Stitches and Pins (Sewing for Girls plus Devotion)

by Sharon
(Leavenworth, Kansas)

Product: Stitches and Pins: A beginning sewing book for girls (plus accompanying devotional) by JoAnn Gagnon and Corrie Gagnon

Subject: Home Economics
Levels Used: girls 8 to 16 years of age
Dates Used: 2009

Likes: I need something like this!! I am not a great seamstress. I managed to make pillow cases look bad!

This book is taking my daughter and I through the steps of sewing many projects together. The main book includes patterns for girls sizes 8-16 as well as ladies sizes 8-16. We can have matching pajamas when we get a little better.

The simple patterns and easy-to-understand directions are helping me get out of my rut and help my daughter. Juliann and I are learning things like how to make zigzags on my long-owned-yet-seldom-used machine. I am mostly learning what to do when my machine needs adjustments. I needed the encouragement of my daughter and this easy book to truly get started.

Something that can teach us together is nice enough, but we bought the companion devotional and that made things even better. The simple devotions go along with every lesson; this makes for some wonderful mother/daughter times.

My daughter is nine years old; she has been asking me to teach her to sew for some time and my excuse has always been my own lack of ability and low funds for lessons. I also never would have thought of having devotions with our sewing time; it is a simple reminder for my daughter that all aspects of life can have scriptural application and a can provide a lesson to learn.

This was just what we both needed: not only for sewing, but for closer bonding as she grows into a young lady! I hope others discover this program.

I want to be fair and add something I did not like about this book. I have thought and thought. I have looked ahead to harder things like inserting elastic. OK, maybe that still confuses me a bit. For the most part, though, the explanations are so simple that I understand what needs to be done even before we have made it to that lesson. I can't think of anything I don't like, except for the fact that I waited so long to buy this program.