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Rating: 
Summary: absolutely enchanting
Review: i have done all types of needle work and sewing since i was 5 yrs old. i also had a needlework shop for 20 years. this book is absolutely enchanting and the illustrations are delightful. the sewing information is so well presented that anyone of any age should be able to learn to sew, and enjoy every minute of it. i, too, hope they will re-publish some of the other books by this author. dee wolfenbarger, D59d@aol.com
Rating:
Summary: wonderful book that takes us back
Review: i have the whole set of mary frances books (in hard cover). they are reproductions. these books are so wonderful, its hard to put into words. the books are a special piece of history and i highly recommend all of them. the mary frances sewing book is esp. charming.
Rating: 
Summary: Mary Frances Sewing Book
Review: I recently saw this book, newly published, as a hardcover with beautifully done color illustrations. While I undestood this book was to be a paperback, I was deeply disappointed to find it to be an undersized, black and white edition.
Rating: 
Summary: 16" Doll Pattern Not Included
Review: Just purchased this book to give as a Christmas present for my Mom. During the summer and after school, Mom looks after two of my neices that are 5 and 8 years old. The book is softcovered, consisting of 280 pages and the illustrations within are fully black and white. I like this book as the patterns are full sized and "reads" extremely well for a child, with directions clearly written. I rate this book 4 stars because the 16" doll pattern IS NOT included as a project with the book. Major bummer! The 16" companion doll pattern named "Mary Marie" Making Memories (designed by Ellen Thompson) must be purchased separately. I've recently located such pattern and it was hard to come by. (The Mary Marie doll is also sold as a porcelain reproduction and she is beautiful.) Truly, I believe this book makes an excellent tool to create beautiful home spun gifts and memories when used by a loving adult (Mother/Nana) and child. What a wonderful way to learn to sew!
Rating:
Summary: 16" Doll Pattern Not Included
Review: Just purchased this book to give as a Christmas present for my Mom. During the summer and after school, Mom looks after two of my neices that are 5 and 8 years old. The book is softcovered, consisting of 280 pages and the illustrations within are fully black and white. I like this book as the patterns are full sized and "reads" extremely well for a child, with directions clearly written. I rate this book 4 stars because the 16" doll pattern IS NOT included as a project with the book. Major bummer! The 16" companion doll pattern named "Mary Marie" Making Memories (designed by Ellen Thompson) must be purchased separately. I've recently located such pattern and it was hard to come by. (The Mary Marie doll is also sold as a porcelain reproduction and she is beautiful.) Truly, I believe this book makes an excellent tool to create beautiful home spun gifts and memories when used by a loving adult (Mother/Nana) and child. What a wonderful way to learn to sew!
Rating:
Summary: Charming
Review: This book is essential for all little girls (and not so little girls!) learning to sew. There has yet to be a childs sewing book as well done as Mary Frances and the Timble People. If you think this book, written in the Edwardian era, would probably be too hard or full of too many confusing terms for a child, think again! The projects are direct, simple, fast, and most of all, fun. With parental assistance, children as young as seven could easily work through this book, and very young children could enjoy the story by itself without even doing the projects. The doll patterns are charming and work up quickly, the style simple and straightforward, and the little story about the 'Timble People' is utterly adorable. 16 inch dolls are hard to come by, and I know this is one drawback of the book. However, you can easily re trace the patterns to fit an 18 inch ('American Girl' or 'Gotz' doll.) Take your pattern peice(s) and retrace on another peice of paper, adding one inch to every side. Follow instructions as usual. For loose fitting patterns like the apron, the pinafore, etc, this wasn't even nessisary. An all around wonderful book!
Rating:
Summary: Charming
Review: This book is essential for all little girls (and not so little girls!) learning to sew. There has yet to be a childs sewing book as well done as Mary Frances and the Timble People. If you think this book, written in the Edwardian era, would probably be too hard or full of too many confusing terms for a child, think again! The projects are direct, simple, fast, and most of all, fun. With parental assistance, children as young as seven could easily work through this book, and very young children could enjoy the story by itself without even doing the projects. The doll patterns are charming and work up quickly, the style simple and straightforward, and the little story about the 'Timble People' is utterly adorable. 16 inch dolls are hard to come by, and I know this is one drawback of the book. However, you can easily re trace the patterns to fit an 18 inch ('American Girl' or 'Gotz' doll.) Take your pattern peice(s) and retrace on another peice of paper, adding one inch to every side. Follow instructions as usual. For loose fitting patterns like the apron, the pinafore, etc, this wasn't even nessisary. An all around wonderful book!
Rating:
Summary: The best book there is for teaching handsewing to the young
Review: While all the Mary Frances series is excellent, I found the sewing book the best of the bunch. The basic premise is that various sewing implements come to life for Mary Frances, a girl of about 9 or so, and they teach her how to sew, beginning with outfitting a sewing basket, then learning 10 or so basic stitches using the kind of cloth that people do counted cross stitch on, then progressing to a sampler, and then on to doll clothes. The Art Deco style of the illustrations is very reminiscent of the L. Frank Baum Oz series. One can enjoy the book just as a delightful fairy story, or one can use it as the basis of a hand-sewing curriculum. I used this to teach my 9 y.o. daughter, and she enjoyed it thoroughly, often waking in the morning and working on her sewing while sitting on her bed; I look forward to teaching other groups of girls in 4-H or at the Waldorf school that my daughter attends.
Rating:
Summary: The best book there is for teaching handsewing to the young
Review: While all the Mary Frances series is excellent, I found the sewing book the best of the bunch. The basic premise is that various sewing implements come to life for Mary Frances, a girl of about 9 or so, and they teach her how to sew, beginning with outfitting a sewing basket, then learning 10 or so basic stitches using the kind of cloth that people do counted cross stitch on, then progressing to a sampler, and then on to doll clothes. The Art Deco style of the illustrations is very reminiscent of the L. Frank Baum Oz series. One can enjoy the book just as a delightful fairy story, or one can use it as the basis of a hand-sewing curriculum. I used this to teach my 9 y.o. daughter, and she enjoyed it thoroughly, often waking in the morning and working on her sewing while sitting on her bed; I look forward to teaching other groups of girls in 4-H or at the Waldorf school that my daughter attends.
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