Book Review: How to Sew a Button and Other Nifty Things your Grandmother Knew by Erin Bried

 One silver lining to this whole recession mess is that it is causing all of us be more resourceful, self-sufficient, and to do more with less.  To make things last, fix things, or make due with what we have. In recent history this has been lost on our generation, where we simply buy new cheap goods, often from far away, instead of looking inward, to what else we can do.  We all know this manner of living is not sustainable.  


Our grandmothers knew this.  They knew how to stretch a dollar, sew a button, entertain on the cheap, cook at home, make a pie crust from scratch, the list goes on and on. 


Many of us missed the opportunity to learn from our grandmothers, or weren't ready to (if you had mentioned any of this to me 15 years ago I would have run the other way).  Our grandmothers had something to teach us, and thankfully, Erin Bried has been collected many of their pearls of wisdom for this snappy book.  


Bried interviewed 10 grandmothers from across the country, all of whom lived during the Great Depression, to find out how they made due, helped others, and entertained with very little, if any excess.  She found that wealth at that time was not defined by possessions, but by your resourcefulness-- nothing was wasted, every task was valued, and much pride was taken in simplier things in life like a homemade pie, freshly ironed shirt, and a clean home.  


The book shares over 100 how-tos that will help you save money and seriously increase your competence in several areas.  In short, funny and entertaining snippets she takes on some topics that scare me, personally, such as:


Cooking
Gardening
Cleaning
Dressing
Nesting
Thriving
Loving
Saving
Joining
Entertaining


Some of my favorites include How to Make Dandelion Wine, How to Make a Baby Toy, and How to Remove Most Stains.  There are so many great topics in this book, it makes it hard to choose.  Of course, Erin is not able to go into infinite detail about each of these topics.  Some are so vast, like how to grow a garden.  But if you are just starting out, this is a great place to begin.



Of course there are many things in here you already know how to do, such as reading a bedtime story, or introducing someone, or playing charades.  What Erin does is make it funny and interesting to read the grandmothers' take on the subject.  


Feminists, take heart.  When I first read the chapter about love, and it outlined welcoming your honey home, I thought, gag!  What is this, 1950?  I'm a feminist, after all!  I certainly don't need to be home when my husband gets home, and it is usually me returning from work anyway.  Some of the comments are truly sappy, but then again, our grandmothers didn't get divorced as much as our generation does.  Paying attention to each other in real and meaningful ways isn't sexist, and I think that is what Erin and the grandmothers are showing us.  


And what lovely reading it is to take in the first chapter of the book which introduces us to the real hereos:  the grandmothers Erin interviewed who lived through the Great Depression and whose ideas are shared throughout the book.  


She also encourages us to sit down and talk with our grandmother(s) if they are still alive.  I sure wish mine were.  


For anyone wanting to be more resourceful, self-sufficient, independent and skilled, this is a great book to pick up. It makes a sweet present for a friend as well.  The book is sassy, fun and empowering, and it promotes money saving ideas that will also lessen the impact on our planet.  Thanks, Erin, for sharing the wisdom of these older women, and for sharing this book with us! I, for one, am glad you made that Swiss Chard pie!  :)


And if you want to get started right now, check out this video from Erin about how to make a baby toy (I think even I could do this one!).