Updated July 8, 2022.
Although they can be a challenge to find, needlepoint books make absolutely fantastic gifts.
Today we’ll talk about some places to find great needlepoint books.
New Needlepoint Books
For people who aren’t stitchers, the biggest problem is knowing where to find these books. Send them to a local bookstore and they will come back empty-handed. Send them to your local needlework shop and you’ll usually have better luck. Many shops also have good selections of books on their sites.
I am finding more and more shops having good selections of books. One reason for this is that most needlepoint books are self-published and don’t go into the normal book distribution channels. Because needlepoint shops already have the relationships in the industry, they can and will get the books.
Although many designers sell their ebooks online, as I do, also check out the web stores for Kindle, iPods, and the general ebook sites. There’s more out there all the time. I’m always finding great stuff for my Kindle.
Used and Vintage Needlepoint Books
If you are looking for needlepoint books that are older or less expensive, there are several options out there. Remember though that sellers’ descriptions of books often are not complete and their estimations of condition may be very different from yours. I buy many used books and have had a problem once, but others have more difficulty.
The gorilla in the used/vintage book market is alibris. Independent sellers list inventory here. I’m noticing that not only will you find books from used booksellers, I’m also seeing book listings from Goodwill. The prices can be all over the place but go through the listings to find a book you can live with. On alibris you can find most commercially published books.
Another good place for used books is Thrift Books.
eBay can be an amazing place to get older books. But you probably have to do searches. Some people list books in books, some in needlepoint patterns, some in other needlepoint.
Books I’d Ask For
Please note: I own all these books.
If you have no other needlepoint books, ask for The Needlepoint Book. It is a university course on needlepoint in one book. The first edition is almost as good as the current one and dirt cheap. I’ve bought it many times at thrift shops and given every copy away to a new stitcher.
The top book I’d want, if I could find it is Robbie Fanning’s Diagonal Basketweave, it’s head and shoulders above any other book like this.
My favorite project books are the two Needlepoint from Great American Quilts books. I’ve had them since the 70’s and still love them.
If you want a Bargello book, get Elsa Williams’ Bargello. Published in the ’70s and widely available, it taught me and hundreds of other stitchers Bargello.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Patricia McCauley says
I emailed the herbieh@prodigy.com but the address was not found.
I wanted to order the updated version of the book
Janet M Perry says
I’m not sure which book you are referring to. I just checked the article and the links there, which are all to sites, are all valid. In terms of the specific books I recommend in the article, only one, The Needlepoint Book, is still in print. it is in its third edition. Davie Hyman’s book is very hard to find, but the other two books are often available.
Keep stitching,
Janet