The Finishing Touches housekeeping series harkens back to the day when people knew how to do things: a young girl would have learned the proper way to sew a button at her mother's knee; a young man's father would have demonstrated how to polish a pair of shoes. Those days are gone, and we're all more likely to run to the tailor or the shoemaker (if we're lucky enough to still have one close by) for the simplest of tasks. And sadly, the even more common result is the perfectly good item that ends up getting tossed because we lack the very basic knowledge needed to mend it. A Stitch in Time...demonstrates 13 simple hand sewing repairs that everyone needs at one time or another: sewing a button, replacing a lost button, repairing a tear under a button, tightening a loose button hole; fixing a ripped seam, a hanging hem, a torn pocket, a ripped zipper, a broken zipper, lost hook and eye, a hole or tear; replacing elastic, and closing a splayed dart, pleat, or pocket. Opening sections cover what to have in a basic home sewing kit and a detailed description of the 5 essential stitches you need to know for quick repairs. Stylishly designed and filled with clear, step-by-step illustrations, this book is sure to appeal to all aspiring do-it-yourselfers.