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CM . . .
. Volume XV Number 5. . . .October 24, 2008
excerpt:
I like the "Planet Girl"'s tagline; "a world of your own making, being and doing." Any book that encourages young women to think for themselves and create their own fashion sense, instead of being dictated to by the corporate media, is a good book in my eyes. "Planet Girl," a series of books published by Kids Can Press, sets out to do just this. Everywear is the sixth in a series that contains other titles such as Fully Wooly and In-Jean-U-ity. Everywear offers ideas for accessorizing your wardrobe using mainly recycled items or using items found around the house. Chapter titles and fashion accessories include:
Like any good craft book, Everywear starts out with tips and techniques for crafting. The authors stress the importance of reading each project's instructions before starting out so that you don't run into unexpected obstacles or find out you are missing an important item which could make or break the success of your project. I also like that the authors suggest finding something else to replace a missing component, allowing you to create a completely one-of-a-kind original item. The first chapter also teaches you about different kinds of fasteners, the potential hazards of glue guns and utility knives, different items required for the beading projects and the basics of sewing. The projects throughout the book will appeal to girls ages 9-14. My own 14-year-old crafty, fashionista loved the "Oh-so-stylish-Obi." She is currently fascinated by anything Japanese and found the perfect piece of fabric in our stash of scraps. She is already an accomplished sewer and used a machine rather than hand-stitching as suggested in the book. In just a couple of hours, she had created something unique. I was impressed. The other project that caught her eye was the "Newsworthy Bag" made out of newspaper and clear duct tape. She became a little frustrated with the duct tape which seemed to have a mind of its own, sticking to itself and to the table she was working on. However, she really like the finished product, and I have asked her to craft one for me out of the latest colourful edition of The Funny Times newspaper. I would suggest purchasing a roll of tape specifically for this project as our household supply was severely depleted by the time she was finished her bag. Some of the projects seemed too juvenile to be considered "cool." Paper beads were something that we made when my children were quite young. Overall, I think that the projects are simple enough for everyone to achieve success. Many of the ideas in the book would make great activities for sleepover parties or for girl's groups. I run an after school program for 9-12 year old tweenagers, and I think the "Swish Hair Sticks" or the "Va-va-va-voom Vinyl Wristbands" would make excellent, quick and definitely cool crafts. Highly Recommended. Lizanne Eastwood is a Community Literacy Coordinator with the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy, a library employee and a home schooling parent of two active teenagers in Grand Forks, BC.
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