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Pincushion, Knitted Like a Lemon

From Weldon’s Practical Needlework, Volume 10, Twenty-eighth Series, we offer a charming citrus-shaped pincushion perfect for holiday giving. The instructions are presented here as they were originally published during the nineteenth century.

Embroidered Suspenders: A Special Engagement Gift

The embroidered suspenders made by Oline Hansen as an engagement gift for husband Karl Madsen continue to be a treasured family heirloom.

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The Tam O’Shanter

This charming tam o’shanter from the January/February 2017 issue of PieceWork makes a special gift. The body is worked in a Fair Isle pattern, and the tam gets its distinctive shape when it is washed and blocked.

Stitches for a Crazy Quilt

A merry assortment of embroidery stitches are used to cover the seams in crazy quilts. The only limits are a needleworker's imagination and materials on hand.

Make Do: Feed-Sack Fashion in the First Half of the Twentieth Century

In the early twentieth century, staples, such as flour and livestock feed, were sold in cloth bags. As American families entered the 1930s, reusing these fabrics became more popular, and bags became more colorful.

The Long Thread: Joan Sheridan

Joan Sheridan shares her lifelong passion for textiles as a volunteer conservator at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.

Knitting Comforts for the Troops

During World War I (1914–1918), knitters produced prodigious quantities of warm clothing and other items for servicemen and the wounded.

A Modern-Style Dowry Bag with Traditional Embroidery

This embroidered dowry bag bridges the gap between the traditional and modern. The shape meets the demands of current trends, but the stitching pays tribute to the needlework of vintage dowry bags.

Bargello: Cloaked in Legend

The origins of the simple, yet striking, bargello stitch remain clouded in mystery, but its popularity has spanned centuries.

The Sun Laces

A circular form of Spanish lace first appeared in sixteenth-century paintings, but this style of lace soon radiated out, and variations can be found far and wide.