Crafting With Lace: More Than 40 Enchanting Projects to Make

Covers the history of lacework, techniques of sewing with lace, and instructions for making traditional and contemporary projects, including crafts using cutwork and Battenberg lace

The fashion industry's emphasis this winter on luxurious fabrics may soon lead to a revival of interest in all things lace. Cusick is well prepared; her how-to book is filled with not only more than 40 projects but also well-documented histories of this craft. Each of the patterns includes level of difficulty, materials, procedures, charts to follow, and a four-color photograph. Though many of her inspirations might be disregarded because of difficulty or style, others prove very adaptable to twentieth-century needs: hand towels, pillows and cases, holiday ornaments, hat adornments, and baby items, for instance. Experienced sewers will be keen on her ideas. Barbara Jacobs