Review: Vintage Craft Workshop

So, my adoration of 1960′s and 70′s craft books has been well-documented here. To me, that was the best of times in crafting – you can’t beat the exuberant (and sometimes wacky) experimentation of those decades. And I was glad to discover another hardcore fan in Cathy Callahan. (If you’re new around these parts, take a listen to this podcast we did together several years ago.)

Cathy’s new book, Vintage Craft Workshop: Fresh Takes on Twenty-Four Classic Projects from the ’60s and ’70s, is an absolute delight – and if you aren’t already on the 60′s and 70′s bandwagon, this book will convert you.

Cathy selected 24 projects from her massive collection of vintage craft books, and then rounded up some modern-day crafters to re-interpret them. Here, you can see Cecily Keim‘s beautiful interpretation (on the left) of a set of freeform crochet-covered bottles from Crocheting with Swistraw (1972).

Not only does she share the vintage take alongside the modern one, but Cathy and Chronicle Books really worked to give this book the feeling of a 60′s/70′s-era craft book. The photo styling is so reminiscent of my beloved Better Homes & Gardens titles from those years.

I love Tom Early’s take on this tissue paper-covered tray. The image on the right that inspired it is from McCall’s Needlework and Crafts (1961).

However, my very favorite parts of this book are the crafty history lessons. Cathy has made a study of the many entrepreneurial women who forged the modern craft industry during the 60′s and 70′s. Sprinkled throughout the book are profiles of such luminaries as Hazel Pearson, Aleene Jackson, Jean Ray Laury, and Enid Collins. (More on her in a moment.)

I’m super proud to be a contributor to Vintage Craft Workshop, too. Can you guess what material I made these placemats from? That’s right, Kiddo – plastic canvas! It’s stitched with Swistraw and synthetic raffia, both of which take to the canvas beautifully. I really need to do lots more of this stuff.

(Also, where can I get some of these gorgeous plates?!)

Now, I own a copy of the Folded Magazine Novelties book on the right, but I really like the way Lucy Spriggs has turned them into hanging sculpture.

You’ll find all kinds of awesome vintage crafts in this project collection – papier mache and macrame, burlap and felt, crewel embroidery and string art!

Now, let’s get back to handbag designer Enid Collins, because this photo makes me incredibly happy and I want those awesome glasses. Cathy’s quite a researcher, and in tracking down biographical information for her book, she actually connected with Enid’s granddaughter, Lara Bobo. Lara designed this jewelry box for the book, based on her grandmother’s handbag designs…

Isn’t that the coolest thing?

Now, lest I fall into too much swooning here, let’s do a few practicalities. The project instructions here are nearly all in text form. There are plenty of projects here a beginner could easily do, but you’ll likely want to know the basics of crochet and embroidery for some of them. Luckily, crafting from the 60′s and 70′s involved a lot of gluing things together, so in most cases, you won’t need too many visuals to follow along.

Also, as usual, Chronicle sent me a review copy, and the title links are affiliate links. Definitely seek this out and flip through at your local bookstore. It’s a delightful love letter to a glorious era of crafting. You can follow along with the rest of the blog tour over here.