NewNeedlepoint > RARE Misc. NeedleWork Books

Needlework Patterns from the Metropolitan Museum of Art by Susan Siegler

Susan Siegler is the supervisor of Special Projects at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this handsome book is the response to the many requests that the museum has received over the years, for needlework patterns based on it's great textile and stitchery collections. All of the patterns in this book are adaptations of embroideries and tapestries in the museum's collections. The ones chosen are not necessarily the most famous or valuable, they were chosen to "delight, teach and challenge today's needleworker". The designs are for Needlepoint, Crewel Work and for Embroidery. They are very interesting. Each design has instructions including material needed but no graphs or templates. There is a black & white photo of the piece on the facing page. All the photos in this book are b&w, which is unfortunate except for 3 sections of full color photos throughout the book, of about 5 pages each. Each project is shown in a color picture. I do wish they had been able, back when this book was published, to put the color picture of the projects with the instructions. Oh well. At least they are there and the table of contents tells you where each one is. This book is not for a beginning stitcher, an experienced intermediate or advanced level stitcher is needed to be able to use these directions and replicate these designs. Published in 1976 by the New York Graphic Society in Boston. Needlework Patterns from the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a large hard cover book with 184 pages. This book is in very good condition. Even the dust jacket is pretty good, just with ragged edges. The spine is tight and the pages inside are very good. They are slightly yellowed, due to the age of this book. There is a bit of light foxing on the cut edge of the pages at the top of the book. This is a rare & hard to find book. FREE MEDIA MAIL DELIVERY IN THE USA

Decorative Alphabets for Needleworkers, Craftsmen & Artists edited by Carol Belanger Grafton

The 2000 letters in this volume comprise a useful and versatile resource. Selected from late 19th & early 20th century sources, some of them rare and out of print. The letters make 79 complete alphabets in an array of styles. These will be useful to Needlepointers, Cross-Stitchers, Embroiderers & Ribbon Embroiders plus Punch-Needle people. The list is long. This is another of those very good Dover Needlecraft publications from Dover Publications in New York. Published in 1981 it is a glossy cover paperbound book with 120 pages. Decorative Alphabets is in good condition. The front cover has a bend at the upper right hand corner that goes almost all the way through the book. The edges are a bit worn, that is just the book's age showing. in removing another pesky sticker (why do they put stickers all over these books) I took the very top layer of paper with it. I have taped over it. It is a surface problem, only. The pages inside are white and unmarked (except for the slightly bent top right corners) and the spine is tight. This has become a hard-to-find book. FREE MEDIA MAIL DELIVERY IN THE USA

79 Decorative Alphabets for Designers & Craftspeople edited by Carol Belanger Grafton

I am not sure if this is an undated version or a companion book to Carol Grafton's other book with a similar title. I do have a copy of the other book in stock, in paging through them I can't see any differences, except the title and cover. Although this is a used/rare book, it is in almost new condition except for a few dog eared pages (a turned corner to mark a page). The Alphabets included in this book are very nice, I would call them ornate or decorative rather then basic. Perhaps that is what this is, a fancier collection of alphabets. I found a clue. This book is a Dover 2001 re-publication of Decorative Alphabets for Needleworkers, Craftsmen and Artists from 1981. I suppose the updated title is to be more inclusive and less sexist (craftsmen to craftspeople). The back cover says this book has 2000 unusual copy-right free letters selected from late 19th and early 20th century sources. This book is in very good condition, except for the few dog-earred pages. Published by Dover Press in 2001, this is a glossy cover paperbound book with 120 pages. FREE MEDIA MAIL DELIVERY IN THE USA

