Sewing Books

It was looking through the old Needlework book yesterday that reminded me of an old sewing book that was my mother's and that I still have. Then I remembered the book I had as a child and then the book I used when I was dressmaking. Here they are:

The Big Book of Needlecraft is a big book. It dates from the 1930s and was the one my mother used. She was a highly skilled dressmaker, could tailor and draft her own patterns. She taught me to sew and I was using a sewing machine at an early age, but I never did the more advanced things that she did. 

Judy's Book of Sewing and Knitting is a 1950s book that I had as a child. It seems I got it as a present when I was nine. Looking through it now reminds me of things I made, bedding for a doll's bed for example. 

The Complete Guide to Sewing is a Reader's Digest book from the 1970s and was always the 'go to' book for me when I was dressmaking - it still is, although I do very little actual dressmaking now. 

However, then I remembered Ann Ladbury. For me and my friends in the 70s she was the person we watched on TV and we did everything she said. She was to dressmaking, what Delia Smith was to cooking. Sadly I have none of her books now, although I had several at the time. Looking them up I remember them very well and have a feeling that they went out in the last book throw out (I knew it was a bad idea to get rid of any books - I might end up buying them back!!)