IDEAS Holiday gift suggestions are bound to be helpful

Novice and experienced sewers alike will appreciate these helpful suggestions.
By BARBARA GASH
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
This year I have two new books to recommend for holiday gift-giving. One is ideal for sewing novices and lapsed sewers, and the other is for those with more experience.
"Sew Basic," by the editors of Threads magazine (Taunton Press, $12.95) is subtitled "34 Essential Skills for Sewing with Confidence." The book starts with the premise that "confidence begins with feeling comfortable buying a pattern and the right fabric you need for a project, and ends with a garment that looks as if a professional had made it."
Pertinent topics are covered in just two pages each. Included are choosing your size; laying out the pattern and cutting; tools, threads and needles; and basic construction techniques.
You'll learn about darts, zippers, pleats, piping and more. Excerpted from recent Threads magazines, the information is up-to-date and well-illustrated. Check book and fabric stores for "Sew Basics," or order from 800-926-8776 or www.taunton.com.
Lois Ericson is a highly respected designer, author and teacher, and her latest book, "Options" (self-published, $22.50), is inspiring.
Art form
For Ericson, sewing is truly an art form, and her creative ideas seem limitless. Home-sewers who like to make clothes with a unique flair will discover new and exciting details they can try.
Ericson starts with a brief lesson in surface design, often drawing on nature as a source. The next section is all about construction, with suggestions for doing seams differently, adding collars and yokes, changing shapes and making unusual pockets.
She describes ways to stitch in multiple rows for decorative effects, plus techniques for finishing edges and creating texture in plain fabric. Ericson also elaborates on a trademark of hers -- innovative closures.
The book is spiral-bound and illustrated with simple but sophisticated red and black drawings.
It's available from Design & amp; Sew in California, at (831) 768-8652, or go to www.designandsew.com.