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.
Better Homes and Gardens: Creative Crafts and Stitchery - U.S.A. 1976
Much like the previous BH&G book I reviewed (Treasures From Throwaways), this one is packed with delightfully retro projects. Though there is less of a focus on it, there are many projects in this book that feature natural or reused materials. for example, it says to cut shapes out of colored beverage cans for the cool shisha mirrors in the butterfly on the cover. Painted rocks, driftwood sculptures and more alongside the more traditional knitting and macrame.
The butterfly is pretty cool, but I think these awesomely retro sweaters from the embroidery section deserve a special mention.
I see so many old knit and crochet doilies at thrift stores, and never know what to do with them, but hate to pass them up as they are so pretty. Well, maybe this is the answer: stick them on every available surface in a bathroom :P In all seriousness, this does give me a few ideas: edges of towels, pillow covers, lace window curtains...
Even though I am hopelessly bad at crochet, this triangle shawl is one of my favorite projects in the whole book.
"The shawl...is a replica of one that a young Swedish bride made for her trousseau when she came to this country 100 years ago. The adult version is worn by the great-granddaughter of the Swedish girl who crocheted the original wraparound shawl, and the child's version is worn by her great-great-granddaughter"
I love seeing replicas of historical needlework like this. So many traditional garments only exist now in photos, and no one kept track of how to make them. Having historical crafts preserved like this is always amazing to find in a modern book.
Maybe someday I'll finally get better at crochet and try to make one of these shawls.
These leaf art cards are another favorite of mine. I have always been that weirdo who sees faces and scenes in completely mundane objects. These leaf art cards are proof that someone else in the world has the same weird tendency.
I did make a few of these as Christmas and birthday cards one year. While everyone said they were neat/pretty/what-have-you, a few definitely looked askance at me and asked what the shape was supposed to be. I guess it takes a special kind of weird to appreciate them, but I am glad to be in that category.
All of the projects in this book are quite charming if you like the retro style. They all have great instructions, so even if you just want to use the how-to info for your own crafts, it is a great resource. It covers a pretty wide range of crafting disciplines, and has a lot of outside-the-box type inspiration to offer. Case in point; this 'accent rug' that you literally draw on whatever floor you think needs an accent rug, but having a real rug would gum up the door.
Better Homes and Gardens: Creative Crafts and Stitchery - U.S.A. 1976
Much like the previous BH&G book I reviewed (Treasures From Throwaways), this one is packed with delightfully retro projects. Though there is less of a focus on it, there are many projects in this book that feature natural or reused materials. for example, it says to cut shapes out of colored beverage cans for the cool shisha mirrors in the butterfly on the cover. Painted rocks, driftwood sculptures and more alongside the more traditional knitting and macrame.
The butterfly is pretty cool, but I think these awesomely retro sweaters from the embroidery section deserve a special mention.
I see so many old knit and crochet doilies at thrift stores, and never know what to do with them, but hate to pass them up as they are so pretty. Well, maybe this is the answer: stick them on every available surface in a bathroom :P In all seriousness, this does give me a few ideas: edges of towels, pillow covers, lace window curtains...
"The shawl...is a replica of one that a young Swedish bride made for her trousseau when she came to this country 100 years ago. The adult version is worn by the great-granddaughter of the Swedish girl who crocheted the original wraparound shawl, and the child's version is worn by her great-great-granddaughter"
I love seeing replicas of historical needlework like this. So many traditional garments only exist now in photos, and no one kept track of how to make them. Having historical crafts preserved like this is always amazing to find in a modern book.
Maybe someday I'll finally get better at crochet and try to make one of these shawls.
These leaf art cards are another favorite of mine. I have always been that weirdo who sees faces and scenes in completely mundane objects. These leaf art cards are proof that someone else in the world has the same weird tendency.
I did make a few of these as Christmas and birthday cards one year. While everyone said they were neat/pretty/what-have-you, a few definitely looked askance at me and asked what the shape was supposed to be. I guess it takes a special kind of weird to appreciate them, but I am glad to be in that category.
All of the projects in this book are quite charming if you like the retro style. They all have great instructions, so even if you just want to use the how-to info for your own crafts, it is a great resource. It covers a pretty wide range of crafting disciplines, and has a lot of outside-the-box type inspiration to offer. Case in point; this 'accent rug' that you literally draw on whatever floor you think needs an accent rug, but having a real rug would gum up the door.
Also, macralap is my new favorite crafting term.
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