Small needlework pattern booklets became widely available in the mid-to-late 19th century; they were so popular that many were endlessly reproduced by various publishing houses in formats ranging from the classic "leporello-style" with accordion-pleated pages, to large sheets folded into small squares.

I've collected 100 of the best "pattern plates" from that era into this book and have meticulously redrawn them for ease of use. Many of the originals in my collection were obviously much loved and well-used as shown by their current tattered state! Like other items of fragile paper ephemera, it's remarkable that any have survived at all.

While most of these patterns are shown in blue (the most popular color used for the originals), you should feel free to use any single color or even multicolors for your projects. Some of these pages would make charming "samplers" worked on their own or as a grouping.

Over 20 different alphabets in varying sizes (most are small-to-medium), 9 sets of numbers, 50 borders and corners plus more than 50 small motifs are presented on the following pages. All of these charts use whole stitches (a few use backstitches for fine detail), making them particularly suitable for both needlepoint and cross stitch as well as filet crochet and beadwork. Basic counted thread stitches are illustrated on pages 54-55. By incorporating these patterns into your embroidery, you'll be carrying on a tradition of creativity that spans centuries. I'd love to see what you create with them!