Ever spent an afternoon at your grandmother’s house or some vintage store, looking through all the old linens and wondering how to make all those pretty old stitches that you just don’t see anymore?
Chances are, if you’re a Fibers major, you have. And if you have, then this is the book for you.
Complete with beautiful 19th Century illustrations, Smocking and Fine Sewing isn’t just a how-to guide on technique. Sure, there are step-by-step instructions with helpful pictures showing you exactly where to put the needle in order to create perfect hand-sewn hems, but really it’s the variety of examples that make this book exquisite.
There are smocked purses, jeweled embroidery, and so many variations of hem stitching that you could sew an entire collection of clothing and never use the same hem twice. And don’t even get me started on the examples of embroidered letters. It’s enough to make me wish I had about a hundred hours to spare, to make a set of monogrammed robes fit for a lord and lady.
So, nostalgiaphiles rejoice: the good old days may be gone, but at least you can still stitch yourself some old-time finery while enjoying a bracing cup of tea, put a record on the phonograph, and keep the dream alive.
TT
840
.S66
S66
1998
Check It Out!
Mary J. Wilson
Oregon College of Art and Craft Library 