The Embroideress

As I have been slowly getting my art and needlework books listed on Library Thing, I've noticed I hadn't really taken a good look at the contents of many of them.

I had a habit during my "going to the dayjob" years of buying books if they were reasonably priced, written by an author I knew and respected and were on a subject of interest. They then often got a cursory browse and shoved on the shelf.

Now that I have a bit more time, I'm finding real treasures when I give them a proper look. The other day I sat down to read cover-to-cover the little Shire book written by Santina Levey, Discovering Embroidery of the 19th Century. This little booklet is jammed with a rich, short course in Victorian Embroidery. It is a great starting point for further investigation of the subject.

Shire publishes small "taste of" books about subjects employing experts as writers. Name a prominent 20/21st Century needlework author and they almost certainly have been published by Shire. Many of us collect these small gems and I highly recommend this one.

Labels: Needlework Books, Santina Levey, Shire Books