Bookspotting: Needlework Holy Grail
Oh my dears...this day has been a long time coming! After four years of waiting for a set I could afford, I am finally the proud owner of a brand new (shipped in the original shrink wrap!) copy of the two-volume Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework, 1650-1850 by Betty Ring. I encountered these books the very first time I attended the Philadelphia Antiques Show, in the booth of Stephen & Carol Huber, and they have haunted me ever since. Indeed, I'd even say that they were one of the main inspirations for my subsequent obsession with antique embroidery.
There was only one edition of this set (as far as I know), published 17 years ago, and today they go for crazy amounts of money--some online shops asking as much as $350!--but my patience has finally paid off, and I got a very, VERY good deal on eBay. I knew one day they would be mine ...
All that remains now is to clear shelf space for them somewhere. These books are quite tall!
But wait! There's another new addition to my stitchery library, somewhat more humble, but still quite interesting, to me at least. I used some handy coupons to pick this one up at A.C. Moore this afternoon (I can't seem to stay out of the place!). It's a guide to Schwalm embroidery, an 18th Century form of Whitework that originated in Germany. I look forward to studying it and trying some of the charming designs included.
There was only one edition of this set (as far as I know), published 17 years ago, and today they go for crazy amounts of money--some online shops asking as much as $350!--but my patience has finally paid off, and I got a very, VERY good deal on eBay. I knew one day they would be mine ...
All that remains now is to clear shelf space for them somewhere. These books are quite tall!
But wait! There's another new addition to my stitchery library, somewhat more humble, but still quite interesting, to me at least. I used some handy coupons to pick this one up at A.C. Moore this afternoon (I can't seem to stay out of the place!). It's a guide to Schwalm embroidery, an 18th Century form of Whitework that originated in Germany. I look forward to studying it and trying some of the charming designs included.