Second to none in their admiration of fine stitchery, the Victorians adorned their homes and wardrobes with lavish displays of needlework and similar handicrafts. Most nineteenth-century women engaged in some form of sewing ― whether for pleasure, economy, or both ― and in the absence of a tutor, th...

Second to none in their admiration of fine stitchery, the Victorians adorned their homes and wardrobes with lavish displays of needlework and similar handicrafts. Most nineteenth-century women engaged in some form of sewing ― whether for pleasure, economy, or both ― and in the absence of a tutor, they turned to handbooks such as this rare and authentic guide to the rich and varied intricacies of needlecraft.

Scores of diagrams and photos offer clear illustrations of the step-by-step directions for mastering an array of techniques and patterns. Ranging from a practical lesson in hemstitching to creating doilies with Hungarian embroidery, this vintage volume offers a treasury of what the Victorians termed fancywork: decorative stitching such as Bulgarian, Catalan, Hungarian, and Baro embroidery; netting; Berlin wool-work; Bohemian, Carrickmacross, Innishmacsaint, and reticella lace: and a bevy of cousins to the burgeoning family of needlepoint.

Aspiring or accomplished, needleworkers at every level of expertise will find projects here to love ― knotting fringes for a handsome finished edge, trimming collars and cuffs with dainty punched work, making a lace collar in Brussels braid, and numerous other crafts, all abounding in old-fashioned charm.