I'm so pleased to introduce to you a brand new author, Rachel Low. Rachel is the owner of Pins and Needles in NYC where most days you can find her teaching classes and inspiring lots of new sewers in creative endeavors. Today is the launch of her mini blog tour for her book and I'm honored to be the first stop.
Rachel's brand new book, Girl's Guide to DIY fashion, is full of projects geared for 7 - 14 year olds.
Rachel says all her students were the inspiration for the book and the best part is that not only does she feel she is teaching them a skill, but she is also encouraging them to be creative, feel empowered to express themselves, be confident in all that they do, be excited about learning something new and even spend time with their friends and often make new ones!!!
When the book arrived on our doorstep, my Two Peas (my identical twin girls) who just recently turned 14 were ooh-ing and ahh-ing over each and every page! They thought the book was fabulously bright and fun and wasted no time at all picking out a few projects they wanted to try.
We started with the Peace Out Pajama Pants. My peas wanted to make them more suited for the warm nights we have here in Ohio. So, with the inspiration Rachel offers in the book for making the project their own, they decided to shorten the length of the pants to make shorts. I love how throughout the book, Rachel builds on each skill and gives the reader confidence to try new things.
How I would love to show you their pajama pants turned shorts but they haven't finished them quite yet (and when I say they, I really only mean my sweet Baby B because her sister doesn't enjoy sewing. She just likes to pick things out and have others make them for her).
See that little short girl standing next to her sister? Well, we call her Sprout and she sweet talked her big sister into making something for HER from the book, which is how the pants turned shorts project got set aside.
Sprout requested the Amazing Appliqué Sweatshirt project. (This is the version above from Rachel's book with the cupcake.) Sprout kept a patient and watchful eye from the sewing room door, holding her naked babydoll who would be the recipient of this appliqué project.
Together,my pea and I embellished a onesie just in time because Sprout was about to burst from anticipation. Sprout promptly put the shirt on her baby, ran out to her playhouse and announced, "Dinnertime sweetheart!". Big sister scored major points tonight with the Sprout for sure.
Rachel's book is packed full of colorful images that my girls all loved. The projects are simple enough that kids won't feel intimated to try them. The book includes great points like working with HOT TOOLS such as an iron and glue gun plus gives pointers on how to pin properly. It's written in a way that my pea quickly comprehended and was able to apply the information as she worked.
I'm so happy that Rachel has offered to gift a copy of the book to one of my readers. To be entered to win, simply leave a comment telling me what was one of your very first sewing projects you ever made and how old were you when you learned to sew.
Winners will be chosen using random.org. This giveaway will close at midnight EST on April 23rd, 2015.
Next stop on the book blog tour:
Thursday, 4/16 – Sew She Can
Friday, 4/17 – Whipstitch
Making gifts for others is one of my favorite things about sewing (one of the reasons I wrote an 
I'm offering a signed copy of the book, 
