Customer Reviews

Collecting Antique Linens, Lace and Needlework

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I found this to be a helpful reference guide to a collector. The pictures are clear and the descriptions are good.Not much in the way of pricing but good information to help learn about the multitude of antique textiles. This is a good addition to a collectors library.

This book has much information that is useful for a "vintage" linens collector or handworker, but will not inform you well in its history of "antique" textiles. (An "antique" should be at least 100 years old.)
There are gaps geographically, ignoring most world cultures that have used needlework, focussing mostly on Western Europe and USA. These are the types of linens most often found in local shops. For a world collector, it is not very useful.

The comments about embroidery history are sometimes misleading. If you want to know more about other handwork historically and culturally, read "Embroidered Textiles" by Paine, or other books on this subject. Ms. Johnson does call her chapter "A Brief History..."

She gives (mostly women recently) a great deal of credit for their hours of labor.

What is shown about 19-20th Century Western handwork is informative. The book is useful for identification and description of techniques and tools. Lots of black and white photos. Some examples are pictured twice.

This book is designed for serious collectors. However, for the rest of us it is downright fun to read about histories and purposes of linens and lace. The book is not designed to teach how to do it but you learn how it was done and can even recognize the various stitches.

The book has fascinating pictures of equipment needed for the craft. Many are black and white, yet there is a color section. The down side is looking at the antique Skein Winder make mine look like it was made in the garage (o.k. it was made in the garage.)

Some of the table of contents:
A Brief History Of antique Linens, Lace, and Needlework
An Encyclopedia of Stitches
Needles, Threads, and Pins
Types of Embroidery
The Variety of Darn Work

Hopeful you stumbled on to this review as it is fun finding jewels like this book. I believe they call it serendipity.

Bobbins of Belguim

Book is filled with information on vintage linens. Pictures help with the identifying of types of linens.