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THE AGE OF HOMESPUN: Objects and Stories in the Creation of an American Myth $36.95 (Laurel Thatcher Ulrich)   Using objects that Americans have saved through the centuries and stories they have passed along, as well as histories teased from documents, Ulrich chronicles the production of cloth - and of history - in early America. Under her study, ordinary household goods - Indian baskets, spinning wheels, a chimneypiece, a cupboard, a niddy noddy, bed coverings, silk embroidery, a pocketbook, a linen tablecloth, a coverlet, and unfinished stocking - provide keys to understanding many aspects of early America. We discover how ideas about cloth and clothing affected relations between English settlers and their Algonkian neighbors. We see how an English production system based on a clear division of labor - men doing the weaving and women the spinning - broke down in the colonial setting, becoming first marginalized, then feminized, then politicized, and how the new system both prepared the way for and was sustained by machine-powered spinning. Pulling these threads together in a rich and revealing tapestry of "the age of homespun," Ulrich demonstrates how ordinary objects reveal larger economic and social structures, and how early Americans and their descendants made, used, sold, and saved textiles in order to assert identities, shape relationships, and create history. Hardcover, b&w photos, 502pgs.

A HISTORY OF HAND KNITTING $41.50 (Richard Rutt)   You'll get absorbing reading and accurate information in this full history of handknitting. In tracing the development and refinement of the craft, the author draws upon literary evidence and pays special attention to the social aspects of knitting. He re-evaluates well-known legends, examines the changes in tools and techniques, and ranges widely through both history and geography. Separate chapters relate the history of European knitting before 1500, knitting in Britain from Henry VIII to the Commonwealth, from the Restoration to 1835, during the nineteenth century, and during the First World War and after. Further explorations consider local traditions in the British Isles, knitting as practiced east the Adriatic, and developments in the Americas. The book also includes a definition of knitting in relation to other yarn crafts, such as crochet and nalbinding, a historical glossary, and a transcription of the earliest English knitting pattern. Illustrated with a remarkable range of both color and b&w photos, clear technical diagrams, and a large number of design charted from historical items. Hardcover. 248 pgs

A NEW COAT FOR ANNA $8.00 (Ziefert & Lobel) This WWII story , with delightful color illustrations, is based on a true experience of wearing a too-small coat because there were no coats, hardly any food and little money. Anna's mother trades grandfather's watch for wool from a farmer, and continues to barter until the new coat is finished. Sheep shearers, spinners, dyers, weavers, and tailors will delight in the warm Christmas story, ending with a visit to the sheep to show them their wool. Second graders should be able to read most of the words in this story that touches all ages. 40 pgs

ANONYMOUS WAS A WOMAN $15.25 (Mirra Bank) Excerpts from old diaries, letters, sampler verses, books, and magazines blend with full-color reproductions of samplers, quilts, paintings, and needle-pictures to give the reader insight and understanding of the inner lives of the women who created them. "A spendid book - original, perceptive, and deeply moving." - Gerda Lerner, writer & historian 128 pgs.

THE BOOK OF BUCKSKINNING VIII $22.50  (Muzzleloader Magazine) Topics in this newest Buckskinning book include:  Gear of the Rocky Mountain Trapper, Beaver Hunting, Wing Shooting with a Flintlock Shotgun, History of the Horse in the Fur Trade, 18th Century Tatooing, The History and Trade Ledgers of Fort Hall, Independent Women of America's Past, Beadwork in the American West before 1850, The Evolution of the Cocked Hat. 258 pgs. We are discontinuing this series; only 2 copies of this title left.

CHILD LIFE IN COLONIAL DAYS $16.50  (Alice Morse Earle) This is a fascinating account of American children and their lives from the very earliest settlers to the first decades of a new republic. Covering everything from dress to toys, schools to play, discipline and religion, it describes a child's life in the days before railroad and telegraph. An interesting book to read, and invaluable as a reference book. 418 pgs.

FITTING & PROPER - 18th Century Clothing from the Collection of the Chester County Historical Society $31.50 (Sharon Ann Burnston) The first book to focus exclusively on an entirely American collection of 18th century clothing, Fitting & Proper features first-quality photography and detailed, inch-by-inch graphs of the original clothing in the collection of the Chester County (Pennsylvania) Historical Society. Over 40 original garments (men's, women's, children's) are depicted with 38 converted to graphed patterns by 18th century costume authority Sharon Ann Burnston.

HOME LIFE IN COLONIAL DAYS $16.50  (Alice Morse Earle) Originally published in 1898, this is a comprehensive, detailed account of how American colonists lived, worked, ate, traveled, prayed, and played. Includes indepth chapters on Flax Culture & Spinning, Wool Culture & Spinning, and Hand Weaving. A fascinating book! 468 pgs.

IF YOU.....
...GREW UP WITH ABRAHAM LINCOLN
...GREW UP WITH GEORGE WASHINGTON
...LIVED AT THE TIME OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
...LIVED IN COLONIAL TIMES
...LIVED WITH THE SIOUX INDIANS
...SAILED ON THE MAYFLOWER
...TRAVELED ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
...TRAVELED WEST IN A COVERED WAGON
...WERE THERE WHEN THEY SIGNED THE CONSTITUTION
Learn about these important times in our history and how it would have been if you'd lived then. Captivating illustrations and catchy text will keep your child's (and your) interest. $6.95 per title. Order 5 or more, and deduct 15%.

KNITTING: 19TH CENTURY SOURCES $26.50 (edited by J & K Kliot) Knitting instructions and patterns from the 1800's, when making their own clothes wasn't an option. Most of the contents of this volume consists of selected segments as originally published by Weldon's during the latter part of the 19th centruy. From the basic instructions, the many projects illustrate not only the pracical side of this craft, such as the making of stockings, underwear, etc, but includes many projects for amusement and novelty. 160 pgs.

Lucet $14.95 Length: 7.75" Finished oak

Lucet The lucet is a simple tool used for making cords and drawstrings, and was in common use in Europe as far back at the 16th century. The basic lucet cord uses a single thread to make a square braid. The book begins with the basic technique and continues into more complex and interesting cords. Try it! LUCET BRAIDING Variations on a Renaissance Cord 32 pgs. $13.25

One of a kind...
TAPE LOOMS: Past and Present (Bonnie Weidert)  $24.50 There were no zippers, velcro or snaps in the past, and people relied on lacing. Tape looms are capable of making strong, long, narrow bands which have a myriad of uses. They were used for loops on towels and pot holders for hanging, loops at the top of bed curtains to attach them to the tester frame of a four-poster bed, edgings on needlework, drawstrings on cloth bags, crisscrossing over a cradle to keep the child safe, fastenings for clothing, ties on bonnets, shoelaces, lamp wicks - - for anything of fabric that needed tying, fastening, pulling or hanging. In this most informative book, the author shares her research of tape looms. She provides a pattern and instructions for building your own tape loom. She tells you how to set up your loom and warp it, then moves into the weaving process. Eighteen drafts for simple patterns, which can be made on an inkle loom as well as a tape loom, are shown in color. Includes photos of a variety of antique looms. Spiral, lay-flat binding. 72 pgs.

WELDON'S PRACTICAL NEEDLEWORK $32.00 (Presented by Piecework Magazine) In the late 1800's, a company called Weldon's offered monthly newsletters that featured needlework patterns and instructions for projects. Later, the company inaugurated a series of books titled Weldon's Practical Needlework, each volume consisting of 12 issues of newsletters bound with a cloth cover. Every book is filled with vintage projects, illustrations, information on little-known techniques, fashion as it was at the turn of the 20th century, and brief histories of needlework. These books open a window to another time and place. Each volume is 152 pages, 9" x 12", and includes 100 to 250 original drawings from the 1800's. Hardcover. Volumes 1 through 12 available, less Volume #3 which is out of print. To see contents of each volume, go to www.interweavepress.com

WOMEN'S WORK $16.50  (Elizabeth Wayward Barber) From the beginning of time and up until the industrial revolution, the responsibility for spinning and creating clothing belonged primarily to women. "A fascinating history of ... (a craft) that preceded and made possible civilization itself." - New York Times Book Review 334 pgs.