Customer Reviews

How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

An easy read, How to Sew a Button is going to be a resource for future generations. Due to the technology overload of generations such as mine and younger, so many of us no longer know how to do practical things that our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents could do without skipping a beat. When starting to write this book the author, Erin, no longer had her grandparents to consult with for wisdom. Therefore, she rounded up ten grandmothers from different backgrounds, all across the country, to give her grandmotherly advice and knowledge.

The book covers topics such as:

- How to make a pie, which Erin tried to do for a group of friends and failed miserably at. I, myself, consider making a pie getting a slice of pumpkin cheesecake pie from Outback during the fall.

- How to properly fold a fitted sheet, the keyword there being properly. I know you all probably think you know how to fold a fitted sheet, but balling it up and tossing it in the linen closet doesn't count. I have been blessed with this lost art, so this advice wasn't needed on my end.

- How to iron a shirt. Now, you may be laughing, but while watching trasy TV the other day I saw a boy on MTV's made who told his coach he had never ironed anything. Seriously? He may need to read that section.

She also has some pretty cool how-to information, like:

- How to scent your home without candles

- How to love your body at any size

- How to brew your own beer

And information on the lost art of thank-you notes. She'll teach you how to write one. With your hands... and a pen... and paper.

And of course, you'll learn How to sew a button.

Erin has a great sense of humor which is reflected in her writing. You'll chuckle while learning a thing or two!

Conveniently, as we've all begun to tighten our purse strings, this book has appeared on the scene to offer us more than 100 straightforward and step-by-step how-to's for everyday life. Each is written in a practical yet humor filled and very approachable tone -- as if your best friend suddenly morphed into a Donna Reed-Tina Fey hybrid.

There is so much amazing content between the covers of this guide including how to: hone a knife, iron a shirt (wow do I need to study up on this one), clean an oven, tie a necktie, make a hot toddy, barter, start a book club, wear red lipstick, and my personal favorite how to make a Manhattan. My boyfriend's grandparents always serve Manhattans when we visit and even though I've observed them being mixed a number of times I always seem to forget the steps (probably because one lovingly composed Manhattan goes straight to your head).

I'm confident that you'll find dozens of useful tips in this book. I even discovered additional insights while reading write-ups on tasks that I thought I had down to a science. How to Sew a Button is a fantastic addition to your bedside table. In addition, I believe this title would make an excellent holiday present. Freaking out over what to buy for that friend, relative, or co-worker who has everything? Why not give them the gift of practical knowledge?! It will certainly last longer and be more appreciated than a box of chocolates or a scarf. Besides, after reading this book they'll be able to knit their own.

I expected to like this book much more than I did. I really agree on the overall premise. I think we could learn a lot and utilize our resources much better if we took a cue from the older generations. I know many women who can't sew a button.

One of the issues is with the writing style which is forcefully cheeky. Sometimes you find this forced humor funny and other times, annoying. Also, the book is peppered with illustrations of various retro women engaging in the tasks being explained, but what it really could have used are a few illustrations to clarify the more complicated instructions.

There is some very useful information in this book, but not any you wouldn't find through a google search in a much more clear and concise manner with pictures included.

This book made me feel a little nostalgic. It reminded me of things that I have learned from older relatives through the years. It's great for people who didn't have a chance to know someone from the depression era that they could learn from. It's very informative and entertaining. I suggest giving it to someone young for a gift. They would learn from it and enjoy the read.

There is such a wide variety of info in such a small book. No description is more than a page or two long so you're not mired down in lots of details. It gets to the point. I got this from the library first and loved it so much I bought 2 copies - 1 for me and 1 for a graduate going off to college. While she may not need to know how to make a Manhattan, hanging pictures will come in handy! I love this book!

This is simply a wonderful book. It would be a great gift for a college bound senior. I consider myself crafty, and enjoy the art of homemaking, and this is by far the best book I have read on the matter. Although I knew many of the things she taught, Erin Bried writes with such humor, that I would often read just to hear what she said on the matter. She writes clearly, and simply, and so cleverly that I often found myself laughing aloud even as I squirreled away knowledge for later use. Truly a wonderful book.

This book really fills a need. Sometime between our grandparents' generation and ours, a lot of basic how-to information just never got passed down, or we never learned it, for one reason or another. From topic to topic, I kept finding myself saying, "Oh, hey, that's helpful," or, "Oh! I've always wondered how to do this." Thanks to this book, I now know how. I liked the words of wisdom from the grandmothers at the beginning of each topic, which helped to connect their depression-era sensibilities with our need to conserve due to economic concerns. Plus, Erin's humor seasoned throughout the book makes it a fun read. I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot.

In a time when it's too easy to buy things ready-made and toss things that are frayed, this book and its premise are a refreshing resource.

Lovely, simple advice on how to handle just about everything in your life. I was raised by my grandmother and I do know how to sew on a button but this book is so much more than that. This book covers so many different topics. Each chapter distills information that you might otherwise buy a whole book to learn. The book itself is such a bargain with all the wonderful information and the ideas have already saved myself and my family money. Thanks so much for this book! We love it!

I absolutely love this book - what a great concept! There are some tips in the book that I will most likely never use, but there are fewer of those than there are of the useful ones! The book is broken down into chapters to organize the concepts, from cooking to gardening to nesting to saving...and many more! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning how to do some long-lost tasks that we have become so accustomed to outsourcing to others. :)