Whenever I am charity shopping/car booting I always make a point of looking out for the at the books! It is there you will find a host of retro or even vintage needlework/crafting books on everything from needlepoint, macrame, patchworking, embroidery to cross stitch, cut working and lace and candle making. Over the years I have gathered together a little library of these and I am always on the the look out for more. These books from years ago have given me loads of ideas to copy but also what and how to customise and bring upto date... I have a feeling that a famous designer has recently taken these ideas and used them in her own books which she has produced recently.
I have to smile to myself as I noticed the otherday that at the front of the book there is often a photo of the artist at work trying out different sewing techniques, trying her luck at candle making or just working at her desk. These books are to me interesting social documents of how people perceived crafting and as now as there is such an upserge in using old craft techniques that new books are being printed... I am sure that in 30-40 years our children will be looking at pictures from our modern books and commenting on us! Well yes... I must admit that I have had my hair in braids!
I love the way these books sometimes have really random combination of crafts. Last weekend I had a look at a book in a charity shop that had chapters on knitting, basketry, jam making, wood carving and fish smoking!
ReplyDeleteHa ha... yes.. now I know what you mean.. so which fish are you going try smoking first!
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