Animal Friends to Sew: Simple Handmade Décor, Toys, and Gifts for Kids

Ishida (Sewing Happiness), a children’s book and crafting guide author, provides a slew of child-friendly projects as adorable as they are functional. A chapter on sewing and embroidering basics should get readers up to speed before they begin the projects, which are divided among décor, toys, and “wearables,” with the last section being the stand-out. It includes koala and monkey bibs for messy mealtimes and hooded capes suitable either for Halloween, or, when made out of “cozy” terry cloth, as baby bathrobes. Helpfully, the wearables aren’t too labor intensive—to wit, Ishida’s baby slippers can be sewn in nine steps. For home decor, she adds a whimsical spark to common household items, turning easy rope baskets into a dog and cat design with the addition of embroidered details. In the toy section, particularly charming plans are provided for stacking blocks, “ideal for the crawling and toddling set,” with embroidered mouse, raccoon, bear, and elephant faces. Ishida provides templates for users to cut out or trace and, in the closing resource section, shares info on fabric sources, reference titles, and online sewing help. These sweet DIY projects will appeal to parents who are also avid or aspiring sewers, not to mention to their kids. (May)