If you say the word “sewing” to most people, they immediately think of sewing fabric.  But did you know that people have been sewing books for hundreds of years?
Making your own sewn and bound books is so much fun – I’ve made quite a few over the years!
Check out this great two-part tutorial for sewing your own Japanese-style handmade books:

I think handmade books make great little gifts as well.  You can give them as blank notebooks, tuck photos or artwork into them or even turn them into scrapbooks.

“Mom’s Patterns” is an online store with a treasure-trove of discontinued sewing patterns from the 1940s all the way to freshly-discontinued patterns.
You can browse by decade, pattern company or even size – it’s a great resource if you’re looking for one of those unique patterns.

guest post by Mary Emma Allen of Quilting & Patchwork
Needlework has long been a necessary, yet relaxing activity, generally for women although some men have expertise in this area.  Women have engaged in sewing, quiltmaking, crocheting, knitting, tatting and embroidery to provide clothing, bedding, and other household items throughout the ages.  Even when they can purchase what they need, women still sew and quilt and do other needlework for enjoyment and a sense of accomplishment.
Looking back over my family’s activities, I see I have a heritage of needlework.
Nanny made quilts by hand, sitting by the woodstove in her kitchen throughout …read more

I must admit, I tend to go for the utilitarian aprons myself   I do enough baking that my aprons get messy awfully quickly around here…  But when my mom sent me this link to “An Assembly of Aprons” from Threads Magazine I was charmed with the different styles & the care and attention that went into them.
And then, if that wasn’t enough – Kim from Indie Style File (she did an interview with me not too long ago) posted this wonderful creation!
I may have to re-think my feelings  about making decorative aprons, I’m sure I can be …read more

I just found out about an amazing tour through parts of Europe, that focuses on embroidery & fiber art.
Which got me thinking – if there’s one company doing tours specifically for fiber artists, there’s got to be more, right?
Oh yes
Fiberarts Magazine has compiled a list of fantastic tours available.  There are trips to Japan,  (hand-embroidered kimonos!) Peru (hand-woven Inca artifacts!) or India (where do I start?)
Yes, I apologize.
I’ve added more things to your must do/see/spend money on list

This is too wonderful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDaB-NNyM8o

I haven’t had much spare time lately to play around with my new/old treadle machine (pout, pout)  I’ve been trying to find a manual for it, but haven’t had any luck with tracking down any information for “Supremacy” machines.  My fiance even took up the search (hmm… I wonder if he hopes that he’ll get a shirt out of it if he’s the one to find a manual ) with no luck.
I did however find a fantastic site for treadle machines called “The Sewing Machine Shop“.  They have a ton of links to other treadle sites, instructions on …read more

I recently wrote about some of the handwork that was passed down to me when my grandmother passed away:
http://www.blisstree.com/precious-heirlooms/ 

It’s now up to me to take care of it for the next generation.  So what are you working on, not just for yourself, but for someone else special?

My grandmother passed away recently, and I’ve been helping my parents to clean her house.  There have been a couple of items that have really spoken to me, and have come to live at my house.  I was given a small crocheted doily that my great-grandmother made, a lovely framed petit-point flower and an embroidered hankie.
I love the feeling & closeness of an object that was made and handled by a member of my family.  It’s almost like I can feel their presence when I hold it.  There’s a powerful connection when handwork is passed down through families – especially …read more

I have always been fascinated by the gorgeous needlework of the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. It is not a subject field in which I am an expert, nor have I devoted the time to becoming one. Many other people have, however, and their works are invaluable for a stitcher who wants to make a replica of an authentic Elizabethan gown, or just to create a lush “old world” feel on a piece of stitching.

One book in my library is What Life Was Like In the Realm of Elizabeth, a Time Life publication. It has a lot …read more