This boxed set of six volumes of Weldon’s Practical Needlework is what you’d want to take to that proverbial desert island. Really – you could make a net for fishing, crochet a sarong, and knit a cozy for the random coconut. With way more than 5,000 patterns, you could lead a self-sufficient life. And with its charming old Victorian illustrations, you would have the natives rolling on the beach with laughter. Seriously, though – this collection provides endless entertainment and insights into a bygone world, when every woman had the skills to beautify her home and wardrobe with thread. This handsome set will hold pride of place in your needlework library.