Featuring exquisite examples from museums and private collections, including many rare items, this treasure trove explains and illustrates the history and beauty of American sewing tools. Exhaustively researched, it is the first publication to focus on the topic and shares the story of the American industries, innovations, and uses related to hand sewing and embroidery tools. Insights spring from well-documented primary sources like eighteenth-century American newspaper advertisements or a 20th-century thimble patent. The book offershistorical background, detailed descriptions, and photographs of needles and threads, bodkins and awls, chatelaines, hoops, lucets, and more. The strong link between women’s history and needlework tools is captured as well. Many one-of-a-kind handmade examples represent American subcultures and regional tastes. With more than 750 color photographs, this is an invaluable resource for historians, scholars, collectors, and embroidery and sewing enthusiasts.By Dawn Cook RonningenDawn Cook Ronningen is a historian and collector of hand sewing and embroidery tools. She conducts research and shares her tool collection in lectures and classes focusing on historic techniques and designs.Over 750 color & b/w imagesOver 750 color & b/w images