Come See, Come Sew: Vintage Books on Handicrafts

Walker, Agnes, Manual of Needlework and Cutting Out. London: Blackie & Son, 1898. The Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library

«Looking for inspiration for your next crafting project? Perhaps something vintage? The Museum's libraries have pattern books and instructional manuals dating back to the eighteenth century, with projects ranging from infant pinafores to macramé bikinis.»

Walker, Agnes, Manual of Needlework and Cutting Out. London: Blackie & Son, 1898. The Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library

Torbet, Laura, Macramé You Can Wear. New York: Ballantine Books, 1972. The Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library

Do you knit or crochet? Sweater patterns from the early twentieth century are super stylish and require little updating for materials or fit. Crocheted collars are fun projects and take far less time than a full sweater. I own several and use them to dress up t-shirts and plain cardigans.

Left: Bear Brand Yarn Manufacturers, Inc, Women's Sweaters. New York: Bear Brand Yarn Manufacturers, Inc., 1918. The Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library. Right: Frank Leslie's Portfolio of Fancy Needlework. New York : Stringer & Townsend, 1855

Do you prefer embroidery? Browse through countless design motifs, stitch dictionaries, and surveys of embroidery and needlework from across Europe and Asia. Some manuals even include handy patterns to trace from.

Motifs for Embroideries, 3rd series. Mulhouse, France: Editions Th. de Dillmont, 1932

Motifs for Embroideries, 3rd series. Mulhouse, France: Editions Th. de Dillmont, 1932

Others can serve as a jumping off point. Here is a hardanger embroidery piece I made for a friend using the corner of a handkerchief pattern from 1908.

Hardanger Arbeiten. Mühlhausen (Elsass): Th. de Dillmont, 1908. Antonio Ratti Textile Center Library

Dig a little deeper and discover more unusual projects such as step-by-step instructions on skeletonizing leaves or making a doll house from a hatbox. Learn how to darn a hole in your favorite antimacassar or create a set of your own "Parisian what-nots."

The Stitchery Annual. London: The Girl's Own Paper & Woman's Magazine, 1915

Frank Leslie's Portfolio of Fancy Needlework. New York: Stringer & Townsend, 1855

These old crafting books have thousands of projects and detailed instructions to create each piece, but I found they also provide hours of enjoyment on their own—no needle or thread required.