Vintage Craft Book Feature: Phyllis Fiarotta's Nostalgia Crafts Book (1974)

Another of my many needlework hobbies is the collection of vintage craft books. Found in dusty corners of second hand shops, in pride of place in used book stores, these old tomes often contain beautiful nuggets of crafting wisdom, and a heaping helping of vintage charm. Reviving the techniques, tips and retro projects is just one more way for us to bring back the wonders of the handmade.

Phyllis Fiarotta's Nostalgia Crafts Book- 1974

The cover of this book is not nearly as interesting as the introductory pages. The passage below speaks directly to my soul and convinced me to buy this book before I'd even turned another page.

With the heavy stuff out of the way, lets get into what goofy and great things fill this tome.  Much like other craft books of the 1970's (some of which I've featured here before) it is filled with how to's on various household crafts from home decor to dolls.  Each instructional guide is pretty thorough and has enough illustrations to be clear and easy to follow.

This guide for doing whimsical applique on an apron is a favorite of mine. I love how it looks like the rest of the vegetables are chasing the carrot, and the multiple eyes on the potato cracks me up every time.

The real value in this book for me, however, are the real vintage ads and articles scattered throughout. Besides giving a real nostalgia flavor to the book, they add a lot of historical context that I think is often lost when we see individual old items at thrift or antique stores. I especially like the article on making a dress from your husband or brother's old suit that they no longer fit into after returning from the war.  That one sentence dates the article perfectly, and even without further instructions, the text is clear enough to be used as a pattern by a relatively crafty sewer.