Whenever I pop into a charity shop to browse, I always head to books to see if there are any old craft books for inspiration. My favourite find was in Durham Oxfam bookshop, a classic embroidery stitch dictionary.
Very often, these books are filled with beautiful illustrations, detailed instructions and project ideas. Sometimes you do need to look paste the styling of the projects (especially books from the 70s, 80s and 90s!)
Here are a few things you can pick up and learn from such books:
1. Traditional Stitches and Techniques
Vintage embroidery books are a fantastic resource for learning stitches, these books often come with detailed diagrams and step-by-step instructions. Traditional stitches included in these books form the foundation for many modern embroidery styles.
You may also discover a stitch or technique that you’ve not tried before or isn’t practiced commonly today. For example, crewel work (a form of embroidery using wool thread) and blackwork (a monochrome stitch that creates intricate, geometric patterns) were very popular in the past, and exploring these can give you ideas for future projects.
2. Historical Patterns and Designs
Vintage embroidery books often feature a variety of historical patterns that reflect what was in fashion at that time such as floral motifs. You could recreate a historical piece or see how embroidery has evolved.
Many vintage books also provide designs that were used for specific items such as tablecloths, linens, clothing or stitch samplers. These patterns can be a source of inspiration for creating your own projects, allowing you bring different techniques into your work.
3. Colour, Fabric and designs
With the limited range of materials available in the past, crafters had to be resourceful and use what they had available to them. Vintage books often showcase beautiful colour palettes and fabric pairings and how different materials affect the outcome of your stitching.
4. Gift ideas
Embroidery books that contain projects can give ideas for making hand-stitched gifts. Vintage books often offer instructions and designs for practical items like embroidered tea towels, aprons, and bed linens. These projects are great in showcasing practical uses for embroidery rather than embroidery just as art to hang on the wall.
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