The Margaret Boyles Book of NeedleArt

A different sort of book from Margaret Boyles. Most of her books are more Needlepoint or Bargello Needlepoint reference books or workbooks. This book has designs to stitch and they cover a large range of types of needlepoint and stitchery. There are canvas work needlepoint designs, a number of Bargello Needlepoint designs, there are some designs done on linen and some frankly crewel work designs. Of course, all are done with Margaret Boyles' excellent instruction and clear graphs and diagramming. She really is a Master Teacher. This is a larger hardcover book with 160 pages. It was published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovitch in 1978. The Margaret Boyles Book of Needleart has become very hard-to-find and cost quite a bit more to buy now. I suppose this is bound to happen with these great older books. This book does not have a dust cover. I am sure it had one once, but not now. The book is in very good condition except for some wear & slight dings at the corners of the cover. Someone has written a price in pencil on the inside front cover and the letter P n the inside back cover. I found 1 (not an area, just 1 tiny spot) spot of foxing on the inside front cover. I checked the book carefully and see no more of it anywhere. The pages inside are very good and the binding is tight. Free Media Mail Delivery in the USA

Plain & Fancy: American Women & Their Needlework, 1700-1850 by Susan Burrows Swan

This is a handsome book illustrated with the Special Needlework Collection from the Winterthur Museum. This is not a needlepoint project book, it will not teach you how to stitch but it is the history of American Needlework with some fine pictures of early work. To quote from the dust jacket " This is the story of early American women as they told it in their needlework." Well said. From the back cover: " Plain & Fancy is not only a comprehensive survey of American needlework forms from the late seventeenth century into the Victorian era, but also a social history of the women who did this needlework, their primary and most acceptable creative outlet." This is a valuable book to anyone interested in the history of needlework. It is full of pictures and the information here is good and easily accessible. My one complaint with this book and it is kind of a big one is how few of the pictures are full color. Most pictures are B & W and while they are good, they need color to really show the beauty of this work. This is a First Edition of this book. Published in 1977 by Rutledge books, a division of Holt, Rinehart and Winston. This is a hard cover book with 238 pages Since I first found this book and sold it and now, this book has jumped in price. I am not surprised it is becoming a rare book, it is a good book. Plain & Fancy is in remarkable condition, for it's age. The book is very good, the pages are clean & white and the binding is tight. Even the dust cover is good. The pages and edges of the dust jacket are slightly yellowed. this too, is from age. Someone has written a price on the top corner of the inside cover page. I do not want to risk trying to remove it. FREE MEDIA MAIL DELIVERY IN THE USA

Embroidery Techniques From East and West by Munni Srivastava

The subtitle for this book is : Texture and Color for Quilters and Embroiderers. This is a handsome book full of gorgeous and original designs and ideas. Some of the quilt designs require a sewing machine. It begins with a chapter on: EQUIPMENT NEEDED HAND EMBROIDERY featuring mirror work, embroidery motifs and other embellishments MACHINE EMBROIDERY, PATCHWORK AND QUILTING with free motion machine embroidery, applique, carzy patchwork, cathedral window patchwork, strip patchwork, tumbling blocks, quilting and inspiration and design THE PROJECTS with cushion making, wall hangins and framed pictures, presentation and conversation. Wonderful designs using rich colors that seem to glow even from the page. The designs are unusual and often lavish. A good book for embroiders or quilters. Embroidery Techniques From East and West was first published in the UK by B T Batsford in 2001. This edition was published in the USA by Trafalgar Square Publishing in Vermont in 2003. This book did not come with it's dust jacket. I assume it once had one but it is not here now. Except for the missing dust jacket, this book would be in gift quality condition. As it is, it is very good. Very very good. FREE MEDIA MAIL DELIVERY IN THE USA

