18 craft projects and stories from Jane Austen's novels.
Jane Austen's Sewing Box opens a window into the lives of Regency women during a beautiful period in arts, crafts and design. Jennifer Forest examines Jane Austen's novels and letters to reveal a world where women are gripped by crazes for painting on glass and for netting purses, economise by trimming an old bonnet, or eagerly turn to their sewing to avoid an uncomfortable conversation. Based on Jane Austen's novels and with illustrated step-by-step instructions for eighteen craft projects, this beautifully presented book will delight Jane Austen fans, lovers of history and literature and craft enthusiasts alike.
Professional Reviews
Kelly's Kart review at Amazon
This book focuses on sewing and craft projects, which Jane Austen's characters were busy working on within the storylines of her novels. The Regency period crafts and needlework that are described in this book include: A fabric letter case, a linen pillowcase, a Cravet (a man's necktie-scarf), an embroidered workbag, paper flowers, a small coin purse, a knitted miser's purse, a huswife (fabric case for thread, scissors, and needles), a carpet-work pillow, a muff and tippet (neck wrap), a pin cushion, a thread case, a transparency (small painted glass decoration), a bonnet, a reticule (a drawstring purse), a knitted rug, and a muslin cap.
Instructions for each project include a photo of the finished item, drawn illustrations, and a supply list. Note: the fabric measurements in the instructions are all in centimeters since this book was published in the United Kingdom. Each project also suggests whether it is for beginners, intermediate crafters, or for the advanced.
The book is like a picture book; almost every page has some sort of illustration. It includes period paintings and drawings that help illuminate how women lived and dressed during Jane Austen's day, and has photographs of Regency period fabrics and furnishings. Even if you do not plan to recreate one of these period crafts, it is a colorful book that gives a visual presentation of the home decor, crafts, and dress styles during the period in which Jane Austen's novels take place.
The Borderline Anti-Memory PastBook asks questions a diary does not ask and raises the questions to dialectics and answers them in a way a memory work does not answer questions.
