Pretty French Needlework Books

Of course, one thing I do when I am in France is to spend the first day (almost!) buried in FNAC in Nice. Though the two independent bookshops on the Cours Mirabeau in Aix-en-Provence are absolute heaven for textile-lovers. The biggest problem with books, of course, is...weight. I usually take a half-full suitcase, but there is still only so much one can gather. However, the good news is that you can obtain some of these books from Amazon.uk - and it is possible to order direct from Amazon.fr - they will deliver to you wherever you are. To digress a moment, I sometimes find cheaper versions of hard-to-find textile books on Amazon.jp and even with the delivery charges, I save money. So don't give up! I can recommend all these books. Sylvie Castellano, I adore. If you have yet to come across her books, do browse with her name, all her books are beautiful.

So the French are interested in English samplers and this book, which is browsable on Amazon, has a number of full charted examples for you to stitch.

This is just such a sweet book - something to curl up with in autumn when you are looking forward to the holiday season.

Well this book just had to come home in my hand luggage - there was no way I would leave it on the shelf! It is fabulous - the loveliest red and white abecedaires. Yes, I wanted to bring a copy back for everyone, but I couldn't I'm afraid....sorry.

If you like Liberty prints, you will like this pretty book - stitch some very special buttons for your needle-rolls.

This book is fabulous too - and when I retire - as one day I must, one of the things on my to do list will be to make a stitched book of my days. Absolute inspiration.

This book has been around for a little time, but for those of you who don't know it, it is worth a mention. You won't be disappointed.