Needlework Inspiration: A Thursday Thirteen

Yesterday someone was kind enough to link to me, mentioning that I was a crafter and a reader.  Lately I've only been a reader and not much of a crafter, or in my case, needleworker.  I had thought I would share some of my recent projects today (in case anyone clicked through hoping to see something creative), but as I am not far enough along in any of them to  make a very interesting post, I thought instead I would share some of my favorite needlework books.

I've got a small but very nice collection of needlework books.  Many are now out of print, and these all happen to be of the coffee table variety mostly.  I would love to collect more, but they can be very pricey (which is why it's better to get them when they're first published rather than OOP).  Either they are small print runs (and generally very nice, lavish volumes) or they're foreign (primarily French), which means I need to be very selective.  Since I've not been stitching much, I've not been visiting any online stores to tempt me with new designs and new books. I'm afraid to go look and see what's new (and I'm missing out on!).  It's always nice revisiting the books I already own, though. 

My books tend to concentrate mostly on samplers, since that is my favorite type of design to stitch, but I like most types of needlework as well as anything on textiles and needlework tools.

1. Sampler & Antique Needlework Volume II. -- Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly is my favorite needlework magazine.  They published two wonderful books of designs that are full of gorgeous charts you can stitch.  Volume I is impossible to find, but I lucked out and found a remaindered copy of Volume II.
2. Samplers from the Victoria and Albert Museum, Clare Browne. -- If you live in London, I'm envious.  I actually went to the V&A a long time ago.  It was before I was seriously into stitching, though, and I never bothered to look at their fine textile collection.  So, if you happen by there, please go take a peek at Jane Bostocke's sampler for me!
3. Embroideries and Patterns from 19th Century Vienna, Raffaella Serena. -- Needlework from the Biedermeier Period.
4. Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework 1650-1850, Betty Ring. -- If you are a serious needleworker (of samplers) this is THE book (actually it is a set of two) to own.  It's absolutely gorgeous with lots of text--the essential history of American samplers.
5. The Embroiderer's Story: Needlework from the Renaissance to the Present Day, Thomasina Beck. -- Another history of.
6. The Embroiderer's Garden, Thomasina Beck. -- Embroidery--and lovely gardens.
7. Gardening with Silk and Gold, Thomasina Beck. -- More embroidery.
8. British Embroidery: Curious Works from the Seventeenth Century, Kathleen Epstein. -- Another lavishly illustrated volume.
9. Sampler Motifs and Symbolism, Patricia Andrle. -- Did you know that often all the various motifs in samplers are chock full of symbolism?  This is a nice guide to understand what's what.
10. Quaker School Girl Samplers from Ackworth, Carol Humphrey. -- The Ackworth School samplers are quite famous now.  The school was founded in the late 1700s by the Quakers, and part of a girls education was to learn needlework.  Quaker samplers have a very distinct look (generally geometric medallions).  I think they're lovely and would like to stitch something in this style.
11. Common Thread/Common Ground: A Collection of Essays on Early Samplers and Historic Needlework, Marsha Van Valin. -- An excellent reference resource.
12. Samplers from A to Z (Museum of Fine Arts Boston), Pamela Parmal. -- Thin little volume, but with lovely samplers.
13. Du Point de Marque au Point de Croix: Catalogue de l'Exposition--Nancy 2000, Régine Deforges. -- I have a small collection of French needlework books, this is one with illustrations of samplers and other stitching that was part of an exhibition.

This makes me want to set my books aside (just for a little while) and stitch.