Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Beautiful books



Yesterday I stopped at a charity shop I had not been to before: I will be back.  They have a huge range of books on all sorts of topics at bargain prices.  I find that the books on needlework are always in good condition: I think needlewomen treasure their books and look after them well.


The books I purchased are ones I have not seen before, although they are not particularly new.
The first one is Needlemade Laces by Pat Earnshaw,  an absolute delight. Apart from instructions there are just so many beautiful laces pictured.
The second one is Creative Canvaqs Embroidery, by Effie Mitrofanis.  I have never been interested in needlepoint but Effie brings her usual exuberant style to it and now I think I am going to have to investigate further.  Book number three is The Essential Quilter by Barbara Chainey. Again, not something I do, but the instructions look so basic I think I could give it a try.

I would be interested to know what books are absolutely necessary - if you had to dispose of all  of your books, keeping just 5, what would you choose?

9 comments:

Karyn said...

keep just five: I am hyperventilating just thinking about it.LOL!!!
You are right about needleworkers looking after their books: i have never seen a needlework/embroidery/craft book in disrepair.

Anonymous said...

I don't have too many books on embroidery but my Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlecraft is the first embroidery book I owned and it is the one I most frequently refer to. An absolute treasure!

Jensters said...

This is funny as ive just put some books away but they were just cross stitch ones...lol....im with Karyn and hyperventilating at the thought....but will come back later with five i would keep as at work at the moment xx

Radka said...

Oh, it is an impossible question to answer, in my case anyway!

Karyn said...

Okay, I grabbed a paper bag so the hyperventilating stopped!!!! I have been thinking and oculd not settle on five even if my life depended upon it. BUT... I was thinking and these are two books I would save if I could only have five; they are kids picture books.My kids are 11 and 13 so they aren't reading them anymore and we have so many beautiful picture books. So, two of my five books would be: "Just like you" by Jan Fearnley coz it is oh so sweet. And "my friend bear" by Jez Alborough because I used to laugh harder than the boys when i read it!!
Then I would have to find three of my sewing books. Which ones exactly will require me sleeping on it I think. Can my Country Bumpkin A-Z collection count as one book???

JulietteCherry said...

Oddly enough, despite a vast colection of needlework/craft books, my essential five are quite different.

Mostly kept for sentimental reasons.

1. The second ghost book (bought for me as a gift from my son when he was about six years old.

2.The Complete book of Fortune. Inherited from my grandmother, very battered and probably from the 1920/30's.

3. A Childrens Book of Verse illustrated by Eric Kincaid, the illustrations take me back to my own childhood's imagination.

4. A Flower Fairies Treasury - Cicely Mary Barker, because I love fairies.

5. Lastly, a knitting book - Creative Knitting by Sherry Wilson, because it gives charts for every size and style and you can then design your own patterns. A very useful reference/comparison book.

There are lots of treasured needlework books too, but these five are the most valued by me.

Linda said...

Hi Dian, I've been AWOL again, and only just checking out the news. I love your collection of books. As to your question, I'm speechless and could not say which books I'd toss or keep, I want them all and can't live in a world where I'm not surrounded by them all. I think I have two that are in that pile, and covert the others....LOL........

Anonymous said...

Wonderful books! I love a good find and a bargain too. I actually have that needle lace book and only had it down a couple of days ago for a look at.

Elizabethanne said...

I think I am with Karyn on this one. Just five??? Unthinkable :-l Even fifty would not be enough :-) I have way to many treasured & regularly read books to only pick five to save. No I think this question is way to hard for me :-) :-) Your Friend
Elizabeth x