PieceWork is for needleworkers wanting to explore a wide range of historical textiles and fine-thread handwork traditions. PieceWork honors the handwork of our heritage through well-researched and human stories accompanied by carefully selected hands-on projects covering needlework techniques.

November/December 2009 Issue

Evening Stockings for a Young Lady to Knit by Nancy Bush
Nancy Bush adapted these elegant stockings with a touch of glitter from Weldon’s Practical Needlework, Volume 15, published in London in 1900.

Not So Humble Crochet by Linda Ligon
A complete recap of our Crocheted-Lace Challenge from the May/June 2009 issue.

PieceWork’s Crocheted-Lace Challenge II by Nancy Nehring
In response to the success of our inaugural challenge, we’re inviting you to send your version of Maltese Edging, selected by Nancy Nehring from an 1865 English book, to us.

If I Only Could See to Sew: How Needlework Enhanced the Quiet, Industrious Life of Henrietta McGuffey Hepburn by Betsy Butler
Henrietta McGuffey Hepburn, daughter of William Holmes McGuffey, father of the McGuffey Readers, wrote about her needlework projects in her diaries and reminiscences.

A Perforated-Paper Lamp Mat to Cross-Stitch adapted by Mary Polityka Bush
One year, Henrietta McGuffey Hepburn made a lamp mat. We adapted a motif published in The Ladies’ Guide to Needle Work, Embroidery, etc. in 1877 for this project.

Bewitched by Broomstick by Karen E. Hooton
The author discovered a pattern for a broomstick-lace skirt in the 1970s. Here, she writes of her fascination with this technique, a form of crochet, and her efforts to trace its history.

A Christening Bag to Knit and Crochet with Broomstick Lace by Karen E. Hooton
A “christening piece” is a long-standing Scottish tradition. Make your own christening bag as a gift for a special baby using the techniques of knitting and broomstick lace.

Broomstick Lace Workshop by Karen E. Hooton
Learn the basics of broomstick lace with this step-by-step tutorial.

The Three-Rib Beret by Jacqueline Fee
The designer re-creates an unusual child’s hat from her collection of “homeless knittings.”

Three Centuries at Sajou, Purveyors of French Needlework Supplies by Catherine Amoroso Leslie
Discover how the current owner of this business, founded in the 1830s, is continuing the spirit of Sajou.

Heart-Shaped Ornaments to Knit by Ann Budd
Use our instructions to make ornaments in two weights of yarn or use the hearts as inspiration for your own creation for PieceWork’s next Excellence in Needle Arts Awards—Heart-Shaped Ornaments.

Chinese Dragons: Embroidered Symbols of Power and Protection by Valery Garrett
The dragon has been an object of worship in China for thousands of years, and the embroidered motif has been used to embellish a vast array of objects, from emperors’ robes to children’s shoes.

Dragon Slippers to Stitch for a Child
We adapted the cross-stitch chart for a pair of women’s slippers from a circa-1920 Shanghai book for these exquisite little slippers for a toddler. According to Chinese legend, the dragon will protect the child from evil spirits.

Meteliza Scarf to Knit by Inna Voltchkova
Designer Inna Voltchkova used traditional Orenburg lace knitting techniques and motifs to create this elegant scarf in an angora yarn called Blizzard; meteliza, the name of the scarf, is Russian for “blizzard."