The Great Afghan Book by The American School of Needlework

From the dust jacket's inside blurb "The Great Afghan Book is a treasury of 70 Afghan designs to Knit, Crochet, make in Afghan Stitch, Broomstick Lace or Hair Pin Lace. Included are Afghans for babies and children, as well as adults. Some are tailored, some very feminine. Several feature beautiful Cross Stitch Embroidery or Afghan Stitch backgrounds. Even the inexperienced needleworker will find a wide choice here - including 10 Afghans so simple and quick to make they're called *Easiest Afghans*" It goes on to say that "Knitters will delight in 4 designs made from Knitted Granny Squares, a unique new concept." The book does not have a publication date, that I could find, but we can assume it was back when Granny Squares were a new idea. Each project has very complete directions, materials needed and illustrations as well as a picture of the finished afghan. All of the pictures in the projects sections of the book are in black & white but there is a full color picture section in the middle of the book where each afghan is shown with the page number of the direction for it. There are very nice Afghan designs in here. I have a special fondness for Afghans. My mother knitted them for everybody. Now her hands won't let her knit anymore but we all, children & grandchildren, treasure the Afghans she made us. Published by Columbia House, a division of CBS for the American School of Needlework. The Great Afghan Book is a hardcover book with 159 pages. This book is in very good condition. The hardcover is good and the pages are very good. They are very slightly yellowed by age but unmarked with a tight spine. The dust jacket is in pretty good condition but I found a few spots of foxing on the inside of the dust jacket. I suggest you discard the dust jacket as soon as you get this book. No dust jacket does effect the value of a rare book but foxing in the body of the book will make it unsalable. I looked carefully and found no foxing on the book itself. FREE MEDIA MAIL DELIVERY IN THE USA

Designs for Needlepoint and Latch Hook Rugs by Dorothy Kaestner

Dorothy Kaestner is, of course, famous for her wonderful Bargello Needlepoint books, Needlepoint Bargello, Bargello Antics & 4 Way Bargello, all of which I carry here on NewNeedlepoint in my rare Bargello Books category. I was pleased and surprised to find this rug book by Mrs. Kaestner. I did not know it existed and it is indeed rare. There is a wonderful cover picture of her stitching on a very large, very beautiful rug. On the back of the dust jacket is a gorgeous Bargello & Needlepoint rug done in shades of blue. What can I tell you? Dorothy Kaestner is a Master Teacher, this book contains 25 designs for rugs which can be made either in Needlepoint or Latch Hook. They are in various sizes, ranging from the long runner (63" X 105") shown on the cover to to tiny doll house rugs to larger rugs in oblong, square, octagonal or round. The design graphs are excellent, full size. The bigger ones take up more then 1 page but you can easily photocopy them and put them together. The graphs & rug pictures for each design are in black & white however, each rug is shown in full color in the front of the book. There are also design elements templates at the back of the book. Designs for Needlepoint and Latch Hook Rugs is not a beginner's book. A experienced stitcher will have no trouble using these patterns. Published by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1978, this is a large hardcover book with 177 pages. As always, photographs by George Kaestner. This book is in good condition but it has some issues. The dust jacket is pretty good, surprisingly, but the pages are somewhat yellowed by age. There is a some foxing on the page edges only. Usually I would not list a book this way but there is not that much foxing, really and this is a very rare book. The spine is tight and otherwise the condition is good. FREE MEDIA MAIL DELIVERY IN THE USA

Joyous Occasions: A Collection of Heirloom Hardanger Designs by Emie Bishop

Quoting Emie Bishop from the back cover.....(alot of blather about art, cultures and ageless stitches)...."I don't love one technique more then another, but the thing that intrigues (they misspelled intrigue) me about Hardanger is that it is lacy and beautifully stitched on linen. It gives elegance without being so impossibly hard that you don't want to try it." Interesting. The book goes on to say that it contains projects for "life's celebrations". The sections are: Your Wedding Your Home The Holidays Your Baby. There is a section with some of the history of Hardanger and then some beautiful samples of the work. The projects really are very nice, targeted at these events. The instructions are very complete, giving you sizes, materials needed, design notes and comprehensive directions. There is a full color picture of each project completed and very clear graphed charts for each design. This is a handsome book. Published by Symbol of Excellence Publishers in Birmingham, Alabama in 1996. This is a First Printing edition. Joyous Occasions is a matt hard cover book, it did not come with a dust jacket. The book has 143 pages and is in like new condition. Except for a bit of "rubbing" marks from being stored on a shelf, Joyous Occasions has nothing wrong with it. FREE MEDIA MAIL DELIVERY IN THE USA

Beadweaving by Ann Benson

The subtitle for this book is: New Needle Techniques & Original Designs. To quote the back page "Create beautiful beaded jewelry and accessories for yourself or give them as on-of-a-kind gifts. All these bright sparkling projects represent many ideas from around the world and are made with 2 simple techniques: Bead-Card Stitching and Needleweaving. Stunning close-up photographs highlight each of the 50 pieces clearly, inviting anyone to enjoy the process. As you might know from my other reviews, I am leery of the word "stunning". In looking through this book I do agree that the projects are wonderful, some are absolutely gorgeous and a few are stunning. Below is a close-up picture of a bead flower. The directions for each project seem to be very complete and each has a material needed list. Each has a full color picture of the finished piece and any templates you need. Beadweaving begins with general instruction, so the book is suitable for a beginner but I would think these designs are more for an experienced beader. Published by Sterling/Chapelle in 1993, this book is the First Edition Paperbound edition published in 1996. It is a glossy cover paper bound book with 144 pages. Beadweaving is in very good condition. The cover is a bit worn at the edges but otherwise the book is in very good condition. The pages are white & clean and the spine is tight. It does not seem that the book has been opened very much. FREE MEDIA MAIL DELIVERY IN THE USA

The Needlework Doctor by Mary Kay Davis

I was amazed when I first found this book, I always thought there was a need for just this book but I did not know it existed. it is subtitled "How to Solve Every Kind of Needlework Problem". Mary Kay Davis is the co-author of America's Great Quilt Designs and More Needlepoint from Americas Great Quilt Designs. Both of those books are listed for sale here (or will be when I do them next, I already sold her Quilt book once). The chapters are: how to use this book preventive medicine PREPARATION Education Kits Design & Color Creative Problem Solving UNUSUAL PROJECTS Wall Hangings Upholstery Rugs Antique Needlepoint. In thumbing through this book it is all here. Not just how to fix a problem but basic questions like how many strands of thread do I use? etc. This looks to me to be the one book we should all have on our needlework book shelves and I am going to see if I can find a few more copies of it, I want one for myself too. Published by Prentice Hall in 1982 this is a hardbound book with 280 pages. This copy of The Needlework Doctor is in remarkable condition, for this book. It is a very popular book and I sell them almost as soon as I list one. It has been getting much harder to find and one in this condition is rare. There is no dust jacket but otherwise the book is in very good condition. The pages are white and clean, the spine is tight. A very good copy even without the dust jacket. Free Media Mail Delivery in the USA

Applique Old and New by Nedda C. Anders

The subtitle reads: Including Patchwork & Embroidery. "Nedda C. Anders has brought together information on all types of Applique. Methods for working material, numerous projects and many photographs of old and new examples of Applique Work. She discusses the different types of materials for both the designs and the backgrounds, transfer of designs, design principles, assembling Applique and ground fabrics, types and methods of onlay and inlay, machine applique etc." There are projects here for Appliqe by hand and by machine plus a few children might enjoy making. This is an unabridged re-publication of the first (1967) edition with 1 new section added. The book has 208 illustrations. In looking through this book, I find this book begins from the beginning, teaching basics and then moves into projects. The directions are clear and complete and while all the pictures are b&w, they and the line drawings of techniques show you what you need. I thought the projects here were not dated at all, I thought them to be as attractive now as when this book was written. Published by Dover Publications in 1976, from the 1967 original edition. Applique Old and New is a glossy cover paperbound book with 126 pages. The book is in very good co9ndition, despite it's age. The covers are a bit worn at the edges but otherwise fine, as are the pages inside. No yellowing at all. The spine is tight.

American Needlework 1776/1976 by Leslie Tillett

This looks to be an amazing book, the subtitle is "Needlepoint and Crewel Patterns Adapted from Historic American Images". It also has a foreword by Rose Kennedy (yes, that Rose Kennedy). The designs and charts are based on early American pictures, styles and icons. There is a color picture of each design completed and complete instructions included materials needed and a very readable chart for each. I think the best way to describe this book is to list the patterns: An Alphabet Sampler General Washington and his Ledy (not a typo) Martha Washington's Needlepoint Martha Washington's Ballgown Bicentennial Medallion 1776-1976 Do Not Tread On Me George Washington Driving the Chariot of State Whale Paisley ( I had to look at that) Benjamin Franklin Bouquet Tea Chop (not a typo) Patchwork Quilt John Hewson Bouquet Confederate Flag Crazy Horse and General Custer Heart Flag The Spirit of '78 Stenciled Fruit Shaker Tree of Life Washday Rose Kennedy's Piano Bench Cover American Rose The Sailor's Farewell Molley Russell Sampler The Boston Tea Party United We Stand Clementine Bouquet Mules in the Pasture Eagles All Over As well as basic instructions, tips and stitches. Leslie Tillett has a long history as designer/colorist/author/lecturer. He designed what was, at the time, the largest piece of needlwork in America, a huge 4-Way Bargello hanging. He was asked by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to add needlework to the The Design Works of Bedford-Stuyvesant in New York. Published by the New York Graphic Society in Boston in 1975. This is a hard cover book with 144 pages. American Needlework is in very good condition, even considering it's age. It looks like the last few pages were damp once, they are a bit crinkled, otherwise the inside is great with a tight spine. The book is inside of a clear plastic overcover. It does seems as if this has protected the dust cover. FREE MEDIA MAIL DELIVERY IN THE USA

The Fiber Book by The Ridge Needlepoint Chapter

This is a completely unique needlepoint book and I challenge anyone to find a copy of it anywhere else. It is written and self-published by The American Needlepoint Guild's Ridge Needlepointers Chapter in 1983. It is written by Virginia Dubenetzky and edited by The Rev. Robert E. Blackburn (Father B's Book). This book is very self-published. It did not come with any sort of binding, just glued together pages. I tried a heavy paper notebook but the text was too thick so I have put it into a 3 hole notebbok I had (the 3 holes were already in the manuscript, I did not add them). I printed a picture of one of my own designs for the cover. This is the second edition, second printing. The book addresses "what is fiber and how do I use it in needlepoint"? The Ridge Chapter did not find a book so they wrote one. Each fiber has it own page. In reading several of these chapters, the information is very complete. I wish someone had mass produced this book. The book is in surprisingly good condition. The edges of the pages are slightly yellowed by age. Other then that the book is very good with 96 pages. FREE MEDIA MAIL DELIVERY IN THE USA

Pulled Work On Canvas & Linen by Rosemary Drysdale

I should not admit this (but here I go). The name Drysdale reminds me of the old TV show "The Beverly Hillbillies". The banker and neighbor was Mr Drysdale with his hysterical wife, Mrs. Drysdale. With deepest apologies to Rosemary Drysdale. Pulled work has it roots in English and Danish embroidery. Pulled Work is the pulling of threads stitched so tight that the ground material, canvas or linen, come together to form artistic holes in your design. This book shows 100 different stitches which can be used to create Pulled Work. I think mixing this with needlepoint (and I have seen it done) is just wonderful. Piublished in 1978 by Charles Scribner & Sons, this is a hard bound book with 127 pages. This is a former library book, it is in incredible condition. Except for the Library stamps on the inside front cover and a small sticky area on the inside back cover where they must have removed the library card holder, It is in perfect condition. The pages are clean & bright and the binding is perfect. FREE MEDIA MAIL DELIVERY IN THE USA