I have splurged on a couple of needlework books recently. I bought In Praise of the Needlewoman: Embroiderers, knitters, lacemakers, and weavers in art by Gail Carolyn Sirna at my local museum's gift shop as they were having a sale. I have wanted this book for a while now. It has been on my Amazon wish list, but no one bought it for me. I decided I couldn't pass up a discounted copy. It is a lovely art book--lavish color illustrations on heavy, glossy paper. It is well worth the money. I shared a few favorite paintings on my book blog today as well. I can't wait to go through and read everything.
The second book, The Needle and the Blood by Sarah Bower, is a fictionalized account of the making of the Bayeux Tapestry in the 11th century. The blurb on the cover of the book reads "A powerful tale of sex, lies and embroidery". The book has come highly recommended by one of my favorite Litbloggers. It appears that the book is only available at the moment in the UK. If you happen to be in the US, however, let me recommend The Book Depository as a good source for British books. Oftentimes they discount, and more importantly they offer *free* shipping! I hope to make this one of my summer reads!