Review of ‘Sew Together Grow Together’

Written by Trixi Symonds. Photographed by Nicola Bailey.

Age Range: 6 years – adult

Themes: sewing, craft, instructions, making, creating.

To add this book to your home, school or library collection click on title or cover links.

Some people hate craft/art/sewing projects with their children. I am not one of them. My children will never get any fitness tips or mathematical help from me (I had to text a friend recently about Year One maths homework) but by golly they will be able to stitch a button on.

So I am always on the lookout for child-friendly books which involve needles and thread, glue, googly eyes, felt and/or glitter. ‘Sew Together Grow Together’ is the latest addition to our ‘making things’ shelf as PudStar calls it.

After more than two decades of teaching kids to sew, Australian designer Trixi Symonds knows just what kinds of projects appeal to children. Funny huggable monsters? Check. Mama and baby animals? Absolutely. Bags to carry all your treasures? Say no more.

‘Sew Together Grow Together’ has 20 super fun projects to create, collected into four themed chapters and with creations that will appeal to both sexes, and their parents. Probably best suited to children from middle primary upwards, although PudStar, at six, was able to complete some of the simpler projects. No sewing machine is required and Trixi’s experience in teaching young children to sew is evident in her clear instructions.

Far from an over styled ‘coffee table’ book more suited to adults than children, ‘Sew Together Grow Together’ is child focussed with a super simple and clean layout and well photographed projects which are left to shine, rather than being photographed as part of styled bedroom shelf. There are no distractions – just text, photographs and patterns to engage children and their parents/grandparents/any family crafter available.

I love that books such as this require children to engage in some purposeful reading. Books with well-considered instructions are perfect for youngsters just starting to read independently, or for reluctant readers who need the ‘reward’ of a creation at the end of their reading – be it cooking a cake or sewing a frog.

Whilst I was extremely keen to make the baby in the pouch…apparently this was not all about me (really?!) and PudStar wanted some star friends for her bedroom. A big fan of using what we have at hand, I made Pud substitute some of the materials for ones we could find at home and the result was just a little bit fab.  Pud was happy they ‘looked like the ones in the picture’ and I was happy with her tweaks and a few more sewing skills gained. Next up is that baby in the pouch.

Why does Pud have martial arts wraps on her hands? I’m not entirely sure. What can I say? She has a unique sense of style. Is that a feather pencil she’s outlining with you ask? Why yes it is. Again I say…unique sense of style.

You can preview the books here and see the contents page which contains all 20 projects here.  You can read more about Trixi on her blog here.