[.ca] 150 Favorite Crochet Designs (ISBN 0486285723)

This book is fantastic!!!:
It arrived today, so quickly I thought it was impossible. The patterns are fantastic as they are ....and for what you can make them into. The motifs can be used for anything from a tablecloth to making a dress. Use yarn instead of thread and a tablerunner becomes a beautiful new shawl. Motifs, a shawl that would look gorgeous at any fancy night on the town.Old fashion? If the beauty in this book, can be called "old fashion" then all I can say is "Thank you Grandma, you knew how to make some awesomely beautiful stuff." The patterns and there usefulness is nothing short of stunning!

This book is a treasury of patterns from the past.:
150 Favorite Crochet Designs edited by Mary Carolyn Waldrep, is a treasure-trove of patterns gleaned from the past. All the patterns are made from thread and date bake to the 30's, 40's, and 50's. Many of the patterns can be easily adapted by today's modern crocheter. The charted "Eagle and Motto" runner with its' patriotic E PLURIBUS UNUM detail could be the basis for a great 4th of July afghan done in 4ply yarn. Pick out a motif from one of the bedspread patterns and do it up in yarn. Tack it to a tired old pillow for some instant decor pick-me-up. Worked in thread, many individual motifs can be used for snowflakes for a Christmas tree. There are also edgings that can be used to trim baskets and caning jars. Intermediate to advanced crocheters would find this book useful and beginners can easily grow into it.

For those who like old-fashioned crochet:
The synopsis is right on the mark. This book is very old-fashioned - from the patterns right down to the print. I dare to say, even boring. The designs are (as mentioned) from decades ago, so if you're looking for young, fun designs you won't get it here. The pictures are in black and white and the print is old, typewriter style. Out of the claimed 150 designs (I didn't check to see if there are really 150), only about 5 really interested me. Even my 67 year old mother remarked that none of the designs 'jumped out at her'. On the positive side though, the book is easy to follow with charts and abbreviation guides, crochet hook conversions and 17 basic crochet stitches. I will recommend the book for a beginner who wants simple designs, but for a seasoned pro who has done it all, something newer and more challenging is needed - unless of course you lost all your mother's old books and want one with old favorites for your home library :)

Beautiful, Old-Fashioned Whitework:
I bought this book originally because of the three wide crocheted lace patterns. I love the heavy but dainty thick lace you see on antique pillowcases and sheets, but couldn't find any patterns until this book. I shy away from the cheesy multi-colored patterns you see so often in modern books, so this was a natural fit. The patterns in this book are vintage... and I'm so glad!