Mothers and Daughters at Home: 35 Projects to Make Together [Hardcover]

Charlotte Lyons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2000

Busy as we are, mothers understand that childhood is a precious moment with limited opportunities to spend heartfelt time with our children. For generations, mothers have created their own family memories -- and keepsakes -- by sitting down with their daughters and making beautiful things for the home. Constructing a dollhouse, stitching a family quilt, painting a kitchen chair, baking sweet rolls, sewing the eyes on a nubby brown teddy bear -- at the end of the day, the hours spent together making these things are the ones we will best remember.

In "Mothers and Daughters at Home," the talented writer and designer Charlotte Lyons examines and embraces the intimate personal style a mother shares with her daughter. Featuring 35 wonderful and easy-to-do projects -- from doll making, quilting, decoupage, and embroidery to papier-mache, jewelry making, and cooking -- this inspiring volume introduces mothers and daughters to the delights of shared creative endeavor. The projects are fun and simple, and produce excellent results. But the most valuable element is the "shared" experience of making something together.

Inspired mothers and daughters will be delighted with their efforts as well as the moments they spend at work with each other. Organized according to the length of time each project requires -- from an hour to a weekend, or longer -- this lushly illustrated book shows us that anyone can make beautiful and exciting accessories for the home with the simple guidance and inspiration Lyons so wonderfully provides.

Profiles of mothers and daughters show us how deep the family bond can become when creative effort strengthens the mother-daughter relationship. Even themistakes become cherished souvenirs of personal artistry and remembrance -- made together as dearest friends, mothers and daughters.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Mary Engelbreit This wonderful book took me right back to when I was little and sitting at the kitchen table making things with my mother! There is no better way to spend whatever precious time we have with our kids than doing something creative, and this book is just loaded with fun ideas and thoughtful conversations with other mothers and daughters. Cancel all of your kids' other extracurricular activities, get this book, and have fun! -- Review

About the Author

Charlotte Lyons's career as a writer, editor, designer, and photo stylist began when she left teaching to raise her three daughters. In an effort to stay creatively connected and to find activities that would be fun for her and her children, she immersed herself in the home arts -- and discovered her true vocation. Her skills and imagination with domestic crafts -- and her firsthand understanding of how creative activities can form a wonderful family bond -- have informed her professional work with magazines and books. Lyons is now a contributing editor at Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine, and her work as a designer and writer has been featured in Country Living magazine and in a number of books with Mary Engelbreit.

Although Lyons was born and educated in St. Louis, she lived most of her adult life in a bright-pink house in Oak Park, Illinois, near Chicago. She, her husband, and their three daughters recently moved to Irvington, New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1ST edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684862735
• ISBN-13: 978-0684862736
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #726,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's about time, April 5, 2000

By 

Elizabeth Marion (New York City, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mothers and Daughters at Home: 35 Projects to Make Together (Hardcover)

Finally! A down-to-earth book that deals with real women, not Martha Stewart superhumans, and gives us a real purpose: spending time with the people we love most in the world -- our daughters -- instead of just making our houses beautiful. My 11 year old daughter and I drooled when we first saw the projects she suggests and couldn't wait to get started. And when we tried making one (the teddy bear is our favorite so far), I found her directions easy to follow and appreciated that she leaves room for individuality in every project. What I really liked is that this book is not just another "craft book" -- it's more like friendly advice on how to form a better relationship with our kids and that's something we all could use. I highly recommend Lyons's philosophy and this book!

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Craft Suggestions, June 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Mothers and Daughters at Home: 35 Projects to Make Together (Hardcover)

I have four daughters and even when they were very little we always made our own holiday gifts (napkin stamping, candle rolling, apple wreaths, little journals). My girls are now 15, 13, 12 and 11 and I've begun to run out of ideas! Charlotte Lyons book was given to me as a gift and I have been pouring over it ever since. For one thing, it is a stunningly pretty book to look at and for another, it has craft suggestions that I need -- from the good cheer fairy for the younger ones to the wallpockets for the older ones. They also look like ones I can handle. As my children get older they are certainly more creative but the time we have for such projects grows less and less. I don't think I am alone in bemoaning that fact! Anyway, I am confident that we will have mnay fun hours together this summer because of this book. I wish all of you the same good fortune.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for mothers and daughters everywhere!, April 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Mothers and Daughters at Home: 35 Projects to Make Together (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent way to inspire women and their daughters to spend time together. I am Charlotte's daughter, and I cannot emphasize enough how much she has inspired me with art, and how much we bond when we do these things together. It's a perfect mother's day gift!