I was thinking about Mother's day recently and surfing on the web for new tatting books. I found a cover new to me. It was "Grandmother's Heirloom Handiwork." The cover had an old-fashioned crazy quilt design and the illustration was bordered with a tatted edge. I couldn't resist and ordered it.

This booklet has no date on it but has the feel and appearance of needlework books of the late '70's and early '80's such as "Stitch'n'Sew" or "Popular Needlework." It is one of a series of such books offered for sale by Reader Service of New York. The back cover displays a total of 13 books numbered Q-129 through Q-141. I have found so far two different covers for it.

This book is numbered Q-131. 66 pages of mostly black and white illustrations, it does contain a wonderful variety of needlework arts presented with basic (but limited) instructions. The hem stitching and needle weaving sections were minimal but well done. A page labeled teneriffe wasn't; needle weaving style instead. There is a lovely collar done with what appears to be silk rat tail cord used a the gimp to outline the design which was then filled in with faggotting stitches. Very nice indeed.

Many cross stitch and embroidery stitches are illustrated as well as the fundamentals of knitting and crochet. For the thrifty needle worker basic tutorials on turning cloth scraps into hooked or "petal" shaped rugs vie with basic quilting (including the crazy quilt pattern from the original cover) and the art of quilling (turning scraps of paper into delicate designs.)

However, the tatting section contains only 3 pages of instructions, but with proper illustrations and a short one row ring and chain pattern. As a bonus, directions are given for sewing a "peter pan" style collar to which to attach the tatted lace.

Perhaps a suitable addition to a tatting reference library but of limited value to all but a beginning tatter.