This is a very rare, almost unknown book by Fannie Hillsmith. it takes some serious research to find good condition copies. Each time I replace this book it costs me more

As far as I can tell, this is her only book on Needlepoint. It was published in South Brunswick and New York by A.S. Barnes and Co. and in London by Thomas Yoseloff LTD in 1976.

The book appears to be a "soup-to-nuts" needlepoint reference. The first chapter is titled "What Is A Stitch? and goes for 56 chapters more including a chapters on the wools used, a bibliography and an index.

This really does look like an interesting book by someone who knows of what she speaks (rare enough these days).

The book has very few full-color pictures but it does have many, many B and W charts and drawings, each thing she talks about is well illustrated. There is even a chapter on Left-Handed Needlepoint.

An interesting book that I suspect is ahead of it's time, plus I love the title. "The Ups and Downs of Needlepoint" indeed.

There is a great section in here on the basics of doing circles in needlepoint. We all know how difficult your first few stitched circles can be.

Fannie Hillsmith was born in Boston and at the time this book was printed, 1976, lived in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. She was trained at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts School, The Art Students League and Atelier 17. She is a painter, a jewelry designer, a printmaker, as well as a needlepoint designer and teacher.

The Ups and Downs of Needlepoint is in good condition. The dust jacket is quite worn. A careful previous owner has put the dust jacket inside a clear plastic cover, to prevent any further damage. I have left it that way.

The book inside is in very good condition, the pages are slightly yellowed by age but that is to be expected.

This is an unusual and hard-to-find book.