How Marking Stitch Was Taught to a Class of Girls
An 1893 lesson in marking stitch, counted two threads each way on canvas, with every capital letter in the syllabus derived from the letter…
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Projects, practical guidance and enduring crochet stories.
A Puffing Takes Twice the Space It Covers
The Dictionary of Needlework on puffings — bands of material gathered on both sides — and the…
Macramé Lace Knotted on a Pinned Cushion
Two macramé patterns from The Dictionary of Needlework, worked row by row over pins stuck into a…
How Schoolchildren Were Taught to Sew On a Button
A Standard IV needlework lesson from 1893, written for the teacher: how to demonstrate a button, its…
Fringe Bought by the Yard, Fringe Knotted by Hand
The Dictionary of Needlework first lists the fringes a Victorian shop sold by the piece, then gives…
Netting, the Craft That Crochet Replaced
The Dictionary of Needlework traces netting from Amasis of Egypt to the Victorian window-blind, then sets out…
Changing Colour in the Middle of a Crochet Stitch
Cornelia Mee's 1845 rule for coloured crochet: the new colour is drawn through the second half of…