,