Bookshelf: Vintage Crafts

There are so many books coming out about vintage crafts. Old-fashioned skills like quilting, embroidery, crochet, and knitting are popular partly because they offer a way to create personalized items to wear or to enjoy in our decor. But also it's just lovely to give a hand-made gift and to create heirlooms to pass down through the family. These recently published vintage crafts books provide both inspiration and practical advice!

Vintage Quilt Revival

Is there anything cozier and more inviting than a beautiful quilt? Giving a fresh twist on tradition, this new Vintage Quilt Revival book is subtitled 22 Modern Designs from Classic Blocks.  As well as bed quilts, the projects include a table runner and a bag. Patterns range from the Mayflower block to the Exploding Star, Dove at the Window, and Double Windmill. I love the romantic names!

Quilting is one of those vintage crafts that seems never to go out of fashion. Crafty types can get really creative with their quilts, using fabrics and patterns to reflect their individuality and their decor.

Maison Sajou Sewing Book

Maison Sajou is a famous haberdashery and sewing crafts store in Paris. The old shop first thread its needle in 1857 and it is still going strong supplying chic French seamstresses with fancy laces, ribbons, and embroidery silks. This new book describes 20 Maison Sajou projects to make at home.

Ideas include decorative napkins, a vintage style clutch bag, a charming silk slipper bag, a French Country style tablecloth, a nautical tote bag, and a pulled threadwork linen bolster. You don't have to be an expert either. The projects with illustrated instructions start with basic embroideries all the way through to more intricate concoctions.

Sew Your Own Vintage Keepsakes

A treasure trove of ideas to make gifts, mementos and accessories that may become heirlooms! The book is heavily inspired by vintage crafts and decor and the author herself lives in an old Victorian townhouse. The 40 projects are paired with photos and step-by-step instructions to make all kinds of keepsakes from a calico doll to a christening gown, and from a drawstring bag to a fabric-lined basket. Although a reissue of an older book, this could be a keeper if you like making keepsakes!

Do you knit, sew, embroider, conjure up quilts or enjoy other traditional vintage crafts? Tell us about your favorite project in the comments box